Why a Podcast?

So, in the recent days, my friend Brad Merchant and I have been working on a new project. A few years ago, Brad told me that I needed to start blogging more. Last year, Brad told me that I should start pursuing my masters degree. A few months ago, Brad asked me to be on a podcast. I countered that one with, we should start a podcast.

One of the things that I have noticed is true of my life is that I do well when I can talk things out and explore a concept or a strategy that might benefit others. Brad and I have a knack for approaching many issues from different angles and arriving at similar, but not the same, answers to some of the same questions.

In the whole library of books that have been written on leadership, podcasts that have been recorded on the topic, and the conferences that are gathered together, only a few have been offered that are focused on people who aren’t in the driver seat. Most of these resources can come with the expectation that people are first chair and driver seat leaders or it is presumed that the ultimate success is found in that seat and not where they are right now.

As Brad and I chatted about leadership challenges, questions, and tensions that arise in the backseat leader’s life, it became abundantly clear that we had some common questions, experiences and wrestlings. This conversation has birthed what we are calling The Backseat Leader Podcast.

So, why a podcast? I think the answers are simple:

1 - Many people are in the backseat.

So many people find themselves in backseat roles that it makes sense to directly address that spot. The majority of leaders in the world sit in something other than front seat leader roles. It seems that if we are going to enter into the conversation, this is the place to do it. We wouldn’t want to talk about something someone else is already covering well.

2 - We have experience in the backseat.

Brad and I’s experience in leadership has been one where we have not found ourselves in the front seat of our organizations. We both have played multiple roles that were all in leadership, but never at the driver seat and so we don’t have answers for the front seat leaders in the world. We wouldn’t want to talk about something that we have no experience or expertise to navigate.

3 - We desire for people to flourish where they are.

If many people are in the backseat of leadership, we have a desire that that is a place that people can flourish. We live in a day and age where being in the backseat is no longer something that people aspire to. There was a day and age where people simply wanted to do a good job and do what they could do. I still think there are many people out there that seek to do just this and thrive in second chair or backseat leader roles. The problem is, not many people are encouraging people to fight the tensions and the wrestlings. So people jump ship, change things up and have the same issues in a different place. We wouldn’t want to talk about something that isn’t going to help people where they are.

4 - We feel led here.

Honestly, I don’t go looking for opportunities to add more things to my plate. I make myself available to new things and hope to help people with the margin in my schedule, but it isn’t like I’m out there looking for more things to say yes to. However, Brad and I have been going after this thing for a few months up to its release and it just seems like the Lord is guiding much of this process. From the people that have said yes to being interviewed, to the content coming together, to the format and timing of the recordings, it just seems to have a force before it and behind it and that is exciting to us. We wouldn’t want to do something that Jesus wasn’t directing and using for Kingdom building.

5 - We sense a need here.

As we have started talking to people about this prospect and publishing it’s coming on social media, we have sensed a response that is way more than our families and parents saying, “This is cool.” Honestly, it has produced many conversations of affirmation and desire to have this conversation across many platforms. We have been pretty blown away with the response, honestly, and this is all before we have released an episode yet! We wouldn’t want to waste anybody’s time in this adventure!

So there it is. That’s the reasons why a podcast. We are learning something new in this journey and that is exciting too. We would love for you to participate in this conversation and join our team. You can connect with us at www.backseatleader.com or follow us on all the socials @backseatleader and stay up to date.