About this episode

Andy Stanley discusses the importance of joy in leadership with guest Kate Bowler, emphasizing its role in sustaining purpose and connection to one's work.

Joy isn’t optional for leaders, it’s what keeps you connected to the story that makes your work matter. In this episode, Andy sits down with Kate Bowler to explore why joy isn’t a distraction from leadership—it’s what sustains it. Joy doesn’t come from solving every problem or achieving every goal. Instead, it reconnects leaders to the deeper story behind their work—the reason it matters in the first place. Download the application guide:  https://bit.ly/422p1Ad Here's what they cover in this episode: The difference between happiness and joy and why it matters (04:30) Why joy shows up in hard moments—not just easy ones (06:40) Burnout isn’t just exhaustion—it’s losing the story (10:45) How busyness crowds out joy (and what to do about it) (11:30)  Can you actually practice joy? (14:30) Why leaders need joy to stay connected to purpose (17:10) Three ways to become more open to joy: do, love, hope (20:45) The danger of worshiping productivity (22:00) Toxic positivity vs. honest joy (25:00) Special thanks to our sponsor BELAY for offering a free download of their resource The Guide to Outsourced Accounting…

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