Leadership & the Holy Spirit
Leadership Isn’t Always About the Right Words...
Listening In Can Change Everything
Leadership isn’t always about having the right answers. It isn’t about strong opinions, clever insights, or the ability to command a room with your words. Sometimes, leadership is about creating sacred space.
Space to pause. To pay attention. To tune in.
As a leadership coach and Christ follower, I’ve learned something over and over again: The most powerful guidance I offer others doesn’t come from my own understanding.
It comes when I slow down, quiet the noise, and listen for the Holy Spirit’s whisper.
That’s what I call Listening In.
It has changed how I lead.
It has transformed how I coach.
And most importantly, it has reshaped how I serve.
We're Taught to Speak, Not to Listen
We live in a world that celebrates fast thinking and quick talking. Leaders are expected to be decisive, persuasive, and confident. Coaches are trained to offer solutions and strategies. And often, Christian leaders feel pressured to always have a word from the Lord on command.
But here’s the truth: Even our best wisdom can fall flat when it comes from our own strength.
I remember sitting in a coaching session years ago with a leader who was carrying a heavy burden. I had ideas, tools, and frameworks ready to go. But I sensed the Holy Spirit nudging me:
Wait. Don’t speak yet.
So I listened.
And in that silence, something holy happened. She opened up in a way she hadn’t before. Not because of anything I said, but because I created space for the Spirit to move.
That moment changed how I lead.
Listen In
Before any meeting or coaching session, I pray a simple prayer:
"Lord, help me hear what You hear. Help me see what You see."
I don’t want to just be a good coach. I want to be a spirit-led leader. One who walks in step with God’s heart and speaks only what He prompts.
Listening In isn’t a technique. It’s obedience.
It’s an invitation to pause before reacting, to pray before advising, and to hold silence as a gift, not a gap.
When I Listen In, I:
- Ask better questions
- Create safer spaces
- Notice what’s not being said
- Speak with gentleness and authority
- Stay anchored in love
This posture has helped me guide high-level leaders, walk with hurting families, and encourage people who feel lost and unseen. Not because I’m wise, but because the Holy Spirit is faithful.
What Happens When We Listen In
When you lead this way, things change. Conversations deepen. Resistance melts. Healing begins.
I’ve seen:
- Executives break down barriers they’ve held for decades.
- Teams come together around hard truths because they felt heard.
- Marriages begin to mend through small, Spirit-led insights.
- Clients shift from striving to surrendering.
These outcomes aren’t the result of a certification or a clever model. They happen when we choose to be present and pay attention to God’s leading.
Because He is speaking. The question is: Are we listening?
You Don't Have to Lead Alone
If you're in leadership, you carry a lot. Pressure. Expectations. People looking to you for answers.
But you don’t have to do it in your own strength.
You don’t need to have all the right words. You just need to be willing to pause.
God doesn’t call us to impress; He calls us to follow. To be vessels of His presence. And when we learn to Listen In, we make room for Him to do what only He can do.
What Does It Look Like Practically?
Here are some simple ways to start Listening In:
- Pray before every conversation. Even a short, quiet prayer: "Holy Spirit, lead me."
- Resist the urge to fill the silence. Let the space breathe.
- Pay attention to what stands out. A word. A pause. A tear. God often highlights small things.
- Ask questions that open hearts, not just minds.
- Trust that the Spirit will guide you. He always does.
You don’t need a formula. You just need a heart that’s willing to slow down.
This Is Sacred Work
I believe leadership is sacred. It’s not just about goals and growth.
It’s about people. Souls. Eternal things.
When we make space for the Holy Spirit to move, we lead differently. We stop striving and start partnering. We stop pushing and start discerning.
Listen In isn’t just a concept. It’s a way of life. And it has changed everything for me.
If you’re a leader, coach, or mentor who wants to grow in spirit-led leadership, I invite you to begin this journey. Not with more words, but with a holy pause.
Because the most powerful thing you may offer someone isn’t advice. It’s presence.
And when you invite the Holy Spirit into your conversations?
Everything changes.
With Love,
Pamela