In this episode of the Attaching to God podcast, hosts Geoff and Cyd Holsclaw welcome Steve Cuss. They delve into the nature of anxiety, different coping mechanisms, and how these dynamics affect relationships, including one's relationship with God.

Steve highlights the importance of addressing reactivity, identifying false needs, and fostering supportive environments within leadership teams. The episode also touches on creating inclusive spaces for minorities in leadership and discusses Steve's future project of developing an anxiety assessment tool. The conversation is engaging and insightful, offering practical tips for leaders striving to create healthier, more resilient communities.

Steve Cuss is the author of Managing Leadership Anxiety and The Expectation Gap: The Tiny, Vast Space between Our Beliefs and Experience of God, and also a columnist and host of Christianity Today’s Being Human podcast. Steve founded Capable Life to help people lower anxiety, break stuck patterns and increase well being in the workplace, home place, and in your faith.

00:00 Steve Cuss

00:14 Introduction and Guest Introduction

01:21 Formula One Fandom

05:35 Steve's Background and Capable Life

08:27 Understanding Anxiety and Relationships

13:47 Differentiation and Attachment

17:58 False Needs and Chronic Anxiety

23:25 Coping Mechanisms and Insecurity

23:46 Overconfidence and Pretense

24:25 Trauma Chaplaincy and Self-Discovery

26:19 Building Healthy Church Cultures

27:09 Pursuing a Doctorate and Integration of Disciplines

28:16 Understanding Protection and Pretense

31:14 Addressing Organizational Anxiety

33:37 Minority Experiences in Leadership

38:53 Contagious Emotions and Jesus' Example

42:05 Final Thoughts and Future Plans

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