Kingdom Factor Helped Me Lead With Clarity When It Mattered Most

It’s a beautiful Friday afternoon here in central Indiana—even if I’d rather be outside than indoors on Zoom. But I’m grateful for the chance to share a little bit of my story, because I know there are leaders out there who are curious about Kingdom Factor and wondering if it’s really worth the time.

I’ll tell you up front: for me, it absolutely is.

A Snapshot of My World

I serve as the CEO of Wheeler Mission in Indianapolis, Indiana. Wheeler is 130 years old—founded in 1893—and is the largest continuous operating nonprofit organization of our kind in Indiana. We provide shelter services to individuals experiencing homelessness—men, women, and children—both in central Indiana and in Bloomington.

Depending on the season, we employ around 200 to 250 people. When the weather turns cold, the demand for shelter increases, so we ramp up accordingly. Last year, our budget was about $24 million.

It’s a significant organization with a long history and a very real mission. And like most leaders, I don’t wake up thinking, I’ve got so much free time today. I have a lot on my plate, and I’m involved with other organizations and boards as well.

But I’ve learned something over the years: “God will provide.” And I also believe this deeply—“we make time for the things that are important to us.”

That’s why Kingdom Factor stays on my calendar.

Why I Chose to Make Time for Kingdom Factor

The decision to join wasn’t complicated. I looked around and asked myself three questions:

“How can I improve myself as an individual? How can I improve myself as a business leader? And most importantly, how can I improve myself as a Christian business leader of a Christian organization?”

That’s what I was looking for. Not another meeting. Not another networking group. I wanted a place where I could grow holistically—personally, professionally, and spiritually—because those areas are not separate in real life. They blend together every day whether we acknowledge it or not.

Kingdom Factor has helped “melt all three together”—my personal life, my leadership, and my spiritual walk. And it does it in a way that is rare for leaders: it gives you space to step back.

Even if it’s “nothing more than just half a day”—those three or four hours together—there’s something powerful about stepping away from the daily grind and asking:

“Okay, let me look at what I’m doing. Let me look at why I’m doing it. Let me look at how I can do it better.”

And then, honestly, there’s another part that matters just as much: “I enjoy the fellowship and the company and the friendship of other like-minded individuals.”

Leadership Can Be Lonely—And This Reminds Me I’m Not Alone

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: leadership can be isolating.

That old phrase—it’s lonely at the top—is true. Regardless of how big or small your organization is, if the buck stops with you, there are burdens you carry that you can’t always share with your team, your staff, or even your friends.

Kingdom Factor gives me a trusted circle of people who know me, know my organization, and understand the pressures I face. And the benefit is not just encouragement—it’s perspective.

It helps you realize: “Oh, they have the same issue. I’m not alone.”

And as leaders, we crave something that can be hard to find: “wise, godly counsel… in authenticity and transparency that we so often crave and don’t actually get.”

Kingdom Factor creates space for that.

When the Holy Spirit Took Over the Room

One of the most powerful experiences I’ve had in a Kingdom Factor meeting had nothing to do with a business strategy session or an organizational challenge.

A member came into a meeting planning to talk about one thing. None of us had any idea what was coming. But as the conversation unfolded, it became clear that the Holy Spirit was leading him somewhere else entirely.

He essentially said, I’m not going to talk about what I came to talk about—I’ve got this other more important thing.

It wasn’t a business issue on the surface. It was personal. Deeply personal. But as he shared, it became obvious why it belonged in the room: “because it goes to the core of who that individual was… he says it affects my business.”

There were tears. A lot of them. But what was even more powerful was what happened after.

The group didn’t just offer a quick prayer and move on. They surrounded him for the next month—calling, texting, meeting up, praying—walking with him through the hardest part.

And I remember thinking, this is what it’s supposed to look like.

At the time, I had been in the group less than a year. And even I could tell something: this person had been carrying a wall.

“I could tell he wasn’t being transparent… even in the two or three meetings I had been in with him prior to this breakthrough meeting.”

But when that wall came down, it wasn’t met with judgment. It was met with support, truth, and love. That kind of environment is rare. And it’s the reason so many leaders stay.

A Real Leadership Issue, A Better Outcome

Kingdom Factor has also helped me in very practical, high-stakes ways.

I recently had a major leadership conversation coming up—one that would affect the direction of our organization. I was still praying about it. I wasn’t sure how I was going to handle it. In my mind, I thought I was going to go one way.

But the group helped me work through it in advance.

They helped me role-play several scenarios. We talked through potential outcomes. We prepared for different directions the conversation could take. And when the time came, I went into that meeting with a clearer head and a better handle on how to navigate it.

In the end, I actually went a different direction than I initially expected. But that decision “proved to be fruitful and very successful.”

It was still a difficult conversation—those don’t magically become easy—but I came out with a resolution that we could both be comfortable with. And I’ll say this plainly: “I did use some of the techniques and some of the suggestions, and it worked out beautifully.”

That’s what Kingdom Factor does at its best. It makes you sharper, steadier, and more prepared—without losing the spiritual grounding that matters most.

What I’d Say to the Leader Who Feels Too Busy

If you’re reading this and thinking, That sounds good, but I’m too busy, let me respond the way I would if we were face-to-face.

First, I get it. “I think we all think we’re as busy as we come.” But here’s the truth: “God didn’t make any more hours of the day for you than he did for me. It’s 24 hours in the day.”

So it comes down to priorities.

“We make time for what’s important to us.”

If someone is skeptical, I’d tell them: “give it a shot. What do you got to lose?”

Then I’d probably lean in a little and say what I said in the interview:

“Come on—you know you have the time. All you’ve got to do is make it a priority.”

And honestly, the structure helps. “It’s a set time every single month. You can plan it out for the next 12 months. How difficult is that?”

A Better Version of Me—for Everyone I’m Called to Lead

At the end of the day, I don’t participate in Kingdom Factor because it’s another professional development tool. I participate because the people I lead deserve my best.

It helps me become a better version of myself—and not just for work. For my wife. For my children. For my home. For my faith.

Kingdom Factor gives me space to reflect, be challenged, be encouraged, and be sharpened by people who understand what it means to carry responsibility and still pursue Jesus in the middle of it.

And for a leader, that kind of community isn’t a luxury.

It’s a lifeline.