Podcasts about next generation leaders

Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. We're talking with Jamie Barfield, the Lead Pastor at Palmetto Pointe Church in South Carolina. Palmetto Pointe is one of the fastest-growing churches in the country, with four locations in South Carolina, a campus in Southern Illinois, and Spanish-language services reaching even more people. Is your church in a season of slow growth or scarcity? Wondering how to stay faithful and creative when resources are tight? Tune in as Jamie shares powerful lessons from 18 years of ministry—how his team built a thriving, multiplying church by embracing perseverance, stewardship, and servant leadership. The long road to growth. // Palmetto Pointe's story is one of persistence and faithfulness. It took three years to break 100 in attendance, five years before Jamie drew a paycheck, and six before the church had its own building. Today the church averages 2,500 weekly attendees and continues to grow—up 31% last year alone. Jamie credits that perseverance to remembering the “why” behind ministry: reaching people with the message of Jesus Christ. Stewardship over scarcity. // In the early years, Jamie says the constant feeling of “not enough”—not enough money, volunteers, or influence—could have been crushing. Instead, it shaped the church's DNA around stewardship and innovation. Rather than throwing money at problems, the team learned to think creatively and maximize what God had already placed in their hands. That approach still drives their ministry today. Faith that looks forward. // While rejecting the “name it and claim it” mindset, Jamie embraces faith-filled vision. Even when he doesn’t know how to get to big things, he continues to be faithful with what he has right now. This conviction shapes how he leads – every resource is treated as a seed that can grow if cultivated with faith and hard work. Developing leaders intentionally. // One of Palmetto Pointe's most distinctive practices is its 12-week leadership development process, a hands-on journey that every potential leader must complete before serving in a leadership role. Participants are recommended by current leaders and walk closely with Jamie throughout the course. During those 12 weeks, participants serve across multiple ministries and complete weekly assignments that build humility and discipline. Only after completing the program do they join the pool of eligible leaders. Multiplying wisely. // As Palmetto Pointe has launched new services and campuses, Jamie has learned key lessons about healthy multiplication. Each expansion begins with identifying potential pain points, recruiting dedicated volunteers, and ensuring no one burns out. Before adding services, his team recruits a core group committed to that specific time slot for at least nine months. Encouragement for church leaders. // As a district overseer, Jamie has a heart for pastors—especially those in smaller churches who feel stuck or discouraged. His advice: make one Sunday amazing. Pick one big day—Easter, Mother's Day, or another big day—and go all in. Then pick one person and invest deeply in them. Small, faithful steps of stewardship often lead to exponential impact. To learn more about Palmetto Pointe Church, visit palmettopointechurch.com or connect with Jamie on social media at @pastorjamieb. Thank You for Tuning In! There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose unSeminary, and I'm grateful for that. If you enjoyed today's show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the left hand side of this page. 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Head over to www.SermonDone.com and use promo code Rich20 for 20% off today! Episode Transcript Rich Birch — Hey friends, welcome to the unSeminary podcast. So glad to have you tune in today. We’ve got a great conversation. Really looking forward to talking to a leader who I know you can learn from, talking about stuff that is really important as we think about our churches and think about the future. It’s our honor today to have Jamie Barfield with us. He is part of the leadership team at Palmetto Pointe Church. I don’t know why that’s stuck in my mouth coming out.Rich Birch — It’s one of the fastest growing churches in the country with four locations in beautiful Myrtle Beach in South Carolina, a location in Southern Illinois and Spanish services as well. He’s an ordained bishop in the Church of God, serves as a district oh overseer for the Myrtle Beach and surrounding areas. He’s also served, he’s got a lot going on, in the State Evangelism Board for the Church of God in South Carolina. Welcome to the show, Jamie, a real expert on the show today. Appreciate you being here.Jamie Barfield — I don’t know about expert, but it is an honor to be here. I learned a lot from the school of hard knocks, so I will be definitely able to answer from that point point of view.Rich Birch — Love it. Well, Palmetto Pointe is one of the fastest growing churches in the country. Now multiple locations, which is we see that 73% of churches over 2000 have multiple locations. For leaders that don’t know the story, kind of give me the story of your church. Tell me a little bit of what’s going on. If it were to arrive this weekend, what would that look like?Jamie Barfield — Yeah, wild, wild story. 18 years. We just celebrated 18 years. Rich Birch — Congratulations.Jamie Barfield — Took us three years to ever break 100. Five years before I was ever getting a paycheck from the church. Rich Birch — Wow.Jamie Barfield — Six years before we ever had our own facility. Seven years before I ever had another staff member with me. Right before COVID hit, we were doing four services. And then obviously COVID shut everything down. And last year, God’s favor has just been upon the church the last few years. Last year, we grew about 31% last year – it was wild. Rich Birch — Wow. Wow. And what does attendance look like now on the weekends at your church?Jamie Barfield — We had 2,500 last Sunday. Rich Birch — Wow. Jamie Barfield — And we had but 2,500 last Sunday and that we we had about, of that probably 2,100 was here at our our main location here in Myrtle Beach.