Proven Perspectives with John Hawkins | Mentoring, Life & Leadership

Elisabeth Elliot thought, wrote, taught and lived gospel simplicity. As part of their ongoing series of Persons, Books and Passages that Have Changed My Life, Laura and John discuss the life, message, legacy and impact of Elisabeth Elliot. Included in the show notes for this episode, listeners will receive a brief article that John wrote on growing older that draws from Elisabeth's life and writings. https://lead-edge.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/To-Declare-that-the-Lord-Is-Upright.pdf

John refers to the middle years (30-60) as the “go-go” years. What does believing in Jesus and living out our faith in Jesus look like in those years? Join Laura and John in their insightful discussion of this important, and often times, perplexing aspect of living our whole life for Him.

Listen as Todd Melby visits with Sydney David Walusimbi from Watoto Christian Hall in Kampala, Uganda and the impact of a lifestyle of mentoring. https://www.watotochurch.com/ https://www.watoto.christianhalls.com/ https://onehope.net/

Join special guest host Todd Melby, President of Leadership Edge, Inc., as he talks with three Leadership Edge Alumni about the early days of the organization, their faith, and how the impact of being mentored has shaped them into leaders they are today.

Personal and organizational accountability protects the leader's and organization's future. Laura and John discuss this timely reality using both corporate and personal examples.

Today's parents have many challenges and little encouragement. They also struggle to access the “lessons learned” from parents whose kids are grown and gone. In this episode, Laura and John share meaningful encouragement and practical perspective from their daughter-father relationship. Listen, learn and be encouraged.

Christian mentoring should be a developmental relationship. But what is it that helps ensure the growth of the mentee? In this episode, Laura and John discuss practical tools to assess and promote the mentee's developmental growth – both as a Christian and as a leader.

Join Laura and John in the third of a four episode series on Christian Mentoring. Today they discuss the shape of Christian mentoring and give practical steps in beginning a mentoring relationship, planning the meeting and how to effectively lead the meeting.

Join Laura and John in the third of a four episode series on Christian Mentoring. Today they discuss the shape of Christian mentoring and give practical steps in beginning a mentoring relationship, planning the meeting and how to effectively lead the meeting.

Join Laura and John as they describe the profile of a Christian mentor that aligns with the developmental needs of the mentee. You'll also learn about Ron Austell who was John's first Christian mentor.

A recent participant in Leadership Edge Mentor Training commented, “I was encouraged that Biblical mentoring can be simple and yet impactful.” With this episode, Laura and John begin a four-part series on Leadership Edge's Mentor Training. In this episode, they discuss “What Is Christian Mentoring?”, “How Is It That It Is Biblical?” and “How Does Christian Mentoring Fit with A Vision for All of Life?” Listen in to learn about the simplicity and impact of Christian Mentoring.

Over time leaders lose perspective and balance. It is not a question of if but of when. In this second of two episodes, Laura and John share practices that help us to regain and sustain perspective and balance. https://lead-edge.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Perspective-and-Balance-Slides-for-Podcast.pdf

Over time leaders lose perspective and balance. It is not a question of if but of when. In this episode, Laura and John discuss what is the perspective and balance that leaders need and what happens when they lose it. In the next episode, they'll share tips on how to regain and sustain perspective and balance.

Do you ever look at a leader and ask yourself the question, “What happened to them?” In this episode, John speaks on Spiritual Erosion - why it happens and what we can do about it.

Mary Byers is a Christian woman who has had nearly lifelong influence in John's life. In this episode, listeners will learn about race, influence and how “our leaders don't always have the title of leader.”

Laura and John look at the great hope we have due to God's kind sovereignty at work in all of life. Though this is our hope, it is also a truth that we have to prayerfully wrestle with to come to understand and believe in on our hardest days and in our deepest disappointments. Read more about this episodes content here: https://lead-edge.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Absorbing-and-Believing-In-Gods-Sovereignty.pdf

Over the years, Leadership Edge has trained hundreds of mentors who now mentor both in the US and abroad. Consistently one of the concepts in our mentor training that is most striking and appreciated by the participants is that the Holy Spirit is the Master Mentor. In this episode, Laura and John unpack what it means and looks like for a mentor to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit in a mentoring relationship.

At the end of Moses' life as he gave his last message to the Israelites before his death, he proclaimed to the Israelites the supremacy of knowing and living by God's Word. In Deuteronomy 32:45-47a, Moses says (excerpt) Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day...they are not just idle words for you--they are your (very) life. John unpacks with Laura the difference that reading through the entire Old and New Testament several times in the last few years has made on his personal growth and in better understanding the fullness who God tells us He is.

As 2021 comes to an end, Laura and John talk about favorite memories, biggest surprises and greatest concerns from 2021.Listeners will be interested to see if their own 2021 memories, surprises and concerns are similar to those of Laura and John.They then look ahead to what they are looking forward to and what they hope God changes in 2022.

Laura and John switch roles in this episode with John as the host and Laura telling the story of a dark period of deep anxiety that she went through some years ago. Listeners will learn how God brought her through this experience and what she learned from it. Laura's story is a timely and practical one for those battling through anxiety.

