The Global Leadership Podcast

What if the biggest risk in your next leadership decision isn't making the wrong choice—but waiting too long to make one?

Leaders rarely have all the information they'd like before making an important decision. But waiting for certainty can keep teams stuck and organizations from moving forward.

Kelly Merryman Hoogstraten has navigated these challenges while helping build Netflix's streaming and international businesses, leading at YouTube, and co-founding Wonder Project. In this conversation with GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft, she shares why making an imperfect decision is often better than making no decision at all.

You'll hear how Netflix's philosophy of "context, not control" empowered people to make decisions, why successful organizations must remain willing to change, and how Kelly's faith and personal convictions shaped her professional direction.

It's a practical invitation to make thoughtful decisions, equip others to lead, and keep moving even when the path isn't entirely clear.

Wanting people to grow and actually developing them are two different things. In this quarterly "Best Of" episode, Whitney Putnam and Eric Case revisit four conversations that create a practical pathway for helping people reach their potential: see them, know them, grow them, and release them. You'll hear Lori Hermann describe what happens when leaders recognize potential before someone sees it in themselves; Thasunda Brown Duckett explain why knowing the whole person is connected to excellence; David Ashcraft challenge leaders to develop people beyond their own expertise; and Julio Garcia wrestle with what happens when someone you've invested in chooses an opportunity elsewhere. Together, these conversations challenge leaders to move beyond good intentions and ask a more practical question: What does the person you're developing need from you next?

When a team feels frustrated, disconnected or unsure where to focus, the problem may not be effort or talent—it may be clarity. In this episode, Whitney Putnam talks with Global Leadership Network President and CEO David Ashcraft about a leader's responsibility to create direction people can understand, remember and act on.

David explains why leaders often need to repeat the vision more than they think, why collaboration and candor can sharpen direction, and how unclear communication from senior leaders can unintentionally send teams running in the wrong direction. He also shares a simple practice his teams use to distinguish between processing an idea and actually making a decision.

Whether you are setting organizational strategy or leading a team through a new initiative, this conversation offers practical ways to reduce unnecessary confusion and make the direction simple enough for people to follow.

If you want people to tell you what they really think, simply asking for feedback isn't enough—you have to earn their trust. In this episode, TIAA President and CEO Thasunda Brown Duckett shares practical ways leaders can get closer to their people, uncover perspectives they might otherwise miss, and create a culture where honest feedback and high expectations can coexist.

Thasunda explains why leaders need to "get proximate," how she uses small-group conversations to hear directly from employees throughout the organization, and why asking for the "counter-narrative" can improve decision-making. She also explores how vulnerability creates permission for others to bring more of themselves to work, why job titles shouldn't limit someone's contribution, and how leaders can guide people through the uncertainty created by AI. Along the way, she makes the case that if leaders want excellence, they first have to earn the right to demand it.

Most leaders say people matter—but that commitment gets tested when growth, performance, accountability, and opportunity are on the line. In this episode, Ambriza Social Mexican Kitchen cofounder and CEO Julio Garcia joins David Ashcraft to explore what people-first leadership looks like in practice.

Julio shares how his own understanding of leadership shifted from status and entitlement toward responsibility and service, and how that change now shapes Ambriza's culture. He explains why leaders need to know the people behind the roles, how the company develops employees toward greater responsibility and even ownership, and why caring for people still requires clear standards.

The conversation also examines a harder question: What happens when you invest deeply in someone—and that growth eventually takes them somewhere else? Julio offers a practical picture of leadership that measures success not only by organizational growth, but by what becomes possible for the people you lead.

Strong leaders do more than delegate responsibility—they develop people who can eventually take their work farther than the leader could alone. In this episode, David Ashcraft shares how he learned to build teams by intentionally investing in people, establishing trust, and giving them room to become experts in their own areas.

David explains why development requires more than hiring talented people and handing them responsibility. Leaders need to stay closely engaged early, create shared learning experiences, communicate expectations, and be willing to course-correct when necessary. He also challenges leaders to examine their own role when someone on the team is struggling.

The goal is not to remain the most capable person in every area. It is to build people who grow in expertise, ownership, and confidence—and strengthen the organization in ways the leader could never accomplish alone.

Good decisions depend on more than having the most information—they require knowing when to trust experience, whose judgment matters most, and how to keep hierarchy from getting in the way. In this episode, Andy Stanley draws from his latest book, What Great Leaders Do, which identifies seven practices of effective leadership. This conversation goes deeper on two: trusting your leadership intuition and resisting the "evolution of a court" around influential leaders. Andy explains why intuition is often acquired knowledge leaders cannot immediately articulate, how to draw that judgment out of the right people on your team, and why positional authority should not determine whose voice carries the most weight. He also explores the safeguards leaders need as their influence grows and why finishing well requires choosing enduring values over immediate pressures. The conversation was conducted by Life.Church founding pastor Craig Groeschel in front of a live audience at the 2026 Global Leadership Summit.

Organizations can have vision, resources, and opportunity—and still be held back because they do not have enough leaders ready to take responsibility. In this episode, David Ashcraft explains why leadership development works best when it becomes part of an organization's culture rather than another class, program, or pipeline.

David outlines the practices that help create an environment where people continually grow as leaders: intentionality, consistent development rhythms, shared experiences, and time. He also explains the power of 'unconscious competence'—how an idea can become so embedded in a culture that people begin developing in that direction almost without realizing it.

Whether you lead a large staff, a small team, or a volunteer-driven organization, the conversation offers a practical challenge: develop the people already around you so your organization is prepared when new opportunities arrive.

Leaders communicate constantly, but not everything they say is remembered, internalized, or acted on. In this episode, David Ashcraft talks with Emma Kuhl Pitts, CEO of PullSpark and, about how leaders can create messages and experiences that stay with people. Emma shares why attention is not the same as impact, how memory shapes influence, and why leaders should ask, "What do I want people to believe?" before asking, "What do I want people to do?" PullSpark is also the official creative partner of the Global Leadership Summit, and this conversation gives a behind-the-scenes look at how Emma and her team help shape creative moments at the Summit, from openers and story videos to the details that help leaders engage more deeply. For pastors, executives, communicators, and team leaders, this conversation offers a practical framework for creating moments people do not just consume, but remember.

Some of the most consequential leadership in an organization happens far from the stage. Lori Hermann has helped lead the Global Leadership Summit team for 14 years, drawing on more than three decades of experience creating events and experiences that serve leaders around the world.

In this conversation with David Ashcraft, Lori explains how she learned to recognize her influence even though she did not fit the image of an outspoken, visionary leader. She also offers a practical look at the leadership behind the Summit: assembling people with complementary strengths, developing a shared standard of excellence, encouraging honest collaboration and finding the courage to speak up when the work begins to drift.

Lori's approach demonstrates that excellence is not the same as perfection. It grows through continual learning, thoughtful preparation and leaders who care enough about the people they serve to ask difficult questions and keep improving.