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s incredible. Well, I appreciate that you paced out the timeline there, because I think there’s a lot of church leaders who, or church planters who are in these early days, and it feels like, and the early days could be half a decade, you know, it could be a long time.Rich Birch — Take us back when you think kind of the mindset of that, what what what was that experience like? How did you keep going? Talk us through what did that look like?Jamie Barfield — Yeah. Early on, you know, and I talked at a conference last weekend about your “why”, knowing why you’re in this to begin with, knowing why you started and never forgetting the thing that actually put you in ministry to begin with. You know, that moment God called you, that moment that he asked you to do something great for him.Jamie Barfield — And in those moments or those seasons, um early on specifically, when you were ready to throw in the towel and ready to quit, you always had to be reminded of, okay, God, why am I doing this? What is it that you put inside of me that pushed me to want to do something great for your kingdom?Jamie Barfield — It was never about a paycheck. It was never about being on an amazing podcast like this. It was never about speaking at conferences. It was always about reaching people with the message of Jesus Christ and doing our best to get that out there. And so in moments where you wanted to throw in the towel and you wanted to quit, you always go back to those seasons of, okay, God, why did you call me into this to begin with?Rich Birch — And what, what, when you answer that question in your own life, where does that, but you know, kind of, when you think about the why, how, what is what’s the kind of image that comes to mind or language that you wrap around for, for you?Jamie Barfield — I’m very visual. So I think of standing before the throne of God one day and him saying, well done, my good and faithful servant.Rich Birch — So good.Jamie Barfield —And I’m so it’s going to be such a beautiful moment, but it also also motivates me .bBecause I think in that moment that I’m going to go in there almost nervous of the time that I wasted or the time that I gave up or the time that I… And I’m so I’m so motivated by that moment that I just want to stand there and have him look at me with a big smile on his face and say, you did it. You did everything that I put before you to do. You did it. Good job, servant.Rich Birch — That’s so good. Well, early on, if we could talk for real here… Jamie Barfield — For real. Rich Birch — …like church planting, man, it’s it’s it’s tough.Jamie Barfield — It’s the hardest thing ever.Rich Birch — And those early years, yeah, those early years, it’s like, I don’t know. It’s like, you’re not rolling in cash. You don’t have the resources. You don’t have the people. Man, how how did that go for you? The kind of scarcity? How did that shape the way you lead, innovate? Talk us through that piece of the puzzle.Jamie Barfield — Yeah, lack of money, lack of volunteers, lack of influence in the community. You know, it it feels like you know the the word attached to church planting so often is lack. I don’t have enough.Rich Birch — Yeah, right.Jamie Barfield — And that mindset inside of church planters, it’s going to be the thing that either crushes them or is going to cause them to innovate. For us, we just decided it was going to be the thing that pushed us or that drove us. And so the scarcity mindset that you spoke about at you know the beginning of ministry was some some things that were birthed inside of us that created some stewardship principles that we still follow today at our church. You know, we’re very much penny pinchers. We’re going to try the best to figure out the best way rather than just throwing money at problems.Jamie Barfield — You know, I got buddies that, you you know, with the best of intentions, they just think that they can you you know, throw money at situations or at problems and it’s going to fix everything. And our mindset is just, we’re just going to be innovative. We’re going to try to figure this out and do it the best way we can without expecting that money is going to fix everything, or that volunteers are going to fix everything, or that influence is going to fix everything. So even at the start, all of that lack created or birthed something in us that has followed with us for the last 18 years.Rich Birch — Yeah, I’d I’d love to talk a bit a bit a bit more about that. Well, first of all, I think it’s I think it’s good that you’re underlining mindset. I know for me as a leader, and it took me way too long to figure out that like kind of my approach. You know, I’m not like, ah you know, name it and claim it kind of person. I don’t think I can like, you know, I can’t just like make stuff up.Jamie Barfield — Sure.Rich Birch — But what I do know is if I don’t have the faith for it, if I don’t believe that God’s going to do something, then it doesn’t happen. Jamie Barfield — Yeah, for sure. Rich Birch — And so I’m not sure how that happens. There’s like a weird connection there between what I believe about faith and like, and I probably some people are like, man, this guy’s got bad theology. But talk us through that mindset and how, maybe give us a couple examples of how that has impacted you even today.Jamie Barfield — Yeah, yeah. So I agree completely. The the you know concept of name it and claim it versus you got to have faith and where is that balance? And I’m unsure as well, probably got bad theology as well. But I definitely think that, you know especially early on, like it was, God, I see big things in our future. And I’m not sure how to get to big things, but I know I can’t settle with these things that we have now. Rich Birch — Yeah. That’s good.Jamie Barfield — So I have to press forward to make the things that we have in our hand now. I have to be a good steward of what you’ve given me. You know, he is faithful with little. You’re going to reward us with much. So, God, I’ve got to be faithful with what you put in my hands now.Rich Birch — That’s so true.Jamie Barfield — And I’m going to do the absolute best with this that I have in my hand now. But I’m going to do everything I can to make this thing better. Because I see bigger, because I see greater in front of us. Rich Birch — That’s good.Jamie Barfield — And so I’m not going to just stop here and say, well, this is all that I have. This is this is all that I’m ever going to be. I’m going to do more for you with what you placed in my hands. I’m going to be that servant that whenever you walk away from me, you gave me two