Leadership Edge President Todd Melby joins Laura and John to discuss key lessons from Joseph in the Old Testament. John believes that Joseph's story is one of the best stories ever told. Listen in to learn how Joseph's story of Vision, Journey, Fulfillment and Impact are a small story in a much grander story.

Mentoring relationships often turn into valuable lifelong collaborative friendships. In this episode, Laura and John share stories, scriptures and perspectives on mentors becoming lifelong friends.

What do we do with those besetting sins that we must battle ongoingly? Laura and John discuss this topic incorporating insights from scripture, John Newton and Dane Ortlund. Listen and walk away with clearer thinking and God-centered hope in your battles with indwelling sin.

One of the great tools that we've developed, by God's grace, at Leadership Edge is our Peer Development Groups. Ben Thomason (Duke University's Fuqua School of Business) and Taylor Mattingly (Deloitte) join Laura and John to discuss their experience with Leadership Edge Peer Development Groups. Click here to view the framework and agenda presented in this podcast. https://lead-edge.com/peer-development-group-framework-and-agenda-3/

The evangelical church in America is greatly challenged in this period of pandemic and cultural polarity. In this episode Laura and John focus on the great need in this cultural moment for Christians to be “skin in the game, blood on the court” committed to the local church. Listeners can download a short summary piece that John wrote on this topic or email us at LEI@lead-edge.com to request the article and we will be glad to email it to you. Stepping Forward in His Church https://www.lead-edge.com/4hisglory

Gordon Blocker joins Laura and John again on this episode. The topic is “Peaking Into A Mentoring Relationship.” John and Gordon get in-depth and honest about the mentoring relationship that they've shared for 30 years and its impact on each of them.

Gordon Blocker joins the podcast and leads John through a quick round of “Would You Rather?” Gordon puts John on the hot seat as only a beloved friend of 30 years can do. Listen in as John, in his first experience of “Would You Rather?” breaks most of the rules.

Continuing the conversation begun in Part One, John and Laura continue the discussion on how God works in the lives of believers to grow us to become more like Him. John points out that for us to rightly understand what it means to be in relationship with God we have to understand what He is doing- that He is transforming us! God is not just blessing us, not just answering our prayers, not just being our heavenly Father in soft ways. But He is committed to grow us -sometimes even radically at work to change us to be more like His son. Understanding this can give us greater perspective on things we go through. It can also guide us to the important role we play in the process of us becoming more like Christ. Suggested resource is “How Does Sanctification Work?” by David Powlison

Revisiting the the first of the summer 2019 podcast two-part series. Every day that we live, once we come to faith in Christ, God is building sanctification in us. Sanctifying us is one of the promises - one the commitments that He has made to us. For us to rightly understand what it means to be in relationship with God we have to understand what He is doing- that He is transforming us! God is not just blessing us, not just answering our prayers, not just being our heavenly Father in soft ways. But He is committed to grow us -sometimes even radically at work to change us to be more like His son. Understanding this can give us greater perspective on things we go through. It can also guide us to the important role we play in the process of us becoming more like Christ. Suggested book is “How Does Sanctification Work?” by David Powlison

What do young Christian professionals want? Like the rest of us, they want a lot and are often unhealthily driven by these wants. In this episode, Laura and John talk about the Wants, Vanity, Belief and Glory of young professionals. Listeners will see that these are much the same for anyone who seeks to follow Christ.

In this second episode of the series Books, People and Passages that Have Shaped My Life, John talks about an author that he ran away from for a long time. That author is John Piper, who has since become an author and teacher who has profoundly shaped his understanding of what the Bible says to be true about God and His sovereign purpose in all of life.

It is tough to be a peacemaker in 2021. There have always been "landmine" issues in culture, like politics and faith, about which we know to talk carefully and thoughtfully. But now, it seems like the landmines are everywhere. Laura and John have an honest and biblical discussion on Being a Peacemaker in 2021 on this episode

Steve Schoeffel is the co-founder of Whimsical www.whimsical.com In this episode, Steve talks with Laura and John about his story, his company and how a God-centered, Biblically-based life vision statement keeps him on course.

God-honoring influence is greatly intensified or diminished by the words that we use. In this episode, Laura and John discuss three insights from a single verse in the Bible for appropriate and gracious verbal impact on others

Laura and John cut to the core of how we often misunderstand prayer and avoid it or feel guilt over it. Listen in as they explain that prayer is nothing more than a two-way conversation between a child and their loving Father. Included in the show notes is a list of prayers that John uses as he prays to his Father. Prayers of Dedication https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56e770d027d4bd9ffa94bcec/t/605cde82ff1d24246d135897/1616699010447/Prayers+of+Dedication.pdf

For 27 years Leadership Edge Inc. has equipped God-honoring leaders through our unique approach to Christian mentoring. In this episode, Laura and John discuss the "why" that led us to begin the organization.

In this podcast episode, Laura and John begin a new occasional series on people, books and Biblical passages that have shaped John’s life. This first episode focuses on John and his father, their broken relationship and how God used it to bring John to Christ.

