Episodes

Somewhere along the way, many of us absorbed a quiet lie: I am valuable if I perform well. It rarely announces itself. It shows up in how we read our metrics, how we feel after applause, and how we feel when it goes quiet. Most leaders only notice it when burnout or a breakdown forces the question. In this episode we look at what that lie costs. Leaders lose their joy, teams lose their creativity and psychological safety, and identity shrinks down to results. Then we go back to Matthew 3:17. Be...

If you're leading and nobody's ever criticised you, you're probably not leading much. This week Carson, Chuck, and Ingrid look at what separates a wound that shapes you from noise you're free to release — and why the goal was never thick skin, but discernment. Worth sitting with before you press play: think of the last piece of criticism that actually changed you, not just the one that stung. What made the difference?

Every leader has fallen. The question isn’t whether you’ll stumble—it’s what you’ll do when you do. In this episode, Carson, Chuck, and Ingrid sit down to talk about the missteps that catch even experienced leaders off guard: the desperate chase for approval that costs you your integrity; the flood of changes that leaves your team gasping; the fuzzy line between approachability and authority; the rigid grip on plans that ignores your people; and the productivity obsession that mistakes activity...

Someone vouched for Paul when nobody else would. The believers in Jerusalem were frightened of him, and with good reason. Barnabas stood up and said, in effect: I know what you’ve heard. Trust me on this one. That one act of belief shaped the early church. Carson, Ingrid and Chuck walk through the friendship across Acts 9, 11 and 15 — the vouching, the partnership in Antioch, and the falling-out over John Mark. Their story isn’t tidy. Mentoring rarely is. Along the way: how to spot potential ...

Before leadership frameworks, there was a rabbi calling twelve ordinary men to walk with him. In this episode, we look at how Jesus mentored the Twelve: how he called them, walked with them, corrected them, and sent them out. Carson, Chuck, and Ingrid unpack what that relationship still teaches leaders today. Three lessons carry the episode. Be present, the way Jesus was fully present with the Twelve. Empower others, the way he equipped ordinary men to carry his mission forward. Model vulne...

Jesus didn’t call himself a CEO. He called himself a shepherd. And if you’ve ever spent time around actual sheep, you know that’s not the flattering image we tend to make it. The Mentored Podcast is built on a biblical leadership framework and a servant leadership model, so this episode sits close to home. Carson, Chuck, and Ingrid dig into what biblical leadership actually looks like, not the version with a platform and a title, but the kind that shows up in a parking lot in a yellow vest beca...

Ask a pastor what they do for a living and watch what happens. Either an awkward silence, or someone jokes about a one-day work week. Ministry is uncommon work. Not because people misunderstand it, though they often do, but because it asks something most jobs never ask: your whole self, on the days you have nothing left to give. This episode is for the pastor who loves the congregation and still ends most weeks running on fumes. The one carrying sermon prep, counselling, conflict, and administr...

Alignment is one of those words leaders use a lot. I’m just not sure we examine it enough though. In this episode, Ingrid, Chuck, and I sit with a question that’s easier to avoid than to answer honestly: Are my actions today actually reflecting what I believe? We walk through the case study of Sarah, a passionate leader whose team is growing frustrated and whose decisions have quietly drifted from her own values. Nobody warned her it was happening. It rarely announces itself. Misalignment doesn...

Everything falls apart. That’s not cynicism. That’s physics. Entropy is the tendency of any system, left unattended, to move toward disorder. Your organisation knows this. So does your marriage. So does your soul. It doesn’t happen all at once. Gradually. Quietly. A leader drifts from their calling. A team loses its sense of purpose. A spiritual life that once felt alive starts running on memory. That’s entropy. And it doesn’t announce itself. In this episode, Carson, Ingrid, and Chuck get ho...

Some podcasts give you content. This one gives you a conversation. That was always the idea. Martin Sanders and Carson Pue started it at a kitchen table, really. The mentoring that used to happen on long walks or over a shared meal had no place to live in the noise of modern leadership. So they made one. Martin is gone now. But the conversation continues. Chuck and Ingrid Davis stepped in at Carson’s invitation — not to fill a gap, but because Martin had mentored them too. It felt right. It s...

Everyone has a story. The real question is whether you know how to read yours. In this Season 2 finale, Carson, Chuck, and Ingrid dig into one of the most underused tools in a mentor’s hands — story. Not storytelling as a presentation skill, but story as the lens through which we understand our own lives, and help others understand theirs. Dan Allender puts it plainly: most people miss the deeper meaning of their own life because they don’t know how to read it. And as John McCauley adds, we’re ...

Most of us walk into our biggest decisions already knowing what we want. We just want God to agree. That’s not prayer. That’s lobbying. The Prayer of Indifference is an ancient spiritual practice rooted in Ignatian tradition and the Quaker pursuit of surrender. At its core, it’s the willingness to say, “Lord, I don’t want what I want. I want what you want.” Simple to say. Genuinely costly to mean. In this episode, Carson, Chuck, and Ingrid unpack what holy indifference actually looks like in ...

