Live Called

Lessons on Leadership and Resilience from Brian Houston

There are conversations that don’t just inspire you; they realign you. My recent Leadership Lifter Talk with my friend, Pastor Brian Houston, was one of those moments. For over forty years, Brian has been a voice to leaders across the globe. As the founder of Hillsong Church and now the visionary behind Jesus Followers TV and the Leadership & Other Stuff podcast, he continues to invest in leaders and build people with grace and wisdom.

When we sat down together, we didn’t just talk about ministry; we talked about what it takes to finish strong, in calling, in business, and in life.

Don’t Just Live Saved. Live Called

Brian said something that’s stayed with me ever since:

“We shouldn’t just live saved. We should live called.”

He reminded us that every believer has a divine assignment. God didn’t just save us from something; He saved us for something. Brian quoted 2 Timothy 1:9, “He saved us and called us, not according to our works, but according to His grace and purpose.”

He explained that salvation and grace frame our purpose. We’re not just waiting for heaven. We’re walking out our calling right here on earth. When you live with that awareness, every challenge becomes part of your development, not your destruction.

Resilience Comes From Knowing You’re Called

When I asked Brian how a leader develops grit and endurance, he didn’t hesitate.

“It comes back to your calling. When you know you’re called, you’ll find a way to get back up every time you’re knocked down.”

He’s right. Leadership isn’t for the faint of heart. Every great leader I’ve met has been knocked down more than once. What separates them isn’t perfection. It’s persistence. When the call of God burns deep within you, you don’t quit when it’s hard; you stand when it hurts.

Brian put it this way:

“Leaders need to take the attitude, ‘I’m going to be the last one standing.’”

That’s the kind of spirit the world needs. Men and women who refuse to give up because they’re convinced of who called them.

Your Work Is Worship

One of my favorite parts of our conversation was when Brian spoke to business leaders. Men and women who sometimes wrestle with whether their marketplace role is “spiritual” enough.

He said,

“When you do your work unto the Lord, your work becomes your worship.”

That’s powerful. You don’t have to leave your business to be in ministry. God anoints people to lead in the marketplace just as much as He anoints pastors to lead in the church. The Kingdom needs both. Brian reminded us that the businessman and the pastor are both called, just in different arenas.

If God has graced you to build, lead, and create wealth. Do it unto Him. Your work is worship when it glorifies God.

Heart Over Talent

Brian is known around the world for building teams and empowering young leaders. When I asked how he finds the right people to invest in, his answer was simple and profound:

“It’s heart first, heart second, heart third.”

Talent may open the door, but heart keeps you in the room. Skills can be developed, but character is revealed. Brian said that when you believe in people, and they know you believe in them, they’ll go to the end of the earth for you.

He’s seen that truth firsthand. Hillsong didn’t just grow because of great music or strategy. It grew because a culture was built on heart, humility, and believing in the gold within people.

“The job’s never done when it comes to seeing the gold in people,” Brian said.

That’s leadership. Seeing what others don’t see yet, and helping them rise into it.

The Journey of Forgiveness

When I asked Brian about the greatest price he’s paid in ministry, his answer wasn’t about money or time. It was forgiveness.

He said,

“Forgiveness is an easy sermon to preach but a hard one to live.”

With honesty and humility, he admitted he’s still on that journey. Like many leaders, he’s faced betrayal, misunderstanding, and hurt. But he refuses to live with a wounded spirit.

“Love and forgiveness aren’t just about the other person. They’re about you,” he said.

Unforgiveness poisons the soul. A wounded spirit can stop your calling faster than any critic. Brian reminded us that healing is a process, but God can speed that process when we surrender it to Him.

Wisdom from the Journey

After decades of ministry, Brian shared some lessons he would apply differently if starting again.

“I’d build my board differently,” he said. “I’d include mature, external leaders, not staff members. Governance matters as much as gifting.”

That’s leadership wisdom earned through experience. Every leader, no matter their arena, needs accountability, structure, and wise counsel.

It’s All About Jesus

Today, Brian’s focus is simple and clear. Through JesusFollowers.com and his podcast, he’s gone back to what it’s always been about, making disciples.

“I just wanted to bring it all the way back to what it’s really about; following Jesus,” he said.

And isn’t that the goal of leadership? To lead in such a way that others see Jesus more clearly?

Final Thoughts

As we closed, Brian prayed for every leader carrying hurt, disappointment, or a wounded spirit. It was a powerful reminder that God still heals, restores, and calls leaders to rise again.

Friend, maybe you’re reading this and you’ve been knocked down. Maybe leadership has left you weary or wounded. Remember this: you can’t do anything else and be fulfilled when you’re called by God.

So don’t just live saved. Live called.

Because when you live called, you’ll stand again, forgive again, build again, and lead again.

Listen to the full conversation with Pastor Willie George on the Leadership Lifter Podcast on YouTube or on davidblunt.org