Loving God is the greatest commandment. In this episode Laura and John have a free-flowing discussion on growing to love God more. They even discuss The Expulsive Power of a New Affection by 19th century Scottish minister, professor of theology and political economist Thomas Chalmers. Listening to this episode will give you practical ideas on living out the greatest commandment.

Cybersecurity directly or indirectly affects all of us and is poorly understood by most of us. Dr. Seth Hamman (Director and Associate Professor of Cyber Operations and Computer Science at Cedarville University) and Luke DuCharme (Red Team Operator at Wells Fargo) join Laura and John to break down cybersecurity from a Christian perspective.

Dr. Edgar Schein, Professor Emeritus at Massachusetts Institute of Technology said that “The bottom line for leaders is that if they do not become conscious of the cultures in which they are embedded, those cultures will manage them.” This is true for all kinds of organizational leaders, even church pastors. In this episode, Laura and John discuss with Pastor Mike Poff the challenges, opportunities and practicalities of changing a church's culture. To read more on this topic go to Cultural Change in Churches https://www.lead-edge.com/culturalchange

Wow! What a year it has been! In this episode, Laura and John sift through this year’s challenges as they discuss finding peace and living out our faith at the end of 2020.

All good things must come to an end - even mentoring relationships. Josh Wykes and Evan Schindewolf are seasoned Leadership Edge Mentors in San Francisco. In this episode, they join Laura and John to give practical insights and practices they’ve learned on assessing and ending mentoring relationships. Show Notes: The following evaluative questions have been found to be helpful in assessing LEI mentoring relationships. o Is the mentee still making the relationship a priority and is there still a place for me to serve in this mentee's life? o Am I growing to understand the mentee? o Is effective two-way communication occurring between us that facilitates understanding and growth? o Are the developmental needs of the mentee being met? o What is the mentee putting into action as a result of our time together? o In what ways does the mentee's life exemplify the LEI Personal Vision Statement?

Janet Hawkins, Director of Women's Services at Leadership Edge Inc joins Laura and John to discuss insights into mentoring women. Leadership Edge Mentors Anna Poff in Warrenton, VA and Samantha Strother in Dallas share from their experience in mentoring women.

Modeling Belief and Obedience To Your Kids Amid the Uncertainties Laura and John cut through the parenting urgencies of this chaotic period to get to a few fundamental and practical Biblical perspectives for parenting in the new normal. They focus on how parents can model for their kids (of all ages) daily faith and faithfulness in their speech and actions. To read more on this topic go to https://www.lead-edge.com/parentingnewnormal

Ethical Leadership is more than just a leader acting ethically and being legally compliant. Leadership Edge President Todd Melby and Board Chairman Randy Boyts join Laura and John in this episode in which they get at the deeper issues of ethical leadership in any organization.

Revisiting- the Need for Encouragement Leadership Edge Founder, John Hawkins, reflects on Hebrews 3:13 on the need, opportunity and responsibility that we have to encourage one another. He observes, "It’s revealing to see that (in Hebrews 3:13) the main action that we’re called to is not to hold each other accountable- it is rather to encourage." This is a re-broadcast of our first podcast promoted in summer 2018.For more of John's thoughts on the importance of encouragement visit: https://www.lead-edge.com/4hisglory

During the month of August, John and Laura are taking a break from creating new podcasts so, this month, we are rebroadcasting two of our most popular episodes from 2018. In this podcast, John and Laura discuss living a lifestyle of leadership in our marriages, families, careers, communities and churches. By demonstrating a consistent "lifestyle of leadership" we can positively influence those around us and effect God-honoring change in our spheres of influence. For more of John's thoughts on living an integrated lifestyle of leadership visit https://www.lead-edge.com/4hisglory

US Army Officer Steve Smith joins Laura and John in this discussion of the role that modeling and imitation play in learning to live the Christian life and in training others at work and at home. Access the pdf referenced titled Modeling and Imitation at www.lead-edge.com/s/Modeling-and-Imitation.pdf

“How do I learn to live the Christian life now?” “How do I help others learn to live the Christian life now?” These are questions that Christians ask from their first steps of faith to their death. In this episode, Laura and John begin a two-part conversation on the New Testament practices of modeling and imitation that are foundational to learning to live the Christian life. Access the pdf referenced titled Modeling and Imitation here www.lead-edge.com/s/Modeling-and-Imitation.pdf

Changing leadership in any organization is important and usually difficult. This podcast is the second of two episodes that focus on the lessons learned at Leadership Edge as its founder stepped away from serving as President, remained on full-time staff and the Board brought in the next President. Leadership Edge Board Chair Randy Boyts and President Todd Melby will join Laura and John for this valuable discussion on the values that shaped Leadership Edge’s succession and transition.

Changing leadership in any organization is important and usually difficult. This podcast is the first of two episodes that focus on the lessons learned at Leadership Edge as its founder stepped away from serving as President, remained on full-time staff and the Board brought in the next President. Leadership Edge Board Chair Randy Boyts and President Todd Melby will join Laura and John for this valuable discussion on the values that shaped Leadership Edge’s succession and transition.