Leadership in the corporate world often feels like a battlefield—high-pressure environments, complex challenges, and the constant need to prove your worth. Many business leaders struggle to reconcile the fast-paced demands of their careers with the values of the Kingdom. After all, in the world, we work to build big businesses, but in the Kingdom, we work to build big people.
So, can these two objectives ever align? Or are they always in conflict?
In this powerful episode of The Kingdom Leadership Advantage, Dionne Van Zyl sat down with Glenn Hobbs—an extraordinary leader with decades of experience at the global consulting powerhouse, PwC. Together, we explored a leadership model that isn’t fueled by stress or self-reliance but by rest, partnership, and supernatural wisdom.
Glenn’s journey has been anything but smooth—marked by massive challenges, failures, and breakthroughs. Yet through it all, he discovered a radical truth: When you let go of control and step into true partnership with God, leadership becomes restful, impactful, and even joyful.
Let’s dive into what makes rest-fueled leadership the most powerful way to lead—even in times of crisis.
The Myth of Self-Sufficiency in Leadership
Glenn didn’t start his career at PwC as a confident, high-performing consultant. In fact, when he first joined the firm, he was in survival mode. A failed business venture had left him questioning everything, and his sole motivation was simple: Put food on the table.
He was at rock bottom—emotionally drained, confidence shattered.
Yet, in the middle of his crisis, he landed an opportunity at PwC. But here’s the catch—he was so overwhelmed during his first interview that halfway through, he had to ask for a reset. Who does that?
By a miracle, the interviewers gave him another chance, and he secured the job.
That was just the beginning of his journey. Over the next two decades, Glenn climbed the ranks at PwC, leading thousands of employees, developing groundbreaking technology strategies, and driving billion-dollar deals. But the success wasn’t immediate.
Like many leaders, he started with a toxic mindset—one that nearly destroyed him:
❌ “I have to do it all.”
❌ “If I don’t have the answers, I’m failing.”
❌ “The weight of this company is on my shoulders.”
Sound familiar?
Many leaders live under this crushing expectation—believing they must be the sole problem solver in their organization.
But Glenn’s transformation came when he realized: Leadership was never meant to be a solo act.
The Power of Partnership: You Are Not Alone
One of the biggest shifts in Glenn’s leadership journey came when he stopped trying to carry everything himself.
His first revelation? He didn’t have to be the answer.
At PwC, Glenn had access to world-class experts in every field. The moment he learned to lean on his team—to stop trying to personally solve every challenge—everything changed.
But then, an even bigger shift happened.
He realized it wasn’t just about relying on his team—it was about relying on God.
That’s when the rest-fueled leadership model was born.
💡 Rest-fueled leadership isn’t about doing less—it’s about doing the right things with the right power source.
A Leadership Crisis That Changed Everything
Glenn shared a pivotal moment in his career that would redefine his leadership approach forever.
After a highly successful three-year engagement with a major Silicon Valley tech company—one where his leadership team literally started a prayer meeting inside the company—he experienced massive success.
Their work contributed to skyrocketing stock prices, breakthroughs in technology, and an undeniable shift in the company’s culture. Glenn’s leadership mantra became:
“Prosperity will break out around me because of the presence of God in me.”
And it worked.
Until it didn’t.
At his next big consulting project—another high-profile corporate giant—he tried to apply the same principle.
And the project crashed and burned.
He was blindsided.
“What happened, God?” he asked. “Why did this work before and fail now?”
For months, he wrestled with this question.
Then, God gave him a painful but powerful answer:
“You’ve made partnership with Me passive.”
Glenn had unknowingly drifted into presumption—assuming that just because God had moved powerfully in one season, He would do the same in the next.
The difference? He had stopped actively partnering with God.
That was the missing piece.
The Three Modes of Leadership: Where Are You?
Through his journey, Glenn discovered that leaders operate in one of three modes:
1. Passive Mode (Drifting)
“God will just do everything for me.”
No intentional partnership, just waiting for God to act.
Leadership feels ungrounded and ineffective.
2. Presumption Mode (Forcing It)
“This worked before, so I’ll just do the same thing again.”
Relying on old methods instead of fresh wisdom from God.
Leadership feels stressful and forced.
3. Partnership Mode (True Rest-Fueled Leadership)
“Lord, what are we doing together today?”
Daily, real-time alignment with God’s strategy.
Leadership feels peaceful, powerful, and effective.
The difference between stress-driven and rest-fueled leadership is the difference between working for God and working with God.
How to Lead From Rest (Even in a Crisis)
1. Stop Carrying the Weight Alone
You were never meant to be the sole problem-solver.
Lean into your team. Surround yourself with the right people. But more than anything, lean into God’s wisdom daily.
2. Ask God the Right Questions
Every morning, Glenn started asking God a simple but transformational question:
“Lord, how do You want to be with me today?”
This one question shifted everything. Instead of striving, he learned to walk in alignment.
3. Pay Attention to Stress Signals
Stress and anxiety are red flags—they signal that we’ve stepped out of partnership.
- Feeling overwhelmed? Step back.
- Feeling pressured? Recalibrate.
- Feeling lost? Ask God for clarity.
Rest-fueled leadership doesn’t mean you never face crises. It means that when they come, you know who’s carrying the load.
The Secret to Sustainable Leadership
Many leaders burn out because they believe leadership is about working harder. But what if leadership is actually about working from a place of rest?
When you lead in partnership with God, everything changes:
✔ You stop striving.
✔ You stop second-guessing.
✔ You stop feeling the weight of leadership as a burden.
Instead, leadership becomes a joy.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” —Matthew 11:28
If you’ve been feeling the weight of leadership, maybe it’s time to shift from stress-driven leadership to rest-fueled leadership.
The truth is, God doesn’t just want to work through you—He wants to work with you.
The question is: Are you ready to let go of control and step into true partnership?
Your next breakthrough isn’t in doing more—it’s in learning to rest in Him.
Listen to the full podcast episode here: Rest-Fueled Leadership: Overcoming Crisis
For more insights and leadership strategies from Dionne Van Zyl, visit dionnevanzyl.com.