talents. I’m go to do my best to turn it into four.Rich Birch — Yeah that’s, yeah, that’s amazing. That’s that’s so good. I love, you know, we wanna be multipliers of what, you know, what’s given. And I think the the financial stewardship thing makes sense. I think that’s understandable. You can see where, man, we gotta be good we gotta use the resources we have.Rich Birch — What about on the people side? When you think about kind of being good stewards of your people, maybe developing leaders, that sort of thing, how does that work? What practices have you helped has have you kind of kept this mindset of innovation, kind of getting the most out of our people, that sort of thing. How has that impacted how what you do even today?Jamie Barfield — Yeah, so I grew up in a very small church, you know maybe 70, 80 people. Maybe on on big Sundays we had 120 on Easter or something of that nature. And I saw leaders being thrown into situations, not trained well, not knowing church culture, not knowing what expectations were, not knowing the pastor’s heart. I saw all of that growing up.Jamie Barfield — And those leaders that were thrown in oftentimes would find themselves burnt out by focusing on things that they really had no passion for. And the pastor maybe didn’t know what the thing inside of them that was the thing that really you know would drive them. And so we just decided whenever, you know, probably 10 or 12 years ago, we just decided we were going to create a process of knowing our our leaders and our leaders knowing me well.Jamie Barfield — And so so we we go through a you know, I tell them all the time as we do a 12 week course. It’s not really we call it leadership development, but it’s not really leadership development. It’s more about you have to learn this culture. You have to learn my heart and my expectations for you. Rich Birch — That’s good.Jamie Barfield — But I’ve also got to learn your story, and your passion, and your vision. Because I want us to walk away from this 12 weeks together, I want to walk away better prepared for a future together. And so as you’re walking this 12 weeks out with me, you’re you you know they’re serving everywhere in the church and serving in kids ministry one week and you know making coffee one week and all of the things. But what we’re learning in that season together is expectation. And you’re learning me and I’m learning you, but we’re putting expectation on what it takes to be a leader. And so as they finish this 12-week process with me, they then go into this pool of just to even be considered to be a leader in our church. Rich Birch — Oh, that’s interesting.Jamie Barfield — So everybody that’s ever been a leader in our church, before they ever get to a leadership role, they’re a part of this pool because they’ve been through this 12-week journey with me. And I’m there with these people every step along the way, because again, I’ve seen it done so poorly that I just wanted to make sure that my fingerprint was upon leaders and volunteers in such a way. Rich Birch — That’s cool.Jamie Barfield — You know, there’s again, go back to a parable of Jesus, you know, the sower and the seed, you know, there’s this, there’s this principle of where you sow, if you sow in good soil, that it’s going to produce a good fruit. And so these people that are, that are, have a passion for the kingdom of God and want to do something great for the kingdom of God, those are the people that I want to invest my time, effort, and energy into because those are the people that are going to produce the, the largest or most productive harvest.Rich Birch — Okay. I want to double click on this. Jamie Barfield — For sure. Rich Birch — There’s a ah bunch there that I want to unpack… Jamie Barfield — For sure. Rich Birch — …which is fantastic. So how, so how do you identify or how does your team identify people that land in this 12 weeks? And then I’d love to talk a little bit about, you know, the, actually the mechanics of it what’s going on in those 12 weeks.Jamie Barfield — They have to be recommended by a leader in our church.Rich Birch — Okay.Jamie Barfield — It’s the only way to join the 12-week journey.Rich Birch — Okay.Jamie Barfield — So a leader in our church sees them, watches them serve or whatever inside of the church, and then they recommend them to my assistant, and we we start the journey with them.Rich Birch — Okay. And those, is it like you run it in like a couple of seasons during the year? It’s a class and like a cohort matter. What’s the content? Just give us a ah a bit of, you know, a bit more about that.Jamie Barfield — Yeah, we do we do two… Yeah, we do two semesters of it. So twice a year we run it. And it is ah one night a week. We meet at the church. We go through ah hour, hour and a half you know class type setting with constant homework through the week. And homework looks as simple as, you know, we we read the book, Andy Stanley, Next Generation Leader. We read through that together.Jamie Barfield — Homework is serving assignments on Sunday. Homework is cleaning the church. You know, little things like that that just creates this culture, this this servanthood inside of them. So once ah once a week, we’re here at the church learning together. But then through the week, we’re constantly um connected and, um you know, again, working, efforting to to sharpen them through the 12 weeks.Rich Birch — That’s cool. And you know you mentioned it multiple times. So you’ve really kept ownership of this group. They’re meeting with you. That I want to underline for folks that are listening in.Jamie Barfield — Yeah.Rich Birch — You know, your church you said is 2,500 people. There’s a lot of pastors of a church of 2,500 that would say, hey, I don’t have time to meet with this. Kind of unpack that a little bit more. I know you mentioned this already, but I want to kind of unpack what what are you thinking about there? What’s the advantage? How far does that scale, you think?Jamie Barfield — Yeah, I am a huge advocate of whatever it is that you do, whatever’s on your plate. There’s some things that you have to do as a pastor or as a leader. And leadership development ought to be something that you have your fingerprint on. Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. Jamie Barfield — Whether it’s [inaudible] as much as mine is or whether it’s just, hey, I’m creating class and I’m stepping in every now and then, but somewhere, somehow, you have to be touching your leaders in the church and they have to know your heart. Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good.Jamie Barfield — Whenever they go away from this class and they’re serving wherever, and maybe even they’re on a campus or doing whatever they’re doing, when they walk away from me, they know me, they know my heart, they know my, my expectations.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good.Jamie Barfield — And so I don’t have to go into, you know, seasons and step into kids ministry and try to put out fires and fix problems because they know me from the start before they ever get involved in certain ministries. They already know me and already know my heart. And so it just makes the the family community atmosphere of the church healthier…Rich Birch — That’s good.Jamie Barfield — …because from from birth, this is from birth. This isn’t something that we’re trying to teach on the run. This is something we teach from birth to through the process. And then whenever they launch into whatever ministry they um lead or or serve in they already have all the foundational principles, all the pillars are built.Rich Birch — That’s interesting. I love it. That’s, that’s great to learn more about. Talk to me about an expectation that ah that you have of your leaders that might be a little bit different. That might be like, oh, hey, it’s, you know, kind of in the secret sauce category that you’re like, hey, this is a part of what God’s using when, you know, hey, if you’re leading here, this is what we want you to be like, or something activity or something like that.Jamie Barfield — Yeah. So so for instance, servanthood is something that I’m very passionate about. I am a servant. I expect leaders here at this church to be servants. I think Jesus is the greatest leader of all time, and he was a servant leader. It’s who he was. It was a part of his you know, character. And so, so servanthood is something that we, my wife and I portray to our leadership. And then we give expectation that this is what we expect from leaders inside of our church and throughout every department of our church.Jamie Barfield — I think that is, that is, you know, something as simple as when you see some trash in the parking lot, as you’re walking up, you pick it up. All the way to when we’re having church events here, my wife and I are the last ones to eat. We’re not first in line. Rich Birch — That’s good.Jamie Barfield — We’re making sure everybody else is served because we want we want to make sure that we are servant leaders inside of our our team.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. So I’d love to know, you guys have launched multiple locations, obviously multiple services within that. Multiplication is, to me, is a sign that you’re developing leaders. There’s something good happening on that front. You can’t do that unless you, you know, have multiplied leaders. Talk us through some of the lessons you’ve learned around multiplication as it relates to leadership development and how that all works together.Jamie Barfield — Yeah, I will say that good leaders multiply themselves, but so do bad leaders. Rich Birch — Oh gosh, that’s true. Oh man.Jamie Barfield — And so that’s and so that’s that that’s that’s dangerous as well. Rich Birch — Yes. Jamie Barfield — And so as as we multiplied, you know, from multiple services to, you know, multiple campuses and all the things that come with multiplication, as we have walked through the seasons of multiplication, we’ve always identified early the needs that were going to be present and tried our best to make an effort to make them not as painful as they could have been if we wouldn’t have identified them.Jamie Barfield — And so something as simple as you know whenever we you know we were talking about launching multiple services, when when we launched into multiple times, we’ve launched into multiple services and been able to you know, through growth, knock out walls and go back to one and then we’re at two and then we’re at three, knock out a wall, back to one, two, three. And then right at COVID, we were doing four. But the the healthiest way that we ever launched a service was we did a 8 a.m. and a 10 a.m. The 8 a.m. was for volunteers only. So it was kids’ workers. It was, you know, we did, but did we did a full service. We did the band. We did I did my full sermon. It was volunteers only, but you’re welcome to come. Rich Birch — Right. Jamie Barfield — But this is strictly, you know, we’re focusing on volunteers. But then whenever we launched into two, as that second service filled up, we launched into two. We completely changed service times. What was a 10 a.m. service, now we went to 9 and 11. So then everybody was forced and instead instead of saying, oh, well, this is my service time. Now everybody was forced to choose a different service time. Rich Birch — Right.Jamie Barfield — So the 8 a.m. people we you know went to the 9 a.m., obviously, and the 10 a.m. people had to choose, do I want to get up an hour early or do I want to come an hour later? Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good.Jamie Barfield — And so it was almost it was actually a 45 to 65 percent split whenever we went to the 9 and the 11. So it was the healthiest way we had ever done it, so incredibly beautiful.Rich Birch — That’s good.Jamie Barfield — And so just, you know, if somebody’s watching this and they’re looking to go to two services, I would suggest have a volunteer service, go all in because that starts training your your band to do two services. It starts training your volunteers of what time they’d have to get there to be able to do multiple things. It kind of creates that buffer of a tension point in the future and being able to look look in advance to say, hey, let me let me work some of these issues out before we get there.