When plans change, leaders still need to provide clarity, steady themselves internally, and help their teams keep moving forward. In this Q2 "Best Of" episode, Whitney Putnam and Eric Case revisit four leadership moments from recent conversations with Craig Groeschel, David Ashcraft, Chris McChesney, and Edgar Sandoval.

Together, these clips explore what leaders can do when strategy meets reality: stay flexible when plans shift, avoid comparison, define success by the right measures, create visible progress for their teams, and communicate with steadiness during pressure-filled seasons.

This episode is a practical look at the internal and external work of leadership. Whether you are navigating organizational change, team fatigue, personal self-doubt, or a season that feels unpredictable, these four lessons will help you lead with greater clarity, humility, and purpose.

Productive teams do not move faster because leaders push harder; they move faster because the goal is clear. In this episode, Whitney Putnam talks with GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft about productivity from a team leadership perspective—not as a system of hacks, but as a question of clarity, initiative, accountability, and trust. David shares why he looks for initiative in team members, how clear guardrails help people move with confidence, and why leaders often stay busy with the wrong things while avoiding the work that matters most. The conversation also explores how accountability rhythms, like the 12-week year, can help leaders and teams stay focused on what they said they would do. For leaders who feel busy but not always effective, this episode offers a practical way to rethink productivity as a leadership responsibility.

Leaders are constantly presented with opportunities, expectations, and decisions—but not every open door is an assignment. In this episode of the Global Leadership Podcast, GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft talks with Priscilla Shirer about how leaders discern what is truly theirs to carry. Priscilla shares practical wisdom on calling, wise counsel, humility, accountability, and learning to say yes or no from a place of clarity rather than fear or guilt. She also reflects on how leaders can protect their families, carry public attention lightly, and create "green space" for rest, responsiveness, and deeper awareness of God's work. For leaders navigating full calendars, growing influence, or the pressure to keep saying yes, this conversation offers a grounded reminder: faithful leadership requires both courage and discernment.

Many leaders are trying to solve burnout with more inspiration, when their teams may actually need clearer progress. In this episode, GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft talks with Chris McChesney, author of The 4 Disciplines of Execution, about the difference between employee satisfaction and true engagement. Chris explains why people can have what looks like an ideal job and still feel disconnected from the work, while others can serve in demanding environments and remain deeply motivated. The difference often comes down to progress and purpose.

Through practical examples from manufacturing, creative work, ministry and leadership, Chris helps leaders understand how to create a "winnable, high-stakes game" for their teams. This conversation will help leaders translate big vision into visible wins, address burnout with greater clarity and give their people something meaningful to move toward.

Communication can make or break trust on a team, especially when the conversation gets tense. In this episode, Whitney Putnam and GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft talk about one of the most common leadership challenges: how to communicate with clarity, candor and care when the stakes are high. They unpack a real moment from a recent GLN all-staff meeting, where a public challenge created tension, required follow-up and ultimately helped sharpen strategy. Whitney and David explore why leaders often think they are being clear when others are hearing something different, how trust makes hard conversations possible, and why "keeping short accounts" can prevent tension from becoming toxic. This conversation gives leaders a practical look at how honest communication, handled with humility and follow-through, can strengthen both the work and the relationship.

Every leader eventually faces a moment when the plan stops working. A strategy fails, a team dynamic breaks down, growth creates new complexity, or an unexpected circumstance forces a change in direction. In this episode, David Ashcraft talks with Craig Groeschel, founder and senior pastor of Life.Church, about how leaders can respond when leadership does not go as planned.

Craig reflects on failed ideas, organizational pivots, team conflict, and the ongoing discipline of letting go as leadership expands. He also shares how humility, preparation, prayerfulness, candor and trust have shaped the way he leads through uncertainty. For leaders navigating disruption—whether external circumstances or internal challenges—this conversation offers a grounded reminder: the mission matters more than the method, and growth often requires the courage to release what you can no longer carry.

Every leader eventually encounters disruption—moments that challenge assumptions, redirect plans, and test resilience. In this episode, GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft talks with Edgar Sandoval, President and CEO of World Vision, about navigating what David calls "leadership hijacks": unexpected events that reshape both leadership and life.

Edgar shares his journey from immigrating to the United States as a teenager with little money and no English skills, to leading one of the world's largest Christian humanitarian organizations. Along the way, he reflects on lessons learned through personal hardship, raising children with special needs, leaving a successful corporate career at Procter & Gamble, and leading World Vision through COVID and global uncertainty.

This conversation explores how leaders can remain grounded during disruption, communicate hope without ignoring reality, and create healthy organizational cultures that help people thrive even in difficult seasons.

Leadership doesn't usually derail all at once—it gets hijacked slowly by subtle internal forces like comparison, self-doubt, and misplaced definitions of success. In this episode, Whitney Putnam sits down with David Ashcraft to unpack the internal and external "hijacks" that pull leaders off course. They explore how even confident leaders can fall into comparison traps, how self-doubt often disguises itself in different ways, and why defining success based on others' metrics leads to frustration. This conversation brings leaders back to what matters most: clarifying personal priorities, choosing the right voices to listen to, and aligning success with purpose rather than perception. If you've ever questioned your place, your progress, or your impact, this episode offers a grounded way to refocus and move forward with clarity and intention.

Leadership is often formed in the middle—when progress is slow, challenges persist, and outcomes are unclear. This episode highlights key moments from recent conversations to help you stay grounded in those seasons.

You'll hear insights on perseverance from Walker Hayes, practical wisdom on resilience from David Ashcraft, and a timely reminder from John Maxwell about embracing the season you're in. Whitney and Eric also share personal leadership challenges and what helped them keep going.

If you're facing pressure, uncertainty, or slow progress, this episode will help you focus on what you can control—and continue leading with purpose where you are.

Every organization has a culture—but not every leader is shaping it intentionally. In this episode, Jenni Catron explains why culture is one of the most important (and often overlooked) responsibilities of leadership.

In this conversation with GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft, Jenni offers a practical definition of culture, along with clear ways to translate values into everyday behaviors and reinforce them through consistent rhythms.

Jenni also outlines what it actually takes to change culture—where to start, how long it takes, and why many efforts stall. Along the way, she highlights the subtle signs of an unhealthy culture and the role leaders play in either reinforcing or correcting them.

If you're responsible for a team, this conversation will help you take a more intentional, long-term approach to building a culture where people and performance can thrive.

Strategy can feel intimidating.

Maybe it brings up pressure to get it right. Maybe it feels restrictive. Or maybe it's something you've been avoiding because you're not quite sure where to start.

In this episode, Whitney Putnam sits down with GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft to simplify strategy and make it practical. Together, they unpack why strategy matters at every level of leadership—and why waiting for perfect clarity might be the very thing holding you back.

