GrowLeader Podcast Episode 65 | Dr. Dharius Daniels – Consistent Leadership

Date: November 4, 2024
Host: Pastor Chris Hodges
Guest: Dr. Dharius Daniels
Theme: Consistent Leadership: Practical Habits and Disciplines for Effective Ministry

Episode Overview

This episode features Dr. Dharius Daniels, a seasoned pastor, church planter, and leadership thinker, as he joins Pastor Chris Hodges for an in-depth conversation about leading with consistency and intentionality. The discussion covers Dharius’ journey in ministry, habits for consistent growth, effective sermon prep routines, developing a leadership voice, and a unique approach to men’s discipleship. The tone is conversational, candid, and rich with both personal stories and actionable advice.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Highlands College and the Value of Practitioner Leadership

• Chris Hodges shares the Highlands College distinctives: learning not only from excellent faculty but also from leading practitioners (e.g., Craig Groeschel, Cece Winans).
• Dr. Daniels reflects on visiting Highlands:
  “It's literally, I feel like the Queen of Sheba who visited Solomon's Temple...my breath was taken away.” (02:19)

2. Dr. Dharius Daniels’ Background & Ministry Journey

• Origin Story: Grew up in small-town Mississippi (Kill Michael, MS), son of a bivocational pastor, and intended to be a lawyer before feeling called to ministry.
• Education: Millsaps College (Political Science/Basketball), Princeton Seminary, later Doctorate from Fuller Seminary.
• Church Planting: Inspired to church plant by Dr. Darrell Guder at Princeton.
  “I felt like this is the Northeast, is a mission field, and I feel called to be a missionary here.” (06:07)
• Current Ministry: Planted and leads multiple locations in NJ and Atlanta.

3. From Preaching to Leadership: Recognizing the Need for Growth

• Dr. Daniels recounts realizing preaching alone wasn’t moving the church vision forward:
  “Disciple making through teaching, preaching across the pulpit was not moving the needle… It was developing people, but it wasn’t developing vision. So I needed to learn the leadership skill.” (07:15)
• Attended Fuller for further leadership development.

4. Communication: Message vs. Messaging

• Dr. Daniels is called “one of the best communicators” by Pastor Chris. He unpacks his philosophy:
  “The messaging is just as important as the message... The message is the content. The messaging is the delivery system, is the way you deliver it.” (10:03)
• Sticky Statements: Developing memorable phrases framed to stick.
  Ex: “When prayer walks in, worry walks out.” (11:04)

5. Developing Your Own Voice as a Communicator

• Dr. Daniels explains the organic process of finding one’s voice:
  “The voices that I was kind of organically attracted to were some of the voices that God wanted to use to influence and to shape my voice, which is probably a compilation of different influences and kind of my own personality.” (12:25)
• Practical Tip: Listen to many sermons/styles, but expect your own voice to emerge over time.

6. Daily and Weekly Disciplines for Consistent Leadership

• After a health scare (panic attack in 2014), Dr. Daniels built an “ideal week,” inspired by the creation narrative and practical input from other leaders.
• Structured Week:
  • Motionless Monday: Sabbath
  • Tactical & Touch Tuesday: Strategic meetings and leadership touchpoints
    • Five questions for direct reports (How are you? How are your people? How are your projects? What challenges do you face? What do you foresee?) (15:29)
  • Writing Wednesday: Sermon & content creation
  • Thinking Thursday: Creativity and problem-solving; sometimes off-site for perspective

    “I want to use technology for storage, my brain for creativity.” (21:51)

  • Filming Friday: Recording content for church/coaching/programs; always scripted/prepared
  • Semi-slow Saturday: Rest, family time; quieting the soul before Sunday
  • Sunday: Multiple services; “physically and emotionally charged up” from intentional rest (25:43)

7. Sermon Prep, Filing, and the ‘Pantry’ Principle

• Both Dr. Daniels and Pastor Chris maintain robust systems for sermon ideas.

  “Studying is like filling your pantry full of food that you’re going to cook one day.” – Pastor Chris (17:56)

• Strategic study: “I am studying knowing the subjects that I’m going to be teaching about...I’m not just doing random reading.” (19:05)
• Importance of having sermon ideas ‘in the pantry’ for future series or teachings.

8. Discipling Men: The Made Men Program

• Dr. Daniels describes his church’s men’s ministry, “Made Men” — a rigorous, 12-week discipleship intensive.

  “Every man here is a part of our men’s ministry. Every man here is not a made man.” (28:17)

• Structure: 12-week cohort, strict attendance, accountability exams, community service, and active participation.
• Curriculum is intentionally high-challenge, inspired in part by West Point basic training.
• Focus on practical leadership in the family and spiritual headship:

  “We deal with what it actually looks like to lead your home...spiritually, which is where a lot of men struggle.” (30:43)

• Transformation stories: “One lady was just telling me...my husband said, ‘Wait, let me pray for you.’ I was like, who are you?” (31:25)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “When you say something that matters, you should say it in a way that makes it memorable.”
  – Dr. Dharius Daniels (10:03)

• “I want to use technology for storage, my brain for creativity.”
  – Dr. Dharius Daniels (21:51)

• “Studying is like filling your pantry full of food that you’re going to cook one day.”
  – Pastor Chris Hodges (17:56)

• “Every man here is a part of our men’s ministry. Every man here is not a made man.”
  – Dr. Dharius Daniels (28:17)

• “Disciple making through teaching, preaching...was not moving the needle… I had to learn the leadership skill.”
  – Dr. Dharius Daniels (07:15)

Important Timestamps

• 02:19 – Dr. Daniels’ first impressions of Highlands College
• 06:07 – Church planting in Princeton/Northeast
• 07:15 – The need for leadership growth, not just preaching
• 10:03 – Messaging vs. message; sticky statements
• 12:25 – Finding your voice as a communicator
• 15:29 – Week structure and direct report questions
• 17:56 – Filing sermon ideas and the ‘pantry’ metaphor
• 21:51 – Using technology for storage, brain for creativity
• 28:17 – Description of “Made Men” and high-challenge discipleship for men
• 30:43 – Leading family spiritually as a man

Episode Flow & Tone

The conversation is lively, practical, and honest, with both Chris Hodges and Dharius Daniels sharing from personal experience and encouraging leaders to pursue healthy rhythms, self-leadership, and intentional spiritual growth. There’s a strong undercurrent of humility and the desire to learn from others, regardless of their background or context.

Summary for Listeners

This episode offers a masterclass in consistent leadership, highlighting how discipline, intentional structure, thoughtful communication, and real accountability foster transformation. Dr. Dharius Daniels’ personal testimony and practical systems provide a blueprint for any leader eager to grow — in preaching, leading, or discipling others. The “Made Men” program in particular offers an inspiring model for ministering to men in a way that genuinely changes lives and families.

Key Takeaways:

• Consistency requires structure and margin
• Great communication is both content and delivery
• Leaders grow by learning from both success and discomfort
• Discipling men requires challenge, clarity, and accountability
• Always be filling your ‘pantry’ with insights and ideas — and know where to find them when needed

For further resources and to watch Dr. Daniels’ chapel message:
Visit the Highlands College YouTube Channel and growleader.com/podcast.