What does it mean to live a life beautifully formed in the way of Jesus? In today's episode of theFormed.life, we sit down with Jeanette Thomas—pastor, entrepreneur, and cancer survivor—to explore her profound journey from pastoral leadership to innovative coaching. Join us as we journey through Jeanette's inspiring story, highlighting the transformative power of community, curiosity, and faith.

Bio

Jeanette Thomas, founder of Storyboard Coaching, is an executive coach with over two decades of experience guiding leaders through transformative growth. Her coaching approach focuses on adaptive leadership, using neuroscience and growth mindset principles to help clients achieve relational depth, system improvement, and personal insight. Previously, she held impactful roles as Heartland Regional Representative for HOPE International and Pastor of Extension Ministries at Christ Community Church in Kansas City. Jeanette specializes in designing highly personalized coaching strategies, positioning leaders for meaningful, sustainable change.

Quotes

"Adaptive leadership, the way they define it in in the literature, is mobilizing people to tackle challenges without known or easy answers."

• Jeanette Thomas

"And what that means is that you are willing to ask for what you want or need knowing the answer might be no. Right? And that's actually brave work."

• Jeanette Thomas

"We're just not gonna get healed without belonging in love."

• Jeanette Thomas

Three Takeaways

1. Adaptive Leadership & Curiosity: Jeanette emphasizes the importance of curiosity and deep questioning in leadership. She illustrates how adaptive leadership goes beyond technical fixes, advocating for broader, more inclusive solutions that leverage the strengths within a community.
2. Community & Vulnerability: Jeanette’s personal battle with cancer underscores the essential role of community support and vulnerability. She highlights that experiencing God and healing often happens through relationships, urging leaders to foster genuine connections and offer presence without the need to "fix."
3. Empowerment & Coaching: In her transition to coaching, Jeanette shares how effective leadership involves empowering others. She uses powerful analogies and real-life examples to show that fostering independence and problem ownership in others can lead to transformative outcomes.

Resources

https://jeanettethomas.substack.com

Timestamps

00:00 Reflecting on a 20-year journey at Christ Community.

06:47 Leadership coaching feels overly theatrical yet rewarding.

08:31 Leadership is curiosity, continuous learning, and adaptability.

14:17 Helping others navigate change with honest insights.

15:24 Career journey: Community, nonprofit, entrepreneurship, coaching.

19:05 Dig deeper; advice might not suffice.

23:57 Intentional stewardship contrasts with widespread neglect.

27:16 Completed 18 months of extensive chemo.

29:29 Cancer journey led to being more open.

34:03 Supportive women appeared when needed, intuitively assisting.

35:11 Emphasizes vulnerability, presence, and lessons in hardship.

39:18 Jesus impacts every facet of our lives.

44:01 Love from God requires community for healing.

46:49 Your writing has always been deeply admired.

50:40 Empowering communities by connecting resources and experiences.

51:39 Highlighting wisdom from uneducated yet insightful voices.

Hashtags

#VocationalJourney #FaithResilience #CommunitySupport #LeadershipJourney #AdaptiveLeadership #HealingThroughCommunity #StorytellingGrace #CuriosityInLeadership #EarlyStageEntrepreneurship #theFormedLifePodcast

Keywords

cancer journey, nonprofit leadership, entrepreneurship, Hope International, microfinance, community development, brand story management, pastoral residency program, leadership skills, innovation, coaching, adaptive leadership, chemotherapy, health control, early cancer detection, vulnerability, community support, spirituality, creative solutions, philanthropy, African TEDx, Zephaniah, church community, pastoral care, emotional support, hiking, nature reflection, storytelling, leadership coaching, Michael Bungay Stanier