If you've ever felt stuck trying to "figure it all out" before taking a step forward, this conversation will help you move.

Leadership isn't just about building something successful; it's about building something meaningful, aligning what you believe with how you lead and using what you've been given to make a difference. Today's guest is someone who has spent years helping leaders do exactly that.

Justin Forman is a strategist and leader working at the intersection of faith, entrepreneurship. He's the cofounder and president of Faith Driven Entrepreneur and Faith Driven Investor: global movements helping more than 1 million leaders integrate faith and how they lead and build businesses. Justin brings people together—entrepreneurs investors, and leaders—to move from good intentions to lasting impact. GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft recently sat down with Justin to talk about how faith, media and entrepreneurship can create meaningful change and what it looks like to build something that truly matters overtime.

Dr. Henry Cloud is a bestselling author, psychologist, and leadership expert whose work on boundaries, relationships, and emotional health has shaped leaders around the world.

If you are familiar with Henry, you know that he doesn't just diagnose problems—he helps leaders understand what growth actually looks like, and how we can take responsibility for it in real life.

Our President and CEO, David Ashcraft, recently sat down with Dr. Cloud for a conversation about his upcoming book Your Desired Future. This book is basically a masterclass in how to lead—yourself and other people and is exactly what we've come to expect from Henry: deep psychological insight with super practical application.

Whether you are just getting started in your leadership journey, or you've been at it for a while now, this conversation is an absolute game-changer, and we are so glad we can bring it to you today.

Today we're talking with GLN president and CEO David Ashcraft about resilience. Honestly, sometimes I love the word, "resilience." However, sometimes I kind of hate it: usually when I'm in the middle of a really challenging time that I just wish would end. This conversation will help you think about why resilience is necessary and the importance of celebrating small wins. With the right inputs, we can be resilient leaders.

In this episode, David Ashcraft sits down to do a live webinar with Walker Hayes, the singer and songwriter behind hits like "Fancy Like" and "Stetson", to talk about the faith and grit that it takes to create over the long-term, and how an attitude of gratefulness changes your perspective on just about everything.

Whether it's ideating from nothing, feeling pressure to be original or wondering if creativity is something you either have or you don't, most of us struggle with creativity at some level. However, for today's guest, to be creative is to be human. Author, speaker and "Creativity Explorer" Fredrik Heron has spent decades helping leaders understand that creativity isn't about talent or personality: it's about practice, environment and perspective. GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft sat down with Fredrik to talk about his new book The World of Creativity and together they unpack what it really means to lead creatively—even when the ideas don't come easily.

When the word, "innovation" gets mentioned, there tends to be two broad reactions: some people love pioneering and creating new things. However, a lot of people immediately think, "I am not creative; innovation is something that comes easily to other people and not me." If you find yourself in that latter group, today's interview with GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft will hopefully dispel those thoughts and show how innovation doesn't mean creating something out of nothing. If you're ready to discover how to give yourself space for innovation, give this episode a listen.

Have you ever wished you could sit down with someone who has truly mastered their craft? Michael Jordan on winning; Mozart on music; Leonardo Da Vinci on creativity. Not just to review their highlight reels but to unpack all the lessons they learned across their lives? Well, that's what today's conversation feels like because today we get to listen to John C Maxwell talk about leadership.

John Maxwell is a world-renowned leadership expert and best-selling author who has trained countless leaders across industries and across the globe. It's no exaggeration to say that he has helped define the shape of modern leadership. John's life is an example of what can happen when someone stays curious, humble and committed to growth for decades, and there also something truly about getting to learn from someone who has run their race well and stayed faithful to growth over the long haul.

John was honored as a GLN Legacy Leader at the 2025 global leadership Summit, and he sat down with our president and CEO, David Ashcraft for a conversation in front of a live studio audience about what a lifetime of leadership looks like.

Today's episode is all about purpose and calling. As a leader who is rolling into a new year, you might be thinking about what's next. This conversation with GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft will encourage you with the unique ways you've been called to lead and center you by reminding you what it's all about.

As 2025 wraps up and 2026 gets started, we thought we'd take a look back on all the great conversations we've had over the past year and pick a few of our favorites to share with you. Whitney and Content Producer Eric Case talk through their reactions to episodes with guests Marcus Buckingham, Joni Eareckson Tada, David Ashcraft and Gabe Salguero.

The end of the year is a natural time to look back and take stock on what we've done and how far we've come. In honor of that, GLN VP of Marketing and Communication Whitney Putnam sat down with President and CEO David Ashcraft to get his thoughts on reflection and celebration.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to see the people around you—your teammates, your friends, your spouse, your children—absolutely thriving?

Today's guest is Bradley Rapier. Bradley is an award-winning, Emmy-nominated choreographer with over three decades of experience in dance, production and leading teams and talent from Hollywood to Broadway. Whether dance and choreography is your thing or not, what Bradley teaches in this conversation with GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft is what happens when people feel engaged and connected, and how we as leaders can facilitate that engagement.

So, whether you're leading your teenage children, a creative group, or you're simply part of a group of friends, when people deeply feel that they are a part of something, everything changes: productivity, creativity and well-being soar. Bradley calls it, "stepping into the Circle," and everyone is invited.

When the topic of rest comes up, most of us fall into one of two camps. Some of us welcome the conversation and immediately begin to think about when we get to ease off the gas pedal and relax a little. Others, however, just as quickly start to experience frustration and maybe even anxiety. Maybe you struggle to unplug and take some time for yourself; maybe you're not even sure why rest is necessary. Wherever you are, this podcast is for you, and we invite you to listen in as GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft shares what he has learned about the importance of rest in a leader's life.

If you're looking for some best practices around communicating in today's digital, virtual environments, this episode is for you. Today, we listen in on a conversation between David Ashcraft and digital body language expert Erica Dhawan. Together they explore how communication has changed, particularly over the past 5 years, and what leaders can do right now to communicate effectively with their teams to maximize collaboration and effectiveness.

What keeps you from accomplishing your goals? Jon Acuff is passionate about answering that question and helping people to become the best versions of themselves. Recently he sat down with GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft to talk about some of the methods he uses to become one of INC's Top 100 Leadership Speakers, how he leverages positive self-talk and how leaders can help individuals on their teams to overcome procrastination.

There are few things more powerful than the culture of an organization. Culture has the power to enhance a leader's vision, or it can be a powerful roadblock. The good news is that leaders have a strong influence on organizational culture, and in this episode GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft shares what he has learned about why culture matters and a few ways that leaders can begin to establish, maintain or correct their own team cultures.

Gabriel Salguero is a pastor and the founder and CEO of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition. Recently he sat down with GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft, and together they had a vital and honest conversation about how leaders can learn to build bridges with those they lead. Gabe also shares the story of how he came to be a leader and talks about how leaders can balance their authority with the call to serve their followers. This is an episode that speaks to the challenges facing leaders in today's world.

