Podcast Summary: GrowLeader Podcast with Chris Hodges

Episode 92 | Mark Pettus - Celebration, Reflection, & Innovation
Release Date: February 2, 2026
Host: Chris Hodges (A/K/A “PC”)
Guests: Pastor Mark Pettus (Lead Pastor, Church of the Highlands), Interviewer A

Overview

Episode 92 of the GrowLeader Podcast marks a season of milestone celebration, organizational transition, and deep reflection after 25 years of Church of the Highlands. Chris Hodges and Mark Pettus explore what it means to lead, celebrate well, manage transitions, and foster innovation in ministry. Listeners are treated to practical leadership gold, candid stories, and a detailed look at building a culture of clarity, development, and accountability.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Reflecting on 25 Years of Church of the Highlands

• Celebration of Milestones:
  • The 25th anniversary is recognized as a pivotal point, with celebrations including the Dream Team party and special services.
  • Quote: “25 years...the actual date, February 4th, 2001. But of course, yesterday we had an amazing celebration at Church of the Highlands...It’s been all things celebration.” — Chris Hodges (01:02)
• Personal Stories:
  • Emotional moments, such as a student crediting Motion Conference for saving his life, powerfully illustrate impact.
    • Quote: “‘I was at Motion Conference...already with a plan...to take my life. A friend brought me...I changed my mind, gave my life to Jesus, is a senior at Highlands College now, praise God.’” — Chris Hodges (08:28)

2. The Power & Practice of Celebration in Organizations

• Emphasizing Celebration in Culture (10:00–13:10):
  • Celebration is intentionally built into the church’s rhythm, drawing from Biblical instructions to celebrate, inspired by the Old Testament festivals.
  • Celebration increases morale, productivity, and fosters unity among team members.
  • Quote: “There’s a correlation to the amount of fun these new businesses were having to the productivity...My most productive companies...are the ones that know how to celebrate.” — Chris Hodges (11:13)
  • Practical Touch: Every meeting and gathering intentionally begins with sharing a win or testimony to keep a culture of gratitude and progress.

3. Leadership Transition: From Founder to Successor

• Role Swapping Reflections (13:11–21:03):
  • Chris Hodges and Mark Pettus reflect on their year since formally swapping leadership roles—Chris as chancellor of Highlands College; Mark as lead pastor.
  • Mark highlights the necessity of God's grace to take on a role larger than oneself and the importance of facing each day with fresh faith rather than future anxiety.
  • Quote: “The biggest thing I’m learning is really how to manage my own life, to position myself for success in every environment, from preaching to leading to my family...” — Mark Pettus (18:26)
• Indicators for Calling and Grace:
  • Chris describes experiencing “rose-colored glasses” when walking in God's assignment—a supernatural affection and energy for one’s city and calling.
  • Discernment of grace loss is essential; feeling worn out without vision can signal the need for transition.

4. Clarity and Vision: Leading Through Change

• Consistency in Vision (03:10–04:27):
  • Articulating a clear, measurable finish line enables effective delegation and empowers teams to reverse-engineer solutions.
  • Clarity vs. Ambiguity:
    • “He did not come to us and say, ‘Build a four-year university.’ He said: ‘Get graduates into vocational ministry.’” — Mark Pettus (04:55)
  • Chris’s leadership mantra: If you have questions about the vision, it’s the leader’s responsibility to bring clarity (05:13).

5. Growth Mindset & Failure

• Learning and Adaptation (17:11–19:29):
  • Mark shares the necessity of a growth mindset and the freedom to fail forward; mistakes fuel progress when approached with the right attitude.
  • The organization culture is built on candid, authentic leadership that creates psychological safety for risk-taking.

6. Chancellor Life & Leading at Highlands College

• Leadership in Higher Education (21:03–23:08):
  • Chris shares challenges of leading a residential college: scaling discipleship, fundraising, and managing extensive operations.
  • Vision Casting: Ambition to multiply the Highlands College model to empower other churches, with a target to “raise 30,000 new Christian leaders in the next 20 years.” (23:45)

7. Practical Leadership Framework: Execution, Development & Innovation

(All-Team Meeting Content, 25:28–35:35)

a. The 70/10/20 Rule

• Execution (70%):
  • Most of the workweek should be focused on core, high-impact activities (“signal vs. noise”), guided by a personal “Rule of Five.”
  • Quote: “What are the activities...that literally move the needle in the organization?” — Chris Hodges (29:14)
• Development (10%):
  • Staff are expected (and resourced) to spend time each week on intentional personal development via a learning management system.
  • Quote: “One of the greatest benefits we have is saying to a teammate, ‘You come work here...you can grow here for the rest of your life.’” — Mark Pettus (30:15)
• Innovation (20%):
  • Allocating dedicated time for team members to problem-solve, refine systems, and suggest improvements—focusing both on new ideas and ‘tinkering’ with current methods.
  • Quote: “Innovation...it’s not the crazy big idea. It’s just one step, or tinkering...Irritant’s a mosquito, man. If I just swat a mosquito every day, one thing gets better. That is innovation.” — Mark Pettus (33:41)

b. Accountability & Focus

• Combating Distraction:
  • Modern distractions, especially post-COVID, have decreased productivity. The 70/10/20 framework, paired with personal accountability, seeks to reclaim focus.
  • Data referenced: the average person is distracted for three out of eight workday hours (26:29).

c. Alignment and Delegation

• Entrustment:
  • After setting clear direction (alignment), the leader’s next role is to empower the team (entrustment), and finally to hold the team accountable for outcomes.

d. Culture of Authentic Feedback

• Practical Example:
  • After every major event or weekly meeting, staff are surveyed for feedback to identify irritants (“mosquitoes”) and remove bottlenecks—ensuring ongoing innovation and improvement.

e. Mission Focus

• Ultimate Measure:
  • Any innovation or practice must tie back to the Great Commission: “Are people getting saved, pastored, discipled, or mobilized?” (32:56)

Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• “Start serving and serve so hard that if one day I hire you, everyone will already think you were on my team.” – Chris Hodges (03:02)
• “Without faith, it is impossible to please God...He requires it.” – Chris Hodges (05:45)
• “You cannot do the jobs God called you to do without his grace on your life.” – Chris Hodges (14:31)
• “If you’re not growing and if you’re not learning, you’re actually losing ground.” – Chris Hodges (22:41)
• “If someone on my team followed my calendar for a month, would it reflect execution, development, innovation, or just constant reaction to things?” – Interviewer A (35:17)
• “Keep mounting the wall. And I'm here.” – Mark Pettus (35:48)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:53–02:56: Early years, Mark Pettus’ joining the team, lessons in humility and servanthood
• 03:10–05:12: Leadership and clarity in vision and direction
• 08:28–09:27: Story of life change from Motion Conference
• 11:13–12:39: Theological and practical case for celebration in teams
• 13:11–19:29: Reflections on transition, grace, and growth mindset
• 21:03–23:08: Chris Hodges discusses the difference between church and higher ed leadership
• 25:28–35:35: All-team content: Execution (70%), Development (10%), Innovation (20%), accountability, and real-world application

Final Thoughts

This episode is a blueprint for any leader navigating milestones, transition, or team development. Listeners will walk away understanding the power of celebration, clarity, intentional learning, and incremental innovation—plus practical, actionable frameworks that can be custom-fit to churches, businesses, or nonprofits. Both the wisdom and camaraderie between Chris Hodges and Mark Pettus shine through, offering both inspiration and concrete tools for leaders at any stage.