The Unburdened Leader

The Unburdened Leader


EP 04: Leading with Grace and the Power of Emotions with J.S. Park

June 26, 2020

 


Leadership is hard and it is not for the weary.


 


Leading myself and others in the face of injustice while also staying aligned to my integrity and values has required an immense amount of courage, clarity, confidence—and a lot of deep breaths.


 


In times of conflict, my ability to stay aligned with my integrity and core values has often been a reflection of the inner work I have done to tolerate criticism, backlash, conflict, being misunderstood, and losing support/business/followers.


 


Words like ‘integrity’ and ‘values’ can become nebulous and lose meaning when not backed up by consistent—though imperfect—action.


 


Leading, living, and being human continues to be an ongoing and imperfect process. My desire to seek accountability and justice in the world has required me to swim in the deep end of grace and strive to live this grace.


 


Allowing myself to take imperfect action has been immensely uncomfortable but rewarding. It has been what I needed to maintain the ongoing process of unburdened leadership.


 


I’m thrilled to welcome my guest today, J.S. Park. His vulnerability along with his gift of communication is an example of unburdened leadership. J.S. reminds me that we are not robots and how our emotions, if not addressed, can end up overwhelming us, taking us out, and moving us away from what matters most.


 


J.S. is a hospital chaplain, chaplain for the homeless, 6th-degree blackbelt, ex-atheist, skeptic, son of immigrants, and author of his new book, The Voices We Carry: Finding Your One True Voice in a World of Clamor and Noise.


 


Listen to the full episode to hear:



  • The burdens J.S. carries that encouraged him to become a chaplain, how the work has been healing to him, and how it’s also been difficult
  • How depression has impacted J.S. and why he decided to get curious and feel the pain instead of bypassing it
  • How J.S. has been—and still is— impacted by intergenerational racism
  • What inspired J.S. to start what he calls typewriter therapy

 


Learn more about Pastor J.S. Park:



 


Learn more about Rebecca: