Authentic Life & Leadership
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Most recent blog post…
The Uncomfortable Trade Off Between Being Liked and Being Successful
I have never met anyone who doesn’t want to be liked. Most people I’ve met also want to be successful. (Believe it or not, a few have admitted they could care less about success.) Many of us want both. But what if the pursuit of one compromises the other? What if the...
What to Do When Things
Aren’t Getting Better
Reality check: some things don’t get better, at least right away. That doesn’t mean nothing gets better, but it means some situations may not, for a while. For example, there are diseases that are managed – not cured, unless God heals them. There are also...
9 Ways You Might Not Know You’re Blessed
I don't know what I thought 2023 was going to be, but I didn't think it would be this. Earlier this week I was telling Judi (my assistant) that I had honestly expected this year to be easier. I don't know why, I just did. Maybe it's because I thought I was going to...
Are You Easy Prey?
(3 Ways to Defeat the Enemy)
On one of my trips to Africa, I met a tour guide who told me the story of a group that had been warned not to get out of the jeep in certain areas. They were told that it was extremely dangerous and they were to stay in the vehicle no matter what. A woman thought she...
7 Ways to Experience True Rest
Confession: I have a lot to learn about rest. I know that on the surface, it appears to be a simple concept. To many people, rest means to, sit down and "rest a spell," as they would say in the South. Put your feet up. Take a load off. But it’s not that simple. I have...
Loss and Grief:
Say What You Need to Say
Today was a hard day. My friend Bev Guidt passed away, in Richmond, Virginia. It was a total shock. I am still sitting here shaking my head wondering,"What in the world?!" Bev recently went into the hospital for surgery on her spine. Then she was released to a rehab...
God Doesn’t Protect Every Leader!
Did you know that God is not automatically on a leader's side just because they are the leader? He does NOT approve of them just because they are the pastor or the "man of God" or the "woman of God." Some leaders walk around as if they have God's endorsement simply...
Invite Deanna to speak at your next event!
Deanna is invited to return and speak at many of the same places time and again because the result has been an overwhelmingly positive experience with lives changed, and people encouraged.
BIO
Dr. Deanna Shrodes
Dr. Deanna Doss Shrodes is an author, speaker, and spiritual life strategist whose work has been featured by CBS News, People Magazine, The New Yorker, Woman’s World, GOD TV, and HuffPost. She holds a Master’s in Ministerial Leadership and a Doctor of Ministry from Southeastern University, where she also serves as an adjunct professor.
Dr. Shrodes currently leads as Women’s Ministries Director for the Pen Florida District of the Assemblies of God and directs the Stronger Leadership Network, where she mentors pastors and leaders through practical coaching, spiritual formation, and cohort-based development. A sole author of five books and a contributing writer to five others, her latest work, Uncommon Answers, was released by Chosen Books (a division of Baker Books) in April 2025.
Known for a warm pastoral presence and clear, actionable teaching, Dr. Shrodes speaks at conferences, churches, and leadership gatherings on calling and purpose, prayer and spiritual formation, women’s leadership, and organizational health. She is married to her college sweetheart, Larry; they have three grown children and five grandchildren.
Areas of Focus: spiritual formation & prayer, the Holy Spirit, leadership development, marriage, mentoring, calling/purpose, healthy ministry culture, making leadership transitions.
Become Your Most Authentic Self
Free E-Book
Are you tired of being who and what others expect you to be, instead of who God created you to be?
If you find the pressure of other people's expectations exhausting and you are ready to be the authentic YOU that you were always meant to be, Deanna would like to gift you with an ebook, 29 Ways to Become Your Most Authentic Self.
It's time to break free and finally live according to your divine design!
