Leadership can feel like waking up already behind schedule. There is a message to answer, a decision waiting, and someone needing reassurance. Many leaders carry that pace for years, then wonder why their joy thins out. Leading in the Spirit: Foundation for Leadership by Dr. Linda Cureton speaks to that exact reality. It reaches the leader who has vision and responsibility, yet still asks a private question: Is this leadership flowing from God’s Spirit or from sheer willpower?
This book is a 31-day devotional, shaped for leaders who want spiritual alignment to become their normal, even in demanding seasons. The tone stays friendly and grounded. It respects ambition as energy, then guides readers toward something deeper: divine direction that steadies the heart, clarifies the mind, and softens the impulse to control everything. Linda invites leaders to see leadership as a sacred calling. That framing changes how pressure feels, because calling comes with companionship from God, not just expectations from people.
A Daily Practice That Meets Leaders Where They Are
The format is simple, which is part of its strength. Each day offers a reading that blends Scripture, lived insight, and reflection. It gives leaders a practical way to pause without requiring a major schedule overhaul. A few focused minutes can reset a morning. A short reading can settle a stressed evening. That consistency matters because leaders rarely get long stretches of quiet, yet they can still cultivate a steady inner life.
Leading in the Spirit: Foundation for Leadership also treats the leader’s interior world as essential. It encourages readers to slow down and listen deeply. That listening is not presented as passive. It is active attention to God’s guidance, especially when the next step feels unclear. Over 31 days, the devotional becomes a rhythm that brings leaders back to spiritual alignment again and again, even when external demands keep pulling.
Another helpful emphasis is stewardship. Leadership is shown as a trust to steward rather than a platform to protect. That idea can relax the tight grip many leaders develop. A steward leads with humility, takes responsibility seriously, and remembers the work belongs to God first. When leaders carry that posture, they often communicate with more calm, decide with more clarity, and show up for people with more grace.
Discernment for Hard Decisions and Strength for Uncertain Seasons
Uncertainty is familiar to anyone who leads. Some decisions bring incomplete information. Some seasons bring delayed answers. Some days bring doubt that shows up between meetings. Linda makes room for those moments. She highlights discernment as a spiritual capability that grows through prayer, attentiveness, and trust. The devotional helps leaders seek God’s voice in the middle of real complexity, rather than waiting for perfect conditions.
A key theme in the book is the wilderness. Many leaders experience wilderness seasons where progress slows, recognition fades, and confidence feels tested. In Leading in the Spirit: Foundation for Leadership, the wilderness is framed as preparation. It becomes a training ground for integrity, courage, and clarity. That perspective can relieve the sense that struggle means failure. It redirects the leader toward faithfulness and formation.
Spiritual disciplines also run through the devotional in a practical way. Reflection, prayer, and honest self-examination are presented as tools that shape leadership character. These practices strengthen leaders from the inside, which is often where the real leadership battle is fought. The book also speaks about resting in God’s timing. Rest is treated as trust expressed through action. It helps leaders release the need to force outcomes and opens space for peace. Over time, that peace influences leadership style, making room for authenticity and steady presence.
The Leader Behind the Devotional
Dr. Linda Cureton writes from a background that includes significant leadership responsibility. With more than 30 years of experience in Information Technology, she has worked in environments where decisions carry wide impact. She is described as the former Chief Information Officer of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), serving as principal advisor to the NASA Administrator and providing insight and technology leadership to teams of scientists and engineers. She also held executive IT roles, including Associate CIO at the Department of Energy and Deputy CIO at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.
Her professional recognition includes the 50 Women of Influence and Power Award from the Minority Enterprise Executive Council, the Womensphere Global Leadership Award for Innovation, the ITSMF Summit Heritage Award, and honors from the Washington Business Journal, Washingtonian Magazine, and Federal Computer Week. Beyond leadership roles, Linda has written articles, op-eds, and blog pieces and is known as a sought-after speaker. She studied at Howard University and Johns Hopkins University, earning a Master’s degree and a Post-Master’s certificate in Applied Mathematics. She lives outside Washington, DC in Bowie, Maryland with her family.
That experience gives the devotional an informed voice. It feels aware of what leadership costs, and it still insists that spiritual alignment is possible.
Who Will Appreciate This Book
Leading in the Spirit: Foundation for Leadership fits leaders who want faith to shape their leadership in practical ways. It speaks to executives, managers, entrepreneurs, ministry leaders, and emerging leaders. It also supports anyone who feels stretched thin and wants a daily path toward balance, peace, and Spirit-led clarity. The book is available on Amazon for readers ready to begin a 31-day journey of leading with sacred influence, one day at a time.
We had the privilege of interviewing Dr. Linda Cureton. Here are excerpts from the interview:
Hello, thank you so much for joining us today! What inspired you to write Leading in the Spirit, and why did you choose a devotional format for this book?
I wrote Leading in the Spirit because I kept meeting leaders who were competent, accomplished, and exhausted — and many of them were quietly asking the same question: “Is there a way to lead that doesn’t cost me my soul?” I wanted to offer something that speaks to the inner life of leadership, not just the mechanics of it.
The devotional format felt right because leadership is not a one-time decision; it’s a daily walk. A devotional lets readers practice discernment in small, steady ways — like spiritual physical therapy for the leader’s heart. Thirty days is long enough to build a rhythm, but short enough that even busy leaders can commit to it without feeling like they’ve signed up for another job.
You describe leadership as a calling shaped by God. When did you first begin to see your own leadership that way?