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s so good. um Kind of related to that, I feel like this is the year of like the three service questions, third service questions. Like I’ve had so many people in this last year reach out to me. I’ve written, I think three or four blog posts, probably 10,000 words on different stuff I’ve learned um about this because it’s like just keeps coming up. Like even today, literally today, I got an email about it this morning.Rich Birch — So talk me through what what you’ve done at Palmetto Pointe around identifying when we pull the trigger for more services. Is that what mix of that is like opportunistic—we’re creating new space—or it’s reactive, like which of how much of it’s proactive, reactive? And how do you, you know, your church is growing, you’re growing quickly. How do you, how do you keep a far enough ahead? Cause you can’t just decide, Hey, we’re going to do new services. You got to do planning to make it all happen. Talk us through what’s that look like? How are you kind of the, how, how do we know how to identify when we pull the trigger? That sort of thing. Talk us through what that looks like.Jamie Barfield — Yeah, reactive is terrible. I’ve done it twice. Reactive to, oh no, you know the parking lot’s full. Let’s plan a second service. You know, hat’s terribly difficult. You know, the proactive approach of, I see growth, here goes what, you know, we’re already talking about Easter next year, okay? Here goes how many people are gonna show up. How many services do we need for Easter? And then how much did we grow last year for Easter? So if those people come back, what can they expect the next week?Jamie Barfield — And so for me, it becomes, opportunistic, yes. Launching multiple services are going to help your church grow. But as you’re launching multiple services, the growth versus the attrition, how is this going to wear your team out? Is this going to wear your staff out? Is this going to wear your band out or your kids’ ministry workers out? And that balance of, okay, at what point do you press forward and what at what point do you pump the gas or pump the brakes? Jamie Barfield — And so I would just say for us, what we learned through this journey is, you know we want to make sure that when we launch into a another service that there’s a core group of people that are going to be a part of that service. I need you to I need you to say for nine months you’re going to be a part of this service and this is your thing.Jamie Barfield — And so when we launch into another service, we’re going to make sure that this group of people wants to be there, and this is their church and their service. And then for us, we’re going to make sure that we have a completely different staffed kids’ ministry, completely different group, so we’re not wearing out the already wore-out volunteers of kids’ ministry.Rich Birch — That’s good.Jamie Barfield — And depending on the time slot, we’ve we’ve tried three different time slots for our third service, but depending on the time slot we choose, it potentially may be a completely different band as well. Maybe the same worship leader, but a completely different band. Because those are the really the two areas, kids ministry and band and the staff. Those are the three areas that are really going to wear you out with multiple services.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. That’s good. That’s some really clear thinking there around that. Really appreciate that. You know, at 31%, if you continue to grow, I know you know this, you know, that’s like just less than two and a half years, you’ll end up doubling. Jamie Barfield — Right. Rich Birch — So you’ll be a church of 5,000 if you continue at this rate.Jamie Barfield — Crazy.Rich Birch — And that that becomes difficult to stay in front of. You know, I’ve led in churches that are growing at that rate. And it’s it’s hard to to keep the skis out in front, you know, keep things moving in the right direction.Rich Birch — Let’s pivot in a totally different direction. I want to take advantage of the fact that you’re a district overseer, in your movement. From your perspective, from your vantage point, what are you seeing across the church these days as it comes to growth and and challenges? And kind of what are you learning as you’re in that kind of coach seat?Rich Birch — I’m taking advantage of the fact that you’re coaching other leaders.Jamie Barfield — I actually love that you asked me this question because I was talking with a guy yesterday, and we were talking about how smaller churches specifically, those pastors are really struggling with grasping what their expectations of congregants are, and what the congregants’ expectations of the church should be.Jamie Barfield — We as small you know smaller church pastors specifically, but we expect them to show up and to give and to serve and to connect, but they don’t have those same expectations on their life. So 30, 40 years ago, those were the expectations of a church attender.Rich Birch — Right.Jamie Barfield — Now they’re not.Rich Birch — Right. Right.Jamie Barfield — And so we have these unrealistic expectations that are creating frustrations from the pulpit to the pew. And I think it’s it’s creating this disconnect, or or honestly, I’ve seen some pastors even preach maybe very angry towards their congregation because of the unrealistic expectations placed upon those people. And so I would say maybe just to the smaller church pastor, which again is 80% of America, you know…Rich Birch — Yeah, absolutely. Yep.Jamie Barfield — …those those guys listening to this, maybe be more understanding of how life has changed in the last 30 or 40 years. I’m not saying lower our standards of righteousness or scriptural truth, but understand that travel ball is a thing and it’s always going to be a thing. And you know, school plays and you know, families going on vacation. Rich Birch — Right.Jamie Barfield — Man, we celebrate when families go on vacation. I’m not mad at you for taking a vacation because I want a vacation, you know? Rich Birch — Yes.Jamie Barfield — And so we celebrate when families go on vacation. So just creating realistic expectations for the congregation rather than what the, what the expectations were 30 or 40 years ago.Rich Birch — That’s good. I like that. You know understanding where people are are today and not you know not overburdening them with ah a previous model. I think that’s a really good word for sure. How can we think about that same pastor that maybe sees that frustration and and takes the, you know, the pastoral word of like, yes, I’m not going to exacerbate my people, but I want to help clearly articulate. I kind of want to point to a brighter future for them. Jamie Barfield — For sure.Rich Birch — How do I what what would you suggest to them? How do you how should we do that? Jamie Barfield — Well, first off, I would say one of the things