In this episode, David Ashcraft sits down with speaker, author and activist, Christine Caine. They explore what Christine's path to leadership looked like, what it was like to overcome gender bias and prejudice, and how she moved from a moment of inspiration to building the anti-human trafficking organization, The A21 Campaign. They also talk about what the mindset change that is necessary for a leader to build something that outlasts them. This episode is full of solid and hard-won leadership wisdom that can help leaders in all seasons.

As critical as "vision" is, if a leader fails to execute on that vision—and helps others to do the same—nothing ever changes. In this episode of the Global Leadership Podcast, GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft shares his wisdom and experience regarding the importance of execution, along with some practical tips on how to keep teams engaged while in the mundane work of getting things done.

As we kick off Season 9 of the Global Leadership Podcast, Whitney Putnam sits down with GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft to hear about some of his favorite moments from the 2025 Global Leadership Summit. David also shares wisdom regarding why it's so important for leaders to own their own leadership growth and development.

With the 2025 Global Leadership Summit just a few weeks away, GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft sits down with Senior Vice President, Summit Experiences, Lori Hermann. to talk about how she leads the people that create and execute the world's premier leadership event year after year. They also explore how leaders can get the most out of an event like the Summit, and which speakers they are looking forward to hearing.

Dr. James Hewitt is a human performance scientist who works with some of the world's top businesses to bring about sustainable high-performance through science-backed strategies. In this conversation with GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft, James shares the connection between knowledge work and high performance activities like professional cycling and Formula 1 racing, and some simple steps that we can take to meet the demands of leadership.

Developing, casting, and protecting an organization's vision is one of the most critical functions of a leader. In this episode, GLN VP of Marketing Whitney Putnam asks President and CEO David Ashcraft to share what he's learned about vision from his decades of leading. As always, you'll find David's insights to be practical, concise, and very clear. We hope you enjoy these tips on how to effectively share vision with your team.

How often do you struggle to navigate the desire to contribute high-impact, important work for your organization, and the seemingly constant demands on your attention from email, messages, and other activities? As a voice in the battle against busyness, Juliet Funt helps organizations release their people so that they can give themselves to their most important, high-impact work. In this conversation with David Ashcraft, Juliet explains some of the mindset shifts that leaders need to undergo in order to be champions for "white space," and to minimize unnecessary busywork in their organizations.

In this second part of a two-part episode, GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft continues his conversation with author and consultant Les McKeown on the lifecycle stages of organizations, and the different ways leaders can respond in order to meet the unique challenges of each stage

What does it take for a new organization to succeed? After launching numerous companies, Les McKeown began to identify some common patterns that new ventures all seemed to go through, releasing his findings in his book, Predictable Success: Getting Your Organization on the Growth Track—and Keeping it There. He recently sat down with the GLN's own David Ashcraft to go deeper into the six stages in the lifecycle of an organization, and how leaders can respond in each of them. This is the first part of a two-part episode.

As a pilot of a U.S. Navy F-14 Tomcat fighter plane, Carey Lohrenz learned the importance of being able to focus when the stakes are high. In this conversation with Jason Jaggard, she shares some of the simple tools that can help leaders in every situation learn to pursue excellence, plan effectively, and gain clarity on their "span of control."

Part of the work of leadership is about achieving and maintaining clarity: on your personal vocation, on your organization's purpose and mission, and on the most important activities to achieve results. Moreover, clarity helps us navigate the curveballs and unexpected challenges that life inevitably brings our way. We are kicking off this month of talking about de-cluttering leadership by hearing from GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft. David shares some of the strategies and activities that help him to stay focused and lead with simplicity and clarity.

What does it truly mean to be resilient? In this episode, GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft interviews top management thinker, organizational psychologist and self-awareness expert Dr. Tasha Eurich. Together they unpack Tasha's latest book, Shatterproof, and discuss how leaders today—she calls them "stressed-out strivers"—can move beyond mere resilience and learn to thrive in our modern world.

A quick survey of Jo Saxton's life would tell you that she is deeply passionate about developing leaders. Whether it's through speaking, her leadership of the Ezer Collective and Bethel University's "The 25," her podcast or her books, her mission is easy to see. Fresh off the stage at the 2024 Global Leadership Summit, she sat down with Jason Jaggard to talk about her work, and shared wisdom on what young leaders bring to the workplace and how seasoned leaders can engage this emerging generation.

Recorded live at last year's Global Leadership Summit, Erwin Raphael McManus sat down to interview Harvard Business School Professor Arthur C. Brooks. Arthur takes us on a deep dive of science and physiology of happiness and gives us an introduction on how to leverage meta-cognition to start becoming happier people. As Erwin mentions in the interview, Arthur is a firehose of information, and you will definitely want to take notes as you listen in to this conversation.

How can leaders stay holistically healthy amidst demands for high-performance and the constant chaos of the modern world? GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft sits down with Whitney Putnam to share his thoughts on what leaders can do to care for themselves so they can stay in the game for the long haul.

Stephanie Chung spent her career in the aviation industry, rising from being a baggage handler to eventually making history as the first African American and second female president of a major private aviation company. During that rise, she was a top sales executive, generating $1B in revenue annually. Stephanie is now a highly sought-after speaker, and her most recent book, Ally Leadership: How to Lead People Who Are Not Like You, was released in 2024. In this conversation with GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft, Stephanie shares about her leadership journey, and how all leaders of all kinds can learn to be allies of the individuals on their teams.

Dan Owolabi is a CEO, a sought-after speaker and an author. He founded Branches Worldwide based on the belief that faith-fueled entrepreneurs can transform communities. Branches Worldwide works diligently to raise up entrepreneurs around the world and to connect them with resources, mentors and community. At the 2024 Global Leadership Summit, Dan sat down with Jason Jaggard, CEO of Novus Global and Global Leadership Podcast team member, to talk about why entrepreneurship is so critical to local communities, and the importance of being an authentic leader.

At the 2024 Global Leadership Summit GLN President and CEO, David Ashcraft interviewed Joni Eareckson Tada—an internationally recognized speaker, author, and advocate who has spent decades leading with grace, resilience, and faith. After a diving accident left her quadriplegic at 17, Joni turned her pain into purpose, founding Joni and Friends, a global ministry serving people with disabilities. Her journey is a powerful testament to the kind of leadership that transcends circumstances—one marked by courage, service, and unwavering hope.

In this episode, we'll dive into Joni's journey to become the leader she is today, how leaders can better steward suffering, and other priceless pieces of wisdom from her life. Whether you're leading in business, ministry, or everyday life, Joni's wisdom will challenge and encourage you.