There’s a kind of leader who commands a room without raising their voice. And there’s another kind who needs a title to be taken seriously. They are not the same. In this milestone 50th episode, Carson, Chuck, and Ingrid sit down with a question that cuts to the heart of every leader’s journey: Where does your authority actually come from? Institutional power is given. Spiritual authority is grown — slowly, often painfully, through faithfulness in hidden places. But in a world that rewards pla...

Leadership has an inside story that rarely makes the highlight reel. It’s the moment before the response. The pause before the decision. The quiet choice to lead yourself before you attempt to lead anyone else. In this episode, Carson, Chuck, and Ingrid sit with three case studies that bring self-regulation out of the theoretical and into the real — exploring what it actually costs a leader to stay authentic under pressure, to choose patience when urgency is screaming, and to take seriously the...

Anxiety is contagious. But so is calm. In this episode, we explore what it actually looks like for a leader to be a non-anxious presence — not by pretending everything is fine, but by being genuinely anchored when everything around them isn’t. What if the most important thing you carry into a room isn’t your strategy, but your steadiness? We unpack why anxious leaders create anxious cultures, what it costs an organization when the person at the top is always reacting, and the quiet discipline it...

What really stops leaders from leading? It’s rarely a lack of skill or strategy. More often, it’s one of two things: a failure of the heart — losing emotional connection to your mission and people — or a failure of the nerve — lacking the courage to act when it matters most. In this episode, Carson, Chuck, and Ingrid get honest about both. They explore how heartbreak shows up as disengagement, bitterness, and spiritual exhaustion, and how nerve failure hides behind indecision, avoidance, and co...

Episode 46 shines a light on resilience as a major transformative force in leadership and life. Hosts Carson Pue, Ingrid Davis, and Chuck Davis redefine resilience—not just as bouncing back, but as bouncing forward, growing stronger through life’s challenges. They share heartfelt stories, practical wisdom, and spiritual insights to inspire listeners to embrace resistance as a gift that builds strength. With themes of vulnerability, recovery, and continuous growth, this episode encourages everyo...

Ep.44 began a crucial conversation about stewarding suffering—something every mentor and aspiring mentor will encounter on the journey. As we continue through the Christmas season, which beautifully reminds us of redemption emerging from hardship, we’re shifting gears to focus on practical wisdom for navigating pain as someone who guides others. Whether you’re pouring into someone else or looking to be poured into, this episode offers real-life insights and actionable tips to help you support ot...

We are originally posting this episode as we approach the Christmas season, a time often filled with joy and celebration, it’s also a time to reflect on the deeper story of hope born from humble and challenging circumstances. This episode is part one of our two-part series. We’re going to continue to go deeper than we did in Episode 43 on disappointment to discuss a topic that touches every leader: suffering. Suffering is a universal human experience, yet it often feels isolating, especially whe...

In Episode 43 of the Mentored Podcast, hosts Carson Pue, Chuck, and Ingrid Davis address a reality that every leader eventually faces: the challenge of dealing with disappointment. Whether it stems from a missed opportunity, a personnel change, or a vision that didn’t materialize as planned, disappointment can be disorienting. This episode offers a compassionate and practical roadmap for navigating these difficult emotions with wisdom. Rather than simply “pushing through” or burying the pain, t...

In this thought-provoking episode of the Mentored Podcast, Carson Pue, Chuck, and Ingrid Davis explore the concept of moving beyond singular assessment tools, such as the Enneagram, Birkman, DISC, or MBTI. While these instruments can provide valuable insights into personality, behaviour, and preferences, they are not the ultimate answer to understanding or mentoring others. As mentors, it’s crucial to avoid becoming overly reliant on any one framework. Together, we discuss the importance of ado...

In this episode of The Mentored Podcast, we dive into the delicate dance of balancing family and work. When life feels full in every direction, it’s easy to lose sight of what truly matters. We explore the signs of imbalance, the toll it can take on your relationships, and the wake-up calls that force us to reevaluate our priorities. Through personal stories and practical insights, we’ll help you answer the question, “How is my family really doing?” and guide you toward creating space for what ...

How do we stay connected to our kids once they’re grown? In this episode of Mentored, Carson, Chuck, and Ingrid explore the often-delicate art of communicating with adult children. Parenting doesn’t end when our children leave home—it simply changes shape. Together, we look at how to move from directing to relating, from teaching to listening, and from control to mutual respect. Carson shares practical wisdom from his own life and mentoring work: how to build bridges instead of walls, how to of...

Ever notice how the most successful leaders aren’t necessarily the smartest ones in the room? They’re often the ones who’ve mastered something we rarely talk about in leadership circles—their emotions. In this raw and insightful episode, Carson Pue, Chuck, and Ingrid Davis tackle the uncomfortable truth about emotional intelligence in leadership. Chuck opens up about his Midwestern upbringing, where feelings were seen as “unpredictable” and “no good”—a mindset that nearly sabotaged his marriage ...