that I see giving life to pastors is them connecting with other pastors. Rich Birch — So true.Jamie Barfield — I would just encourage a pastor watching this to make sure that he has or she has somebody in their life that’s outside of the bubble of their own church that may be going through something similar to their to what they’re going through.Rich Birch — That’s good.Jamie Barfield — And I just think pastors encouraging pastors. We’re on the same team. We’re in this together. Pastors, encouraging pastors. I love what you do here where you celebrate ministries and what they’re doing. I just see that giving such life to um to other pastors that are discouraged and frustrated and aggravated. So I would start there. I would say, man, pastors, find another pastor and speak life into them.Rich Birch — That’s good.Jamie Barfield — Maybe maybe the second thing I would say is you know maybe maybe an encouragement to, you know, to pastors who have wanted to try something new and try something different. Maybe just an encouragement to you know and to to do it, man. Just do it. Just try it.Rich Birch — Give it a try.Jamie Barfield — See what happens. Throw spaghetti up against the wall and see what sticks.Rich Birch — You get a lot of grace from most, I think most of the people in our churches, we have the the negative voice person in our head, the person that like doesn’t love what we do and is like a complainer or whatever, but that’s like a rare minority in most churches. Jamie Barfield — Yeah. Rich Birch — Like most of the people in the church are cheering for the pastor, cheering for the leaders… Jamie Barfield — That’s right. Rich Birch — …and are like, man, I love that guy. I love that girl. And if you were to say, Hey, I’d love us to try this thing. It’s just a test. Let’s see what happens. Most people would be like, let’s do it, you know, and, and I, you know, that’ll be fine. And if it goes bad, then don’t take yourself too serious and say, well, we tried that. That didn’t work. And that’s okay. um Yeah, that’s good. I love that. That’s a great word for sure.Jamie Barfield — Yeah. Agree. Agree completely. Agree completely.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s great. Well, just as we’re kind of landing today’s episode, any final words as we think about for people that are listening in about, you know, what you’ve learned through the years? I love the mindset stuff we’ve been talking about and just this whole area of like our our you know our approach to scarcity, how that works. But anything else you’d love us to think about today as we’re hanging up today?Jamie Barfield — Yeah, yeah um maybe maybe maybe just to um to the guys that are feeling guys and gals that are feeling stuck, um you know maybe maybe short on everything. Lack is a big thing. Here goes here would be my encouragement. Make every Sunday amazing the best you can, but pick one day and throw all of your energy towards that one day. Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good.Jamie Barfield — Maybe it’s Christmas Eve service coming up, or maybe it’s an Easter service or Mother’s Day or, you know, a manufactured big day, ah you know, a back to church Sunday or something of that nature. Rich Birch — That’s good.Jamie Barfield — Pick a day and throw all of your energy towards that one day. Pick a person and start investing in a person. You may not be able to do a leadership development process, but pick a person and start investing your life into that person.Rich Birch — Dude, that’s so good.Jamie Barfield — Pick one event in the community and just show up for it. Just you know wear a church shirt and show up for the event and shake hands and hug necks and tell everybody, hey, you know. Pick one area of ministry and you know you know go go to your kids’ ministry and say, how can I make this better? You don’t have to fix it all right now. Rich Birch — That’s so good.Jamie Barfield — You don’t have to you don’t have to be great at everything right now. You don’t have to have the most amazing, you know, Mother’s Day yet. But man, you can find one thing and just start focusing on something. And I think this is where that mindset of there’s more out there. I’m going to focus on something and make this one thing that God has put in my hand. I’m going to make this thing better.Rich Birch — Dude, that is such good advice. You know, don’t drown in the all the things you wish you could do. Pick one thing and just do it. I love that. Jamie Barfield — Pick one thing and do it.Rich Birch — A friend of mine was a church planter and i was like, I think it was either the first or second Easter they did they went all in on the like Easter egg drop, which I know lots of people have done. But it was a smash success for them. They, you know, it was like five times their normal attendance. It was fantastic. The local news showed up. It was, and it gave, man, it breathed energy into the church for months. Jamie Barfield — Yes. Yes.Rich Birch — Like they lived off of that because it was like, hey, that was a win. Yeah, that’s, that’s so good. Well, this has been a great conversation today. Rich Birch — I love talking to church planters. You know, I was recently with a leader of a church. We were walking around his facility and their buildings about 250,000 square feet, giant building. And he was talking about himself as a church planter. He was like, you know, referring to that. Rich Birch — And and I joked with him. I said, well, at what point do you stop being a church planter? Like when you, you know, when you you just are doing a $20 million dollars building or whatever, I think, you know, somewhere along the line. But he’s like, no, once a church planter, always a church planter. We’re always, ah you know, the same thing. So I’ve really appreciated this similar conversation today.Jamie Barfield — That’s exactly right. Rich Birch — Jamie, if people want to track with you or track with the church, where do we want to send them online?Jamie Barfield — Yeah, palmettopointechurch.com, it’s all over social media.Rich Birch — Perfect.Jamie Barfield — pastorjamieb, all of all of the social media handles are that. Love to connect with them…Rich Birch — That’s great.Jamie Barfield — …palmettopointechurch.com, I’d love to connect. Rich Birch — That’s great. Thanks so much, Jamie. Really appreciate you being here today, sir.Jamie Barfield — Thank you so much for the opportunity.