This month, our focus at the GLN is on leaving a leadership legacy and today podcast host (and GLN VP of Marketing), Whitney Putnam interviews GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft on his experience with organizational transitions and successions. David shares gems from his 30 years of local church leadership, including how to get started planning a legacy, and the one thing that can absolutely derail a positive transition. Every leader should be thinking about what (or who) will follow them, and this episode is a great starting point for your plans.

A healthy and effective team culture is essential to organizational success, but building a culture of excellence is not automatic. Today's episode is a live recording of a workshop led by GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft. In the workshop, David shares how to establish team culture in a practical and effective way and explains how values and behaviors help drive successful outcomes for a team. In addition, David also runs through some of the specific values and behaviors that currently define the culture at the GLN.

In this special live recording of the podcast, Craig Groeschel interviews former Duke University men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski ("Coach K"): a Naismith Hall of Fame coach, five-time national champion at Duke, and six-time gold medalist as head Coach of the US Men's National Team. Coach K shares essential ingredients that helped produce his extraordinary career, including how to keep leadership current and how to respond to unexpected challenges. Regardless of where you are in your leadership journey, this episode is a can't-miss opportunity to learn from a master of longevity and excellence.

Today's episode draws on the wealth of experience of GLN President and CEO, David Ashcraft, as he and GLN VP of Marketing Whitney Putnam cover a variety of topics related to working with teams. This conversation ranges from values, to empowerment, to conflict, and is absolutely full of practical leadership gems.

"Love" and "work" are not words that are usually thought of in the same context. For today's guest, however, "love" has a measurable and positive impact on the metrics of work. Marcus Buckingham is known for starting the "Strengths Revolution." He is also a global researcher and New York Times bestselling author, and he recently joined the GLN's David Ashcraft for a conversation about the role that love plays—or should play—in our work. Whether you are a leader who wants to know how to bring the absolute best out of those you lead, or you are curious how to discover the things you truly love (and why they matter at work), we invite you to listen to this episode.

Paula Faris joins the podcast today to talk about the different ways leaders can "lead with heart." Paula is an award-winning journalist, bestselling author, podcast host and the founder of CARRY Media, and she sat down for this conversation with Global Leadership Network President and CEO David Ashcraft. Together they explore the roles that intuition and passion have had in Paula's life, how leaders can protect themselves while practicing openness and authenticity and how leading with heart informs and shapes Paula's leadership today.

This month's theme at the Global Leadership Network is "leading with heart," and in this episode of the Global Leadership Podcast, Whitney Putnam sits down with GLN president and CEO David Ashcraft. Together, they explore what it means to lead with heart and examine practical ways that leaders can begin to lead with openness and authenticity. David and Whitney also discuss how to avoid some potential pitfalls that can occur as leaders begin to open up to those around them.

As leaders, we understand that purpose and calling play critical roles in achieving our goals. This week's guest highlights the potential pitfall of focusing solely on achievement. In this episode, former top sports agent Molly Fletcher shares how long-term joy and happiness come not from achievement but from daily improvement and fulfillment. At the 2024 Global Leadership Summit, she discussed key concepts from her book, Dynamic Drive: The Purpose-Fueled Formula for Sustainable Success, in a live interview with Jason Jaggard.

One aspect of purpose and calling is being willing to live it out with freedom and joy. But what do you do if your purpose is highly visible and involves frequent accolades and applause? In this episode, author and speaker Megan Fate Marshman sits down with Jason Jaggard to share about how private disciplines help balance her public call. Together they explore the importance of slowing down, the importance of grounding your identity in Christ and how emotions like anger and anxiety can be signposts for us as leaders. If you've ever wondered how to stay rooted while maintaining a public ministry, this is a great episode to check out!

"Vision leaks" is a well-known leadership axiom, and to kick off January's theme of being a "purposeful leader," Whitney Putnam sits down with GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft. In this conversation, they explore the role purpose and mission has in David's life and leadership. We'll also hear about some common pitfalls that leaders can face regarding purpose, and how he has learned to guard against them.

Our topic for December is "conflict," and GLN President and CEO gets us started with this conversation with Whitney Putnam. We invite you to listen as David shares how his approach to conflict has evolved and some of the practical lessons he's learned over time. Conflict is inevitable, but it does not have to result in negative consequences; it can actually improve our relationships and our work together.

It's difficult to keep our cool when disagreements and tension crop up in our relationships. Yet, this is the moment when we most need to be calm and curious. Is there a way that we can start to move beyond reacting impulsively and start to become curious about what is truly going on behind the conflict we are experiencing? Comedic thought leader, author and actor Michael Jr. sat down with Craig Groeschel at the 2024 Global Leadership Summit and shared what we often get wrong about conflict. He unpacked how becoming internally curious is a key tool to unlock the true gift that disagreements can bring to our lives. This episode is for anyone who is looking for practical ways to reframe conflict in any area of your life.

How do you react when you fail? Have you ever wished that you could learn more quickly from your failures and move on? In this episode, GLS Executive Producer Lori Hermann sits down with CEO, executive coach and best-selling author Ryan Leak to hear how he learned more from his failures than he ever did from his successes. In their conversation, they discuss his documentary, "Chasing Failure," and how failure became the best teacher throughout his life.

Are you a leader who wants to help your team learn to risk more and fail well? In this episode, Harvard Business School professor Amy C. Edmondson sits down with our Jason Jaggard to unpack her research behind her latest book, The Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well. Their conversation includes the difference between a mistake and a failure, the 3 categories of failures, and how to encourage a team to experiment and learn quickly.

For leaders, there's no avoiding failure; it just comes with the territory. However, how leaders respond when things don't go as planned—how they lead through failure—is absolutely critical. This month, we are going to focus on ways that leaders can lead through failure and turn potential disappointment into powerful lessons for growth and renewal. In this episode, GLN President and CEO, David Ashcraft, shares stories of times when things did not go as planned, and how he has learned to "fail well" over time.

Hospitality is one of the most powerful differentiators that an organization possesses, but it can be challenging to create and sustain it across an entire culture. In this episode, cofounder and former president of Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, Horst Schulze, shares hospitality insights from a legendary career with GLN President and CEO, David Ashcraft. If you're a leader who is interested in creating a culture of excellence and customer-focused hospitality, we invite you listen in to this rich conversation!

It's not often that you get to listen to someone who has literally been rated the best in the world in their craft, but that is exactly what this episode is about. Under Will Guidara's Leadership, Eleven Madison Park (EMP) received 3 Michelin Stars, and was rated the #1 restaurant in the world. In this conversation with GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft, recorded live at the Global Leadership Summit, Will shares about the power of hospitality for all businesses and organizations. He also shares some of the leadership principles that created a winning culture at EMP. If you have ever wanted to learn from someone operating at the peak of their profession, this episode is just right for you.

What should leaders know about hospitality? What does it mean to be welcoming? Whitney Putnam (GLN VP of Marketing and Global Leadership Podcast Host) and David Ashcraft (GLN President and CEO) kick off this month's focus with a focus on the importance of hospitality. In the conversation, David reflects on the impact hospitality can have on guests and/or customers, and how showing unreasonable hospitality to others can positively impact a team.

