The Future Is Here

The Future Is Here

The Future Is Here Podcast, where UYWI's CEO Tommy Nixon and COO Robert Aboites discuss leadership principles you need to lead this next generation. Imagine a dynamic movement of passionate urban youth embodying the Gospel in cities across the globe, shaping the future of the Church—because of leaders and role models like you. Building this future demands a fresh approach to leadership, and the time to act is now.

Episodes

February 4, 2026 38 mins

A healthy organizational culture is not built on values or structure alone. It is sustained by relationships.

You can have clear values and strong systems, but culture will always rise or fall on the quality of relationships inside your organization.

Relationships determine how values are interpreted, whether structure feels supportive or restrictive, and whether people give their best effort or simply do the minimum. Culture may be ...

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Values may define what you believe, but structure determines how those beliefs actually operate.

Without structure, culture turns unstable. Expectations blur. Pressure increases. Over time, the culture drifts into something no one chose.

Structure is the framework that holds a culture together. It gives form, boundaries, and direction.

When structure is weak, people fill in the gaps with assumptions. The result is predictable:
&nbs...

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You are building a culture whether you mean to or not.

Every organization has one. The only real choice is what kind.

Most leaders point to mission statements and core values. Teams pay attention to something else. They watch behavior. They study decisions. They notice patterns.

They learn culture by observing:
• Who advances and who stalls
• How conflict is handled
• What happens under pressure
• W...

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Healthy leadership is built through intentional habits practiced over time. In Part 2 of this series, Tommy Nixon and Robert Aboites continue the conversation on the habits that shape spiritually grounded, resilient leaders.

This episode covers habits six through ten, including planning and prioritizing around your why, committing to lifelong learning, investing in people over projects, building a culture of encouragement, and leadi...

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Growth is not an accident. It forms through habits that shape your inner life and guide the way you lead. Scripture teaches that faithfulness in small things prepares you for greater responsibility, and Luke 16:10 captures this truth clearly. The choices you make each day set the path for the leader you will become.

In this episode, we walk through ten healthy habits that build a spiritually grounded leader. You will explore practic...

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Leadership carries a weight that many leaders feel but rarely name. The phrase "It’s lonely at the top" speaks to the emotional and spiritual cost that comes when you lead without real connection. Isolation fuels burnout, poor choices, and a slow drift in your spiritual life.

Many leaders feel alone because others do not carry the same load, confidentiality limits what can be shared, and there is constant pressure to look stro...

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Do you want to know the truth about leadership influence? Your title might give you authority, but it doesn’t automatically give you influence. Research from Harvard Business School reveals that influential leaders share three traits—they’re trusted, competent, and genuinely invested in others’ success.

In this episode of The Future Is Here Podcast, hosts Tommy Nixon and Robert Aboites unpack what real influe...

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Have you ever struggled with how to serve under leadership while seeing opportunities for improvement? You’re not alone.

In this episode of The Future Is Here Podcast, we explore one of the most difficult tensions in Christian leadership — how to honor authority while staying true to your convictions.

You’ll learn:

  • How to balance submission and courage when leading up
  • When to speak up and when to humbly submit
  • How ...
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Letting go isn’t failure. It’s faith.

In this episode of The Future Is Here Podcast, we talk about one of the hardest moments every leader faces: knowing when it’s time to pivot.

You’ve prayed, built, and sacrificed for what you lead. But sometimes God calls you to release what once worked so you can step into what’s next.

In this conversation, we unpack:

  • What a true leadership pivot looks like
  • Why lead...
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This week on The Future Is Here Podcast, we dive into the details and answer some of the most practical and pressing leadership questions from our network—real questions that don’t come from textbooks but from the trenches of ministry and leadership.

Tommy and Robert tackle topics every leader faces: navigating major staff transitions without causing panic, knowing how vulnerable to be with your team, and leading through...

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On this episode of The Future’s Here Podcast, hosts Tommy Nixon and Robert Abo dive into a raw conversation about hustle culture in leadership, ministry, and entrepreneurship. Too many leaders are burning out under the weight of constant pressure, mistaking exhaustion for passion and tying their identity to productivity.

Tommy and Robert unpack what they call the sacred hustle—a way of leading that combines hard work wit...

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What if the most faithful step in your leadership today is learning to say “no”?

In this episode, we dive into the power of setting boundaries as a leader and follower of Christ. Many leaders struggle with people-pleasing, overcommitment, and exhaustion. Even Jesus modeled healthy boundaries—He withdrew from crowds, declined certain demands, and chose time with the Father over constant activity.

By saying yes to eve...

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Some decisions in leadership come from discernment, not just data.

Have you ever faced a choice where logic said “yes,” but your spirit said “no” or “not yet”?

In this episode, we explore the role of Spirit-led intuition in Christian leadership. We break down what it means to trust your gut in a biblical way and how to recognize God’s guidance beyond your own feelings.

You’ll learn:

  • T...
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Every leader has quietly asked themselves, What if I fail?

In this latest conversation on The Future Is Here Podcast, we explore the fear of failure in leadership, how to face it, learn from it, and let it shape the kind of Christian leader God created you to be.

Failure in ministry or leadership doesn’t mean the calling is over. It might mean God is forming something deeper.

In this episode, we break down 5 practical strategies...

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We want to take some time to answer your most pressing leadership questions. You sent the questions, we brought the answers. In this episode, we unpack: how to discern spiritual opposition from human resistance, practices for giving honest feedback that challenges growth without crushing people, how to motivate gifted leaders who lack confidence, signs that reveal people pleasing vs. true servanthood, and how to secure funding to p...

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Are you emotionally drained, spiritually exhausted, and physically worn out from working with youth in urban ministry? You’re not alone. Leading in the trenches of trauma, violence, systemic injustice, and daily crisis takes a serious toll.

🎙️ In this episode of The Future Is Here, our Leadership Podcast, we dive into the emotional weight of leadership—and why Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is no longer optional. It’...

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You've heard it before: Great leaders never stop learning.
But what if the key to your next level of growth isn't learning more—it's UNLEARNING what’s holding you back?

In this episode of The Future Is Here Podcast, we dive deep into leadership transformation, exploring why unlearning is essential for your spiritual formation, emotional health, and long-term leadership effectiveness.

What you’ll discover:

  • The...
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In this Christian leadership podcast, we dive into the dangers of role conflation—when pastors, mentors, and ministry leaders lose clarity in their relationships and decision-making.

But when leadership roles become conflated, it can lead to poor decision-making, relational strain, and serious leadership blind spots.

In this episode, we explore how leaders can avoid the pitfalls of conflated leadership by learning to switch rol...

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In the final episode of our “How Great Leaders Respond to Crisis” series, we go deeper into what it means to lead with wisdom, faith, and emotional resilience when everything is on the line. A crisis doesn’t just challenge your leadership—it reveals your character.

This episode focuses on the heart-level challenges of leadership in crisis and offers practical, faith-rooted guidance for navigating what comes n...

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In Part 1 of our “How Great Leaders Respond to Crisis” podcast, we explore how great leaders rise above chaos with clarity, compassion, and courage. Whether you’re leading in ministry, business, or community, a crisis doesn’t just test your skills—it reveals your character.

In this video, we’ll cover:

✅ How to lead with wisdom and spiritual resilience
 ✅ Centering compassion while facing pr...

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