Various Thoughts From Dennis Shaw

(This is an early release of Mindful Leader, I do that occasionally.  Official release will be February 17, 2025 but this is this week's podcast!) Welcome to the Mindful Leader podcast hosted by Dennis Shaw, a retired elder from the Mountain Sky Conference of the United Methodist Church. This episode, features Dr. George Thompson, and we focus on leadership development in local churches. Dr. Thompson shares insights from his extensive experience and his book Church on the Edge of Somewhere. exploring the dynamics of church identity, leadership, and the societal influences on congregations. (The grid that Dennis and Dr. Thompson discuss is shown at the bottom of these show notes.)  Through engaging dialogue, Dr. Thompson and Dennis discuss the significance of understanding congregations as distinct entities, and how leaders can navigate the complexities of church dynamics. The conversation delves into adaptive leadership, empathetic marginality, and the importance of moving beyond conventional paradigms to ins