What's your story? More specifically, is the story that you tell yourself releasing you to live your best life, or is it holding you back? In this episode, Global Leadership Summit Executive Producer Lori Hermann sits down with storytelling expert and author Kindra Hall to explore why story has such extraordinary power and to share some steps we all can take to make sure our inner stories are not undermining our deepest dreams.

Have you ever wished you could learn from someone at the absolute top of their craft? In this episode of the Global Leadership Podcast, you get to listen in as GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft speaks with author, entrepreneur, and master communicator Erwin McManus about his concept of seven frequencies of communication. If you are curious about how communicating—both speaking and listening—can be used to remove barriers from your life and unlock hidden potential in others, we invite you to join us for this powerful and engaging conversation.

Effective communication is a critical, but sometimes overlooked, aspect of leadership. Used correctly, effective and clear communication ensures that our messages get heard, our vision gets communicated, and our people feel seen and heard. Recently, podcast host and GLN VP of Marketing Whitney Putnam sat down with GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft to introduce this month's theme of effective communication, and to hear about his own best practices around communication from over 30 years of strategic leadership.

In this second episode about the 2024 Global Leadership Summit, GLN VP of Marketing and podcast host Whitney Putnam talks with Craig Groeschel and Jo Saxton about how they were personally impacted by this year's Summit. We invite you to listen in as Craig and Jo share their highlights and challenges that they heard and also some of the ideas and actions that they are implementing immediately on their teams.

As the 2024 Global Leadership Summit wrapped up, we sat down with David Ashcraft, President and CEO of the Global Leadership Network. In this conversation with Whitney Putnam (GLN VP of Marketing), David shares some of his highlights and takeaways from this year's Summit, and looks forward to GLS2025.

Our world has never been more in need of healthy, growing leaders. In a world of tension and anxiety, we need men and women who have the courage to respond to the call to lead and who impact their communities positively by diligently using their influence to make things better. The Global Leadership Podcast hopes to educate and inspire growing leaders in our world, and to inspire everyone to "lead where they are at."

In this special episode of the Global Leadership Podcast, Whitney Putnam (VP of Marketing, GLN) talks with David Ashcraft (President and CEO, GLN) about some exciting changes coming for Season 8 of the Global Leadership Podcast.

Over an astonishing 45 years, Fred Martin, Founder and CEO of Objective Measure, built a career marked by consistent success and a commitment to leadership. In this conversation with GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft, Fred shares about how his faith affects his ability to lead, how he strives to continue growing as a leader, and how his vision for how to help everyday people learn to ask fruitful questions about investing and managing their money.

Initially, Megan Tamte did not think of herself as an entrepreneur, but after a disappointing shopping experience triggered a patient and faith-filled journey, she and her husband Mike launched—and now are Co-CEOs of—EVEREVE, a national chain of over 100 stores and a thriving ecommerce site as well. Recently, Megan sat down with GLS Executive Producer Lori Hermann to talk about her journey to launch EVEREVE, how she co-leads with her husband, and how she leverages her strengths as a learning leader to keep EVEREVE moving forward. We hope you enjoy this engaging conversation.

Global Leadership Podcast team members Eric Case and Aubrey Wentz recently sat down with Julie Baumgardner, Senior Director of WinShape Marriage, to discuss the relationship between the health of our home and relational worlds and our work performance. Julie has spent over 20 years working—first as a counselor and now as an executive-level leader—to build healthy families, and in this conversation with Eric and Aubrey she shares how work life can be impacted by challenges at home and offers some practical tips for starting healthy conversations that can lead to healing.

Recently, GLN CEO & President David Ashcraft sat down with Cliff Robinson, Executive VP and "Chief People Person" at Chick-fil-A. If you've ever wondered what it's like to sit in a room with an experienced, high-level leader and listen to them share practical experience and wisdom, this is a great episode to dive into! Cliff discusses how the Chick-fil-A is able to place such a high value on people while simultaneously maintaining a high standard of product and customer service. Cliff also shares about the role of innovation at Chick-fil-A, and some techniques he personally leverages to maintain his effectiveness as he leads.

This episode is a special broadcast of Erwin Raphael McManus' talk from GLS 2023, "Mind Shift." Erwin is a Los Angeles-based author and artist who is obsessed with helping people identify and eliminate the self-imposed, internal barriers that keep them from realizing their unique genius.

Fernando Carillo is an Anglican priest, entrepreneur and leadership coach based in London, England, and recently sat down with podcast team member Jason Jaggard at the 2023 Global Leadership Summit. In this episode, Jason and Fernando discuss his upbringing, the extraordinary life change he went through, as well as the role leadership plays in helping individuals step into their calling and purpose.

We invite you to join us for this episode as Global Leadership Podcast Co-Producers Eric Case and Aubrey Wentz sit down with Rebecca Taguma, Executive Director of the Trauma Healing Institute) to discuss how the effects of unresolved trauma on individuals, and some practical steps that leaders can take to get help for those affected in their churches and on their teams.

CEO, executive coach and bestselling author Ryan Leak shares how chasing failure has taken him much farther in his life than safety and security. Global Leadership Podcast team member Lori Hermann explores Ryan's upbringing, the significant events that have defined his leadership, and how following through change can be just as challenging as leading through change.

In this episode, Global Leadership Podcast interviewer Jason Jaggard sits down with Chris McChesney, co-author of The Four Disciplines of Execution, to revisit the book and to explore how the four disciplines can impact our lives outside the business world.

IN THIS EPISODE:

- What is a basic overview of the "Four Disciplines of Execution"?

- How can you learn to focus what is most important, but is not necessarily the most urgent?

- What "levers" can you affect that make it seem like your intended result is a winnable game?

- What has being a parent taught Chris about leadership, and how can the four disciplines be applied to a family?

LISTEN

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

STANDOUTS AND TAKEAWAYS

- It's better to fall in love with a problem than it is to fall in love with a solution.

- All of the "have tos" in our life is called "The Whirlwind." The "One" is the strategic result in your life that is going to require disproportionate effort.

- Human beings have the capacity to handle "the whirlwind plus one."

- It's best to not give your frontline teams the answers; get their commitment and engagement by making them a part of the process.

- The Four Disciplines can actually be a way to protect the entrepreneurial spirit of a organization.

- If you want to see the highest level of engagement a human being is capable of, watch them in a game.

- The strategic result you're looking for should feel like both a high-stakes game and a winnable game.

- Progress and purpose are the most important things that drive employee engagement. This fact also has profound implications for how leaders address remote work.

- The whole purpose of The Four Disciplines is to achieve goals that do not feel as important as "the day job."

- If kids have one anchor of self-esteem in their life, they are able to handle the whirlwind and drama of life much more effectively.