The first step toward helping someone become their best is to help them believe that they can. In this week's episode, John Maxwell shares the influential power of giving others a win!  After his lesson, Mark Cole and Chris Robinson unpack his insights so you can apply them directly to your life and leadership.  Key takeaways:  Pursue significance over mere personal success. To add value to others, you must value others first.  When you help others win and succeed, you create a legacy of leaders.   Our BONUS resource for this episode is the Help Others Win Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/HelpOthersWin and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource.”  Take the next step in your growth journey and become a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member. Click here to speak with a Program Advisor today!  References:  Watch this episode on YouTube!  Accelerate your growth with the Maxwell Leadership app (start your 7-day free trial today with code PODCAST7!)  Enroll in the Change Your World online course for $99 (reg. $299) How to Be a Leader People Love to Follow Podcast Episode Are you a young leader? Take our Next Generation Leader survey and receive The Mentor's Guide to Everyday Challenges for FREE! Learn more about the 5 Levels of Leadership Workshop for your teams! Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store

In this episode, Avanish and Umesh discuss:Uniphore's founding story in 2008 and evolution from conversational AI applications to an end-to-end Business AI Cloud platform serving 2,000+ customers including Fortune 500 enterprisesThe pivotal moment when two of Uniphore's largest customers (10% of revenue) warned their contracts might expire unless Uniphore opened up their platform for customer-built AI agentsHow platform necessity emerged from scale—running out of data scientists to manually fine-tune models for each customer led to building automated platform toolingThe "open-heart surgery" transformation: shifting from selling business outcomes to line-of-business buyers to serving CIOs and developers, requiring wholesale DNA changes across engineering, product, sales, and marketingWhy platform and ecosystem strategies are inseparable: "A platform is really not a platform until other people are building things on it"The M&A strategy for platform companies: narrower aperture requiring 100% architectural alignment, but instant unlocks when acquisitions fit the single-codebase platform architectureThree frameworks for platform success: maintain paranoia about whether you're a feature/product/company, surround yourself with "system thinkers," and stay intensely close to customersThe "five-by-five" metric for measuring platform adoption: five large enterprises and five GSIs using the platform as their weekly "factory" for fine-tuning models and building agents, requiring simplified user experience for non-technical business users Host: Avanish SahaiAvanish Sahai is a Tidemark Fellow and served as a Board Member of Hubspot from 2018 to 2023; he currently serves on the boards of Birdie.ai, Flywl.com and Meta.com.br as well as a few non-profits and educational boards. Previously, Avanish served as the vice president, ISV and Apps partner ecosystem of Google from 2019 until 2021. From 2016 to 2019, he served as the global vice president, ISV and Technology alliances at ServiceNow.  From 2014 to 2015, he was the senior vice president and chief product officer at Demandbase.  Prior to Demandbase, Avanish built and led the Appexchange platform ecosystem team at Salesforce, and was an executive at Oracle and McKinsey & Company, as well as various early to mid-stage startups in Silicon Valley. About UmeshUmesh Sachdev is the CEO and Co-founder of Uniphore, one of the largest AI-native, multimodal enterprise-class SaaS companies in the world.  Sparked by his vision and focus to use AI technology to bridge the gap between humans and machines, today Umesh is recognized as an enterprise AI pioneer, bringing knowledge AI, generative AI and emotion AI into a single platform, allowing customers to harness AI's powerful capabilities across voice, video and text-based applications.  Known for his grit as a leader, his passion for customers and his deep understanding of technology, he is called upon to guide some of the world's largest brands through their digital transformation. Umesh's strong portfolio of patents serves as a testament to his innovative thinking and commitment to advancing AI technology.As an international business leader, Umesh has been recognized with many awards including ‘40 under 40' Bright Young Business Leaders in the Economic Times, ‘Next Generation Leader' by Time Magazine, and previously, as an ‘Innovator Under 35' by MIT Tech Review.  Umesh is an alumnus of Jaypee Institute of Information Technology and an accomplished speaker and highly sought-after presenter. About TidemarkTidemark is a venture capital firm, foundation, and community built to serve category-leading technology companies as they scale.  Tidemark was founded in 2021 by David Yuan, who has been investing, advising, and building technology companies for over 20 years.  Learn more at www.tidemarkcap.com.Follow our host, Avanish SahaiLearn more about Tidemark

A Saudi storyteller, actor, writer, and director whose work blends art with social impact, Fatima is the founder of Alf Wad Production House and The Other Story Project, initiatives that have transformed storytelling into a tool for cultural dialogue and community building. Her breakout role in Barakah Meets Barakah (2016), Saudi's submission to the Oscars, helped shape the country's new cinematic wave. Named a “Next Generation Leader” by Time Magazine and described as the “Sophie Calle of Saudi Arabia” by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Fatima has become one of the most recognized creative voices from the Kingdom. She holds a Master's degree from Harvard University, where she researched Arab identity and gender representation in cinema and literature. 0:00 Intro2:34 Childhood Background6:47 Control, Messiness Acceptance13:00 Parents, Resentment Empathy22:03 Imposter Syndrome35:13 Barakah Public Reaction41:50 Writing/Directing vs Acting45:30 Owning the Narrative55:04 Saudi Film Ecosystem Grows59:34 “The Other Story”1:11:24 Globalization Cinema1:19:32 Alwad: A Thousand Valleys to the Heart1:23:22 Red Sea Festival Market Maturity1:34:44 Mental Health, Phones Finding Balance1:40:31 Women, Theology Harvard1:49:58 “Carve What Isn't There”1:52:56 Ignoring Bad Advice1:55:29 Feeling Most Alive1:58:32 Dreams, Manifestation Mortality2:06:13 Closing Fatima AlbanawiInstagram https://bit.ly/4mC4nP1LinkedIn https://bit.ly/3IBI5iEWikipedia https://bit.ly/4nNGdCiWebsite https://bit.ly/3IA3IQm The Mo ShowYoutube https://bit.ly/3nDwsZvApple Podcast https://apple.co/3J9ScX4Spotify https://spoti.fi/33dzsC2Anghami https://bit.ly/3mRo1uyInstagram https://bit.ly/2KAwq5vX https://bit.ly/3KanEnJTikTok https://bit.ly/43L92poWebsite https://bit.ly/3H2DhMMEmail info@themopodcast.com

