Living a Better Story: Hope, Joy, and Meaning in Leadership, with Jennifer Holberg

Rooted & Rising: Flourishing Leadership in Tough Times. Season 1, Episode 4.Shaping Leadership Through Personal Stories | A Conversation with Jennifer HolbergWhat kind of story are you living—and how does that shape your leadership?In this rich and reflective episode of Flourishing Leadership in Tough Times, host Deborah Owen welcomes Jennifer Holberg—Professor of English at Calvin University, co-director of the Calvin Center for Faith & Writing, and author of Nourishing Narratives—for a heartfelt conversation about:✅ How the stories we tell shape who we are and how we lead✅ Why joy is not a luxury, but essential to resilience✅ Cultivating hope, wonder, and spiritual imagination as daily practices✅ Navigating institutional pressures with integrity and courage✅ The power of narrative to reframe difficulty and root us in meaningWith grace and wisdom, Jennifer shares how reading, writing, and reflecting on story can help leaders flourish—not by escaping struggle, but by paying deeper attention to what matters most.🎧 Tune in now to explore how a life grounded in joy, imagination, and narrative truth can transform the way you lead.Resources & Next Steps– Learn more about Jennifer Holberg’s writing and work: https://www.jenniferholberg.com/– Buy Nourishing Narratives: https://amzn.to/49H9Il6 – Explore the Flourishing Leadership in Tough Times series at https://debbieowen.substack.com/– Reflect this week: What story are you telling yourself—and is it nourishing your leadership?Here are the Neuro-Based Enneagram Devotional books mentioned in the episode:The Lent books: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GGQBSX24?binding=paperback&qid=1768616409&sr=8-1&ref=dbs_dp_rwt_sb_pc_tpbkThe Advent books: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G1Z6QHP5?binding=paperback&qid=1768620554&sr=8-5&ref=dbs_dp_rwt_sb_pc_tpbkTags: leadership, narrative identity, Jennifer Holberg, Deborah Owen, joy in leadership, resilience, spiritual formation, vocation, story and meaning, hope, imagination, Christian leadership, reading and writing, flourishing, rooted and rising, leadership podcast Get full access to Rooted & Rising at debbieowen.substack.com/subscribe