- The enemy of the human soul is not work; it's futility.

- The struggle is that as you become more successful as a company, the whirlwind grows and requires more and more.

- People don't fear change; they fear uncertainty.

- Most success comes from putting huge energy into small wins.

- The most significant jump is moving from leading a team to leading leaders.

LINKS MENTIONED

- Website: Chris McChesney

- Book: The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Revised and Updated: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals

- Added Value: Tim Harford: Trial, error and the God complex (TEDTalk via YouTube)

- Added Value: "Leaders Concerned About Remote Work Should Be Looking at This Metric"

- Podcast: 2018 Global Leadership Podcast

- Book: The Truth About Employee Engagement: A Fable About Addressing the Three Root Causes of Job Misery (Patrick Lencioni)

- Website: Global Leadership Network

THIS EPISODE SPONSORED BY:

- World Vision

Comedian and author Michael Jr. talks with Global Leadership Podcast team member Jason Jaggard about how moving from an attitude of "what can I get from an audience" to "what can I give to an audience" changed everything for him.

IN THIS EPISODE:

- When did Michael Jr. realize he was funny?

- How did "Funny For the Forgotten" get started?

- How did he get started in his CAREER in comedy?

- What kept Michael Jr. going when things were really challenging?

- How did he come to faith?

- How did his tour with his wife come about and what do they hope to accomplish?

- What's next for Michael Jr.?

LISTEN

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

STANDOUTS AND TAKEAWAYS

- Everything changes when you make the shift from asking, "what can I GET from people" to, "what can I GIVE to people."

- When you have a gift, your job is solely to present the gift. You cannot control with how the gift is received.

- As a leader, your job is to "listen in between the gaps" so you can really know where people are at.

- Whatever you're doing, you need to get your reps in.

- If you quit something, you are practicing quitting.

- The only reason you do anything in life is to either avoid pain or to gain pleasure.

- Without conflict there's no revelation.

- Comedy is NOT the destination; it's only the vehicle; there's a bigger purpose.

- If you make a wrong turn, God doesn't abandon you and where you're supposed to go. He just recalculates. It may take you longer to get there, but there are still directions to follow.

LINKS MENTIONED

- Website: Michael Jr.'s Website

- Website: Funny How Marriage Works

- Book: Funny How Life Works

- Website: Selfie Dad

- Website: Funny for the Forgotten

- Added Value: George Wallace

- Podcast: Funny How Life Works

- Website: Jason Jaggard on LinkedIn

- Website: Novus Global

- Website: Meta Performance Institute

- Website: Global Leadership Network

THIS EPISODE SPONSORED BY:

- Belay Solutions

Entrepreneur and former CEO Jamie Kern Lima talks with Global Leadership Podcast team member Jason Jaggard about how healthy self-worth is "the one thing that changes everything."

IN THIS EPISODE:

- Why did Jamie write her new book?

- What is the difference between self-confidence and self-worth?

- What is Jamie's journey with self-worth?

- Is unshakable self-worth only for people who believe in God?

- When you feel rejected, what's the first thought that enters your mind?

- What does it cost us to avoid developing unshakable self-worth?

- When does self-love become narcissistic?

- What is Jamie excited about over the next year?

LINKS MENTIONED

- Website: Jamie's Website

- Book: Jamie's New Book (on Amazon.com)

- Podcast: The Jamie Kern Lima Show (on Apple Podcasts)

- Added Value: Watch Oprah's "The Life You Want" Class, on Resilience, with Guest Jamie Kern Lima

- Website: Jason Jaggard on LinkedIn

- Website: Novus Global

- Website: Meta Performance Institute

- Book: Beyond High Performance: What Great Coaches Know About How the Best Get Better

- Website: Global Leadership Network

THIS EPISODE SPONSORED BY:

- World Vision

SUMMARY

Global Leadership Podcast interviewer Jason Jaggard interviews innovation expert Dr. Vijay Govindarajan on how generative AI and datagraphs impacts organizational strategy, and how leaders can continue to innovate in a rapidly changing context.

IN THIS EPISODE:

- How did VG's grandfather influence his understanding of innovation?

- What is the "Three Box Solution," and how does it affect strategy and innovation?

- What role does imagination play in innovation?

- What is the basic premise of "fusion strategy?"

- What is the difference between "digitals" and "industrials"?

- What is the basic meaning of the terms "datagraphs," "digital twins" and "tripartite"?

- How do fusion strategy concepts translate from industrial and manufacturing sectors to social and/or service sectors?

- How willing does VG think people might be to volunteer their data in faith communities?

LISTEN

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

STANDOUTS AND TAKEAWAYS

- The only competition that matters is self-competition; self-competition is about achieving true potential; and to achieve true potential you have to innovate.

- VG does not consider himself a professor; he is "in the impact business."

- The "Three Boxes": (1) manage the present; (2) selectively abandon the past; and (3) create the future.

- Companies think that they are "doing strategy" by working in Box 1, but strategy must also include the other two boxes.

- While you must always work in all three boxes, all three boxes require different mindsets and capabilities.

- Box Two is always the most difficult to work in for corporations, but is really the most important for creating the future.

- Another way to think about strategy is to imagine the future, then "fold the future back to the present," and then take actions today to create that future.

- What companies tend to do for strategy is to simply push the present forward.

- The premise of VG's Fusion Strategy goes back to the 1980s and the question, "How will information technology affect the world of business and the discipline of management?"

- Even the though the technology has changed, the essential question is the same.

- "Datagraphs" track product in use (as opposed to product sold).

- A "digital twin" is a digital replica of your product (or process).

- "Tripartite digital twins" integrates three essential digital twins: design, process, and product-as-used.

- The integration of these tripartite digital twins allow companies to diagnose root causes of problems much faster than traditional companies.

- VG suggests that "augmented" intelligence is a better term than "artificial" intelligence.

- Faith communities should thoughtfully consider their goal, and then they should ask themselves whether or not data or AI achieve the goal even more efficiently.

- Because of their facility with digital technology, the church can serve younger generations very differently.

- Showing value is the key to motivating people to share their data.

- Asking great questions is a key leadership trait, and is essentially human.

LINKS MENTIONED

- Website: Vijay on LinkedIn

- Book: Fusion Strategy: How Real-Time Data and AI Will Power the Industrial Future (Pre-Order; Amazon)

- Added Value: Vijay's Seminars on Fusion Strategy (Feb 6, 7, and 8)

- Book: The Three-Box Solution: A Strategy for Leading Innovation

- Book: Vijay's Amazon Page

- Website: Jason Jaggard on LinkedIn

- Website: Novus Global

- Website: Meta Performance Institute

- Book: Beyond High Performance: What Great Coaches Know About How the Best Get Better

- Website: Global Leadership Network

In this episode, Paula Faris talks with pastor and theologian Krish Kandiah about his passion for hospitality and his work with the foster system and refugees in the UK. Krish shares about how he moves quickly from idea to action, some of the ups and downs of his own journey, and how he lives out "Heart Leadership."

