18: Navigating Marriage and Leadership: A Conversation with Our Husbands {Relationships Series}

What does marriage have to do with leadership? How do we develop a nurture a healthy marriage as we develop into effective leaders? And how does our leadership impact our marriage?

In the fourth episode in the Healthy Relationships series, Holly and I chat with our husbands, Zack and Scott, about how to develop and nurture a healthy marriage even when you’re wired very differently.  

Holly and her husband Zack, a methodology and process manager, have been married for 14 years and have one son, Eli. Scott, the executive pastor of our church, and I have been married for 16 years and have one daughter, Kirsten.

For the full show notes for this episode, visit estherlittlefield.com/episode18.

These are insights the four of us have gleaned on how to develop and maintain a solid relationship with your spouse:

It’s important to support your husband in his leadership roles by being encouraging, believing in your spouse, and listening. Make sure that you dream together. When your spouse shares a dream on his heart be a soft place to land by holding their dreams as gently as you would his wounds. Learn to encourage your spouse and talk them through any discouragement he’s feeling.

Here are several best practices to nurture your relationship when you’re wired differently than your spouse:

Learn how your spouse is wired with tools like the Enneagram. Your marriage may look differently than those of your friends or parents and that’s okay. See you and your spouse as a team. Care less about traditional roles and more about what works for you and your season in life. Assess where your marriage is and make adjustments as necessary by perhaps adjusting roles and responsibilities. Keep working at it until you find what works well for you, your spouse, and your family.

How do you champion your marriage while not neglecting your God-given leadership potential?

Pray. Pray for your husband. Remember that your validation doesn’t come from your husband but from God alone. Create your village of people who can speak into your heart and mind when your spouse can’t or won’t. Build him up and support him. This may decrease the fear he’s feeling about how you’re growing in leadership. 

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This episode was originally published on estherlittlefield.com/episode18. To join the Purposeful Leadership Facebook Group, go to estherlittlefield.com/group.