I began to see leadership as a calling when I realized two things at once: first, that influence is never neutral — and second, that God doesn’t just care about what we do, but who we become while doing it.
Early on, I thought leadership was mainly about performance and competence. But over time, especially in high-stakes environments, I noticed that the most defining moments weren’t technical — they were moral and spiritual. I started seeing leadership as stewardship: God entrusts people, missions, and moments to us, and our job is to lead them in a way that honors Him. That shift changed everything for me.
The book talks a lot about listening for God’s direction. How can leaders slow down enough to do that in a busy workday?
Leaders don’t usually need more time — we need different habits inside the time we already have. Listening for God doesn’t have to mean disappearing to a mountain for three days (though disappearing may be a good idea to me). It can be practiced in small pauses.
Here are a few ways I’ve learned to slow down in real life:
- Start the day with surrender, not strategy. Even two minutes of “Lord, order my steps today” changes the posture of the mind.
- Build micro-Sabbaths into the day. A quiet breath before a meeting. A short prayer after a hard call. Those moments re-center you.
- Ask better questions. Instead of “What do I need to get done?” ask “What is God doing here, and how can I join it?”
The pace of leadership is real, but so is the cost of never listening.
You write about seasons of uncertainty. What advice would you give leaders who feel unsure or overwhelmed right now?
First, I’d tell them that uncertainty is not a sign that you’re failing — it may be a sign that you’re being formed. We often treat uncertainty like an emergency, but spiritually, it can be an invitation.
My advice is:
- Don’t confuse lack of clarity with lack of calling. God can be present even when the path isn’t obvious.
- Return to what you know is true. When the next step isn’t clear, lean on the last instruction God gave you. Take one step at a time.
- Lead the day you’re in. Being overwhelmed comes from trying to live in ten tomorrows at once. Faith lives in the present.
Uncertainty doesn’t cancel your assignment—it deepens your dependence.
The idea of the “wilderness” appears throughout the devotional. How did your personal wilderness seasons influence this message?
My wilderness seasons taught me that God does some of His most important work in the places that feel empty, slow, or confusing. Wilderness is where titles don’t help you, plans don’t save you, and you discover what you actually believe.
In my wilderness season, I cried every day. A trusted deputy told me that I needed to stop crying and lead the organization. I dried my tears, pulled myself together, and did what I had to do.
In those seasons, I learned that the wilderness isn’t punishment — it’s preparation. It strips away performance and replaces it with presence. It teaches you to hear God without all the noise of success. And it builds a kind of resilience that you cannot get in comfort.
So yes, the wilderness shows up in the devotional because it’s where I learned to lead from faith instead of fear.
What spiritual practices have helped you the most in staying grounded while leading at high levels?
Three practices have been most anchoring for me:
- Daily Scripture with a listening posture. Not reading for information, but for formation — asking, “Lord, what are You saying to me as a leader?”
- Prayer that includes silence. Leaders are paid to talk. Silence retrains us to listen.
- Regular reflection and confession. I need to be honest with God about my motives, fatigue, ego, and fears. If I don’t name those things, they start running the meeting.
High-level leadership will expand your responsibilities. These practices keep your soul from shrinking in the process.
Your experience at NASA was intense and demanding. How did those years shape the lessons you share in this book?
NASA shaped my understanding of complexity, consequence, and courage. When the mission is unforgiving, and the environment is high-pressure, you learn quickly that leadership is more than brilliance — it’s character under stress.
Those years taught me:
- How to lead when the answers aren’t obvious,
- How to make decisions with incomplete data,
- And how essential trust and integrity are in complex systems.
But they also taught me something quieter: success without spiritual grounding creates leaders who look fine on paper but are unraveling inside. That’s part of why this devotional exists — because I’ve seen what leadership costs when we try to pay for it without God.
You talk about leading with authenticity. What does authentic leadership look like in everyday situations?
Authentic leadership is not oversharing — it’s alignment. It looks like your values matching your actions, even when it’s inconvenient.
Everyday authenticity shows up when:
- You tell the truth kindly instead of managing perceptions,
- You admit what you don’t know without losing authority,
- You take responsibility faster than you assign blame,
- And you lead people as humans, not resources.
Authentic leaders don’t perform a role; they serve a purpose. People can feel the difference.
Many leaders struggle with pressure and burnout. What simple habits can help them move toward peace instead of constant stress?
Peace isn’t a personality trait — it’s a practice. Some simple habits that help:
- Start with God before you start with people. If your first voice each day is crisis, your nervous system never stands a chance.
- Create a “no-meeting margin.” Even 30 minutes of protected space restores clarity.
- End the day with release. A short prayer like, “Lord, I give You today’s outcomes,” prevents stress from moving into tomorrow.
- Do one thing that makes you human again. Walk. Laugh. Eat a meal without multitasking. Burnout thrives when leaders forget they’re people.
The goal isn’t doing less forever. It’s leading from rest, not depletion.
What do you hope readers feel or understand after completing this 31-day journey?
I hope they finish the 31 days feeling accompanied — like they’re not leading alone. I want them to understand that Spirit-led leadership is not mystical or impractical. It’s real, wise, steady leadership rooted in God’s presence.
If they take nothing else, I hope they walk away with this conviction:\
Your leadership is a sacred assignment. God cares about your decisions, your people, and your heart. And you can lead faithfully without losing yourself.
That’s the journey I want for every reader.
Thank you so much, Dr. Linda Cureton, for giving us your precious time! We wish you all the best for your journey ahead!