In this episode, Paula Faris sits down with Juliet Funt to talk about the ongoing need for white space in organizations, the challenge of how best to return to the office, and important first step that organizations need to take before they attempt to "prioritize" goals and activities.

In this episode, the Global Leadership Podcast Team sits down with Global Leadership Summit Executive Producer (and podcast interviewer) Lori Hermann to reflect on some of our favorite episodes from 2023, and to talk a little bit about what we're excited about for 2024. We had some great moments together, and we hope that you've been able to put into practice some of the great content from the last 12 months. We also hope you have a great Christmas and joyous (and restful!) holiday; we will see you back here in January, 2024!

"Culture" is everywhere: in our countries and communities, in our organizations, and in our teams. Moreover, culture is simultaneously extremely powerful and affected by those within it. To be blunt, effective leaders know how to respect culture, and also how to leverage it for team performance. INSEAD Professor Erin Meyer is an expert in business and organizational culture, and in this conversation with interviewer Jason Jaggard, she offers up valuable insights about culture, including how to work with international teams, how to hire to maximize creative culture, and how low performers can dramatically impact team culture. This is a fascinating listen for anyone leading teams.

There aren't many individuals who can honestly say that they helped invent such everyday technology as USB, Wi-Fi, the Cloud, and multiple generations of Intel processors. However, Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger did just that during a decades-long career as an engineer. Moreover, Pat rose from being an engineer to senior leadership at Intel, and, after a painful detour, eventually into the role of. In this conversation with Global Leadership Summit Producer Lori Hermann, Pat shares some of his leadership learnings from the front line of technology, including the importance of mentors, of ongoing curiosity, and some lessons he learned from seasons of disappointment. If you've ever wondered what it takes to lead one of the premier technology companies in the world, we invite you to tune in!

What does leading through grief really look like for leaders? How do leaders balance practically the demands of leadership with obligations to family and friends? In 2021, the world of teaching pastor and leader Megan Marshman was turned upside down when her husband Randy passed away suddenly. In this very real, gut-level conversation with GLS host Paula Faris, Megan shares her hard-won learnings from tragedy, including how she weighs new commitments and invitations, how to foster a supportive community in her time of need, and how she continues to lead even as she continues to heal.

What if, as a leader, you had access to a tool that could easily identify productivity strengths and weaknesses for your team? After years as a pioneer in the field of organizational health, speaker, consultant, and best-selling author Patrick Lencioni has developed "Working Genius," which can help leaders quickly and clearly identify how individual team members are wired to work naturally. In addition, Working Genius can also be used to easily map an entire team's strengths and weaknesses. In this episode, Patrick and Global Leadership Podcast team member Jason Jaggard explore how Patrick approaches public speaking, how Working Genius came about, and how leaders can use it to increase productivity and happiness of their individuals and teams.

KEY MOMENTS IN THIS EPISODE

04:44 CREATING CONNECTION THROUGH ON-STAGE VULNERABILITY. As a speaker, Patrick intentionally breaks down barriers between himself and his audience by owning his vulnerabilities and bringing the audience into the experience with him.

14:32 SIX DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES ARE REQUIRED TO DO ANY KIND OF WORK (AND INDIVIDUALS ARE ONLY GREAT AT TWO OF THEM):

1. Wonder

2. Invention

3. Discernment

4. Galvanizing

5. Enablement

6. Tenacity

17:24 UNDERSTAND YOUR UNIQUE "WORKING GENIUS" IN A TEAM CONTEXT. Understanding how your particular "genius" interacts and compensates for others on your team can significantly increase collective productivity and job satisfaction. It can also reveal where teams may lack a particular working genius.

25:52 DIFFERENT MEETINGS REQUIRE DIFFERENT GENIUSES. Be aware of whether you need a meeting to be a brainstorming meeting (as opposed to say, an, "operations" meeting) so that you can make sure the right individuals/geniuses are available to contribute.

29:37 BEING AWARE OF OTHERS' GENIUS UNLOCKS OPPORTUNITIES FOR PRAISE. You can love and honor people effectively when you know what their genius is.

37:20 Host reflection and takeaways.

RELEVANT RESOURCES / LINKS

Table Group

Working Genius

The 6 Types of Working Genius: A Better Way to Understand Your Gifts, Your Frustrations, and Your Team (on Amazon)

Global Leadership Network

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

Go further with this episode by discussing the following questions with your team, or engaging in some personal reflection:

Patrick talks about how working inside your "Working Genius" increases personal performance and job satisfaction, and that if teams allow people to work within their genius, the same holds true for team performance.

Have you ever been on a team where you or someone else was working outside of their genius (or natural aptitude)? What was the effect on team performance?

Moving Forward: What could you do differently as a result of this podcast?

Erwin Raphael McManus is passionate about unlocking the spiritual and creative potential of human beings. Whether it's his work as a pastor, author, speaker, coach, or designer, Erwin constantly demonstrates the capacity for growth, change, and ability to impact the world around him. In this conversation with CEO, writer, and executive coach (and a long-time friend) Jason Jaggard, Erwin shares the relationship between our mental structures and our behaviors, why talent can actually be a curse, and even a creative response to the challenge of Artificial Intelligence. Whether you consider yourself a leader, a creative, a spiritual seeker, or something else (or all of these), this conversation will give you insights for how to grow into your own genius.

KEY MOMENTS IN THIS EPISODE

4:13 THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OUR MIND AND OUR BEHAVIOR. In very real, scientific ways, new or different behaviors begin with different beliefs of what is possible. Our perceived mental structures are critical for growth and change.

10:00 YOU ARE YOUR OWN CEILING. The majority of the time, our own self-limiting beliefs are the barriers to our growth.

13:17 TALENT IS A DANGEROUS GIFT. Talent cannot carry you all your life; if you rely only on talent, you will eventually find yourself at a massive deficit. The solution is to develop internal structures (e.g., discipline, improvisation, etc.).

15:48 THE WEIGHT OF SUCCESS. Oftentimes, it's not our failures that stop our growth, it's our inability to cope with the weight success.

35:17 Host reflection and takeaways.

RELEVANT RESOURCES / LINKS

Erwin's Website

Mosaic

Mind Shift: It Doesn't Take a Genius to Think Like One (on Amazon.com)

First Chapter of Mind Shift: It Doesn't Take a Genius to Think Like One

Global Leadership Network

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

Go further with this episode by discussing the following questions with your team, or engaging in some personal reflection:

Erwin talks about how "talent" can actually be a curse, and a barrier to our growth.

1. How have you seen this play out in your life?

2. What is a discipline that you either have embraced—or could embrace—to leverage the "fuel" of your talent?

Moving Forward: What could you do differently as a result of this podcast?