Nostalgia and Leadership: Honoring the Past Without Getting Stuck

December 5, 2025

In this episode of The Leader’s Journey Podcast, Trisha Taylor and Edie Lenz delve into the complex role of nostalgia within faith communities. They examine the emotional pull of “the way things used to be” and how leaders can honor the past without letting it prevent forward movement. Through personal reflection and practical examples, they invite listeners to cultivate a healthier relationship with change and cherish fond memories of the past.

Conversation Overview

When Looking Back Warps the Present
Nostalgia as Emotional Comfort
Generational Dynamics Around the Past
The Spiritual Dimension of Nostalgia
Practices for Moving Forward
Learning to Grieve What Has Changed

Resources

Edie Lenz at The Leader’s Journey
Edie Lenz Substack
The Leaders Journey Courses
The Leader’s Journey – Systems Thinking Bowen Theory System Course
The Leader’s Journey – Spiritual Formation Course

Thoughts...

It's time to take action. You were designed to be fully human and fully alive.

The essence of courage is: do it scared.

Leadership means energizing a community of people toward their own transformation in order to accomplish a shared mission in the face of a changing world.

You're imperfect and you're wired for struggle but you are worthy of love and belonging.

Vulnerability is the birthplace of connection.

Personal transformation happens best in the context of a reflective lifestyle.

God does big things. To us they seem very small. I am learning not to despise the day of small things.

It's not our job as teachers to help people avoid the discomfort but to create space for them to pay attention and learn from it.

Start by acting on conviction, stay connected, stay calm, stay the course.

Wholeness can be described as soulfulness, a life that's centered, passionately engaged, open, creative, connected and propelled by a sense of mission.

When a system is not dominated by anxiety, everyone is free to speak truthfully, everyone is free to listen curiously.

We can't settle for a little bit of transformation . . . we want to live into the full design of who God made us to be. We want the whole thing.

Whether we need to change systems and structures or hearts and minds, we can only move as fast as our conversations. Leaders lead through communication.

Nostalgia and Leadership: Honoring the Past Without Getting Stuck

Nostalgia and Leadership: Honoring the Past Without Getting Stuck

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