Unabridged Interview: Steve Cuss

Lee C. Camp (0:02)

Hello, friends, Lee C. Camp here. You're listening to No Small Endeavor. This is our Unabridged Interview with Steve Cuss. Steve's a pastor, author, leadership coach. I love this conversation. I think it's immensely helpful. And one of the reasons I was so pleased to talk to Steve was that the material that he discusses relates to one of the major turning points in my own growth and maturation some years ago, that I learned from so-called systems theory. And that systems theory is this therapeutic, I suppose it's therapeutic model, that helps us pay attention to the way in which anxiety is something like an infectious virus. That is, that if we're not attentive, that it can become contagious in a family system, in a leadership group, in any kind of larger group setting. And that our first job is not to somehow appease or squelch or suppress the anxiety, but to first differentiate ourselves and first pay attention to ourselves.

I learned a lot of this stuff from a book by Edwin Friedman, his book Failure of Nerve, Leadership in the Age of a Quick Fix. And he says then that our first task is to self-differentiate, as to realize that we're a different individual than the individuals around us, and that we can observe, and that we have our own commitments, our own values, our own boundaries, and so forth. And that our first job then is to differentiate and pay attention to ourselves as different individuals, and then make some choices about how we want to respond rather than constantly reacting.

So this idea from Friedman that you'll see at least echoed in the conversation with Steve, is that our job is to learn to be a non-anxious presence, and that by attending to our own anxiety, we can then lead, be present in a way that can actually truly be helpful as opposed to simply getting caught up, brought up in the anxiety of the system. Steve learned a lot of this stuff in a fascinating way, as you'll hear about his experience as a young man, as a hospital chaplain in a level one trauma hospital. Very helpful interview. I hope that you find it helpful. Here's Steve Cuss.

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Lee C. Camp (2:30)

Since 2010, we've done a big blowout of a show the end of every year, and it's one of the most delightful things we get to do. If you have not yet joined us, then come join us this year. Sunday night prior to Thanksgiving, November 22 at the Skirmerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville for our Thanksgiving Variety Show. This year, Ira Glass will be with us hosting Creator of This American Life, the show that won the first Pulitzer Prize ever awarded for audio reporting and beloved for three decades of moving and beautiful storytelling, and Emmylou Harris, 14-time Grammy winner, Country Music Hall of Fame member, and the Conscience of American Music for 50 years. Plus a stage full of incredible Nashville musicians and other guests yet to be announced, conversation, music, and about 1500 folks pursuing No Small Endeavor together. Every year, we have folks come in from around the country, and we hope you will be in that happy number. Come be with us Sunday night prior to Thanksgiving, November 22, tickets at nosmallendeavor.com/events, or the link in the show notes. Again, that's nosmallendeavor.com/events.

Faith doesn't only show up in churches, sermons, or theology books. It also shapes the stories we tell, the politics we argue about, and the way we understand the world around us. On the Esau McCauley podcast, Bible scholar, pastor, and author Esau McCauley brings faith into conversation with culture. Esau is also a guest a few years back on No Small Endeavor, and in addition to the great work he does, he's just a lovely and winsome human being. And on his podcast, he's joined by a rotating group of writers, scholars, artists, and friends, exploring everything from movies, literature to race, politics, technology, sports, and the stories shaping our lives. These conversations begin with culture, but they lead to questions every person of faith has to wrestle with, and with wisdom, humor, and pastoral insight, Esau helps listeners see the sacred and unexpected places. In a culture that often leaves us angry, divided, and exhausted, Esau offers a more faithful way to engage. These conversations will challenge your thinking, strengthen your faith, expand your capacity for grace, and still give you plenty of reasons to laugh. Listen to the Esau McCauley podcast wherever you get your podcasts.