A season-closing reflection on leadership as the work all of us are called to do in service of our emotional and spiritual growth as human beings. In this episode you will come away with:

• A reframing of leadership beyond roles, titles, and approval

• Why emotional maturity is central to effective leadership

• A real story about holding anxiety, conflict, and disappointment without fixing or avoiding

• An invitation to reflect on where your leadership is asking you to grow and celebrate where you've grown.

Thanks for listening - and for the work you do in the world.

Connect with me at www.ariannerice.com

Thanks for listening to Feeling Beings Who Think! If this work supports you in yours please take a moment to rate and review this episode.

Good facilitators are attuned to the anxiety present in any room. Great facilitators understand that anxiety is energy waiting to be transformed into curiosity and engagement in service of growth and learning.

In this episode, I’m joined by Meg Bolger, a facilitator’s facilitator and the creator of Facilitator Cards. Together, we explore facilitation isn’t just for workshops and brainstorming meetings, but in everyday leadership that cares about making room for being human in spaces where we hope to hold honest, meaningful, and sometimes challenging conversations.

Meg shares practical insights and clear do’s and don’ts for skillful facilitation, offering tools to help you design meetings and gatherings that truly support the purpose and goals of the group.

And yes these skills apply just as much to worship and other sacred or meaningful gatherings (I’m talking to you, my clergy friends).

You’ll come away with:

• How to move beyond open-ended questions and structure participation so more voices are heard

• Why group size and simple materials are powerful levers for engagement (in person and online)

• How trust is built before the meeting even starts through clarity, logistics, and care for people’s experience

Connect with me at www.ariannerice.com

Thanks for listening to Feeling Beings Who Think! If this work supports you in yours please take a moment to rate and review this episode.

Guest Bio:

Meg Bolger has spent over a decade teaching people how to facilitate meaningful, inclusive group experiences. She specializes in foundational facilitation skills and practical processes that help groups think, decide, and connect more effectively.

Learn more about Meg’s work and Facilitator Cards: https://facilitator.cards

It's hard working with volunteers! You're thrilled they are giving their time and talents to support the mission and you have to support them in how to best help you. Volunteer-based systems create a unique leadership dynamic: you are accountable with the very people you lead. Without clear structures, this often leads to over-functioning, unproductive meetings, and burnout.

• Why working with volunteers requires a different leadership posture

• How over-functioning shows up in nonprofit and church leadership

• A five-discipline framework for coaching your board or vestry as a team

• How clarity and connection can reduce burnout and build shared accountability

If you lead in a volunteer-driven organization and want a steadier, more sustainable way forward, this episode offers a framework you can apply immediately.

Click here for more information on the lay retreat and clergy retreat I'll be leading in the Episcopal Diocese of Newark in February and March 2026.

Connect with me at www.ariannerice.com

Thanks for listening to Feeling Beings Who Think! If this work supports you in yours please take a moment to rate and review this episode.