Loved in the Process: Leadership That Doesn’t Require Perfection

There’s a message we’ve all absorbed—

Sometimes from church.
Sometimes from business.
Sometimes from our own upbringing.

“You are loved after you clean yourself up.”
“ You are worthy once you figure it out.”
“ You are valuable when you get results.”

But that message is a lie.

It’s a lie I (Angela) have wrestled with—and I’ve found myself standing face to face with many times throughout my walk with God.

And if no one has ever said this to you, let me be the first:

I’m sorry.

I’m sorry if leadership culture made you feel like your humanness was a liability.
I’m sorry if the church taught you to fix yourself before coming close.
I’m sorry if your family praised your performance but missed your heart.

Because the truth is this:
You were never loved for your perfection.
You were loved because you’re His.
And you still are — even in the mess.

The Middle is Holy

Somewhere along the way, we started believing that transformation only counts once it’s complete—that God is standing at the finish line, waiting to cheer us on once we’ve cleaned up, calmed down, or “acted like a leader.”

But the Kingdom doesn’t work like that.

God doesn’t just clap from the end.
He walks with you in the mud.
In the doubt.
In the not-yet.

You are not disqualified by your process.
You are being formed in it.

God doesn’t need you to arrive.
He needs you to stay—stay close, stay honest, stay surrendered.

Because it’s love, not pressure, that changes us.
It’s presence, not performance, that refines us.

“I am the vine; you are the branches.
If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit;
apart from me you can do nothing.”
(John 15:5)

Love Transforms in the Middle

We often say, “God loves me,” but our behavior says, “God tolerates me until I get it right.”

What you believe God believes about you will impact every part of your life:
Your parenting.
Your leadership.
Your business.
Your enjoyment and peace.
Your capacity to love.

If you believe subtle lies like “God puts up with me”…
That’s performance Christianity.
And it’s exhausting.

You’ll never experience freedom without recognizing that He loves you—right now.

Love Himself—Jesus—is not standing outside your stretching season.
He’s not surprised by your wrestling.
He’s with you in it.

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
(Romans 5:8)

That means you’re not just safe once you’ve healed.
You’re safe while you’re becoming.

God is not intimidated by your humanity.
He designed transformation to happen through it.

Business Application: Leading While Becoming

In business and leadership, it’s tempting to believe that credibility comes from perfection.
So we hide our questions.
We stuff our emotions.
We perform success while our hearts are breaking.

But what if your team doesn’t need your perfection?

What if they need your honesty?

What if your greatest leadership credibility doesn’t come from your outcomes—but from your process?

Let this be your permission to:

• Lead while learning

• Speak from your stretch

• Own your vulnerability

• Invite your team into alignment, not performance
  
  

You don’t have to be the fixed one.
You just have to be the present one.

Questions for Jesus:

• “Jesus, what part of my process have I been ashamed of that You’re actually working in?”

• “What would change if I believed I was fully loved right here?”

• “How do You want me to lead from presence instead of perfection?"
  

If this resonated, then take a deep breath — and let it land.

You don’t have to figure it all out today.
You don’t have to clean yourself up before you move forward.
You are safe to grow, lead, and build right here — in process, in presence, and in partnership with Him.

✨ If you’re ready for support to integrate this into your leadership, business, or family…
Book a 1:1 call with us here.
We’d be honored to walk with you as you lead from alignment — not anxiety.

📺 And if you're looking for more practical and prophetic content to grow in your walk with God, your leadership, your business, and your family…
Subscribe to our YouTube channel for teaching, behind-the-scenes conversations, and tools that help you build what lasts.

You’re not alone in the stretch.
You’re being formed in the middle.
And love is leading you, even here.