What story are you writing with your life? In this week's episode, John Maxwell is sharing the two pillars he lives by that have helped him create a life story of profound significance.  After his lesson, Mark Cole dives into deep application so you can confidently command your life's narrative.  Key takeaways:  You have the power to write your own life story. Don't let others write it for you.  Put your giftedness alongside the needs of people.  The way you make people feel is what they will remember most about your leadership. Our BONUS resource for this episode is the Write Your Own Story Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/WriteYourStory and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource.”  Take the next step in your growth journey and become a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member. Click here to speak with a Program Advisor today! References:  Watch this episode on YouTube! Accelerate your growth with the Maxwell Leadership app (start your 7-day free trial today with code PODCAST7! Discover a faith-driven investment strategy in Faithonomics What You Focus on Expands Podcast Series Are you a young leader? Take our Next Generation Leader survey and receive The Mentor's Guide to Everyday Challenges for FREE! Learn more about the 5 Levels of Leadership Workshop for your teams! Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store

If you want to achieve significance and success in life, you have to be intentional! In this episode, John C. Maxwell teaches a lesson on how you can embrace intentional living and make a difference in the lives of others.  After his lesson, Mark Cole and Chris Robinson sit down to talk about what John has shared and offer practical advice that will help you apply what you've learned to your life and leadership.  Key takeaways:  Intentional living is the bridge that will lead you to a life that matters.  Choose a life that matters by becoming an intentional person.  Make a difference with others wherever you are, with whatever you have, day by day.  Our BONUS resource for this episode is the How to Embrace Intentional Living Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/IntentionalLiving and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource.”  This episode is sponsored by BELAY:  Leaders, stop trying to do it all yourself. The best leaders know their limits, operate out of their strengths, and set others up for success. Find freedom with BELAY — pairing you with vetted U.S. virtual assistants so you can focus on what matters.     To help you get started, BELAY is offering Maxwell Leadership listeners a free download of their resource, The Cost of Not Hiring a Financial Expert. Just text MAXWELL to 55123 for FREE access.  References:  Watch this episode on YouTube! Enroll in the High Road Leadership online course for $199 (reg. $299) What You Focus On Expands (Part 2) Podcast Episode Significance and Selfishness Podcast Episode Are you a young leader? Take our Next Generation Leader survey and receive The Mentor's Guide to Everyday Challenges for FREE! Learn more about the 5 Levels of Leadership Workshop for your teams! Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store Check out this episode's featured books...  Chris Robinson's From Drift to Drive John Maxwell's Everyone Communicates, Few Connect John Maxwell's 25 Ways to Win With People John Maxwell's Good Leaders Ask Great Questions

Your anchor, your North Star, your wings, and your why – in today's episode, John is sharing a lesson that will help you find the foundation of all these things: your purpose. Discover practical steps and powerful insights for living every day with intention and discipline.  After John's lesson, Mark Cole offers his perspective on how to apply it to your life and leadership.  Key takeaways:  Finding your why gives you direction. You discover your purpose through your passion and your giftedness.  Purpose puts steel in the backbone of discipline.   Our BONUS resource for this episode is the How to Live with Purpose Every Day Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/Purpose and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource.”  Take the next step in your growth journey and become a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member. Click here to speak with a Program Advisor today!  References:  Watch this episode on YouTube! Enroll in the Every Day with Purpose online course for $49 (reg. $199) Accountability Makes You Better Podcast Episode How to Improve Every Day Podcast Episode Are you a young leader? Take our Next Generation Leader survey and receive The Mentor's Guide to Everyday Challenges for FREE! Learn more about the 5 Levels of Leadership Workshop for your teams! Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store

Are you suffering from a case of destination disease? Symptoms include a quiet complacency, a decreased drive, a sense of “having arrived.” In today's episode, John Maxwell is sharing 4 keys to defeat destination disease and recover your desire for constant improvement. After his lesson, Mark Cole and Chris Robinson unpack John's insights to help you apply them directly to your life and leadership. Key takeaways:  The danger of getting good is that “good” is good enough to meet all of our needs.  The brutal fact about success is this: it makes you complacent.   Use your success as a steppingstone, not a pedestal.   Our BONUS resource for this episode is the Do You Have Destination Disease? Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/Destination and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource.” Take the next step in your growth journey and become a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member. Click here to speak with a Program Advisor today!  References:  Watch this episode on YouTube! Enroll in the Every Day with Purpose online course for $49 (reg. $199) Start your daily growth journey today with the Maxwell Leadership App How to Be a Relatable Leader Podcast Episode How to Improve Every Day Podcast Episode Are you a young leader? Take our Next Generation Leader survey and receive The Mentor's Guide to Everyday Challenges for FREE! Learn more about the 5 Levels of Leadership Workshop for your teams! Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store

Sonita Alizada joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about surviving the Taliban in Afghanistan, speaking up against forced child marriage and racism, finding a voice through music, when we have nothing else to help us survive but art, protesting against an oppressive government, fighting for an education, the lack of meaningful action from NGOs, how much we can live through and endure, survivor's guilt, becoming the subject of a documentary, risking what you have for your dreams, and her new memoir SONITA: My Fight Against Tyranny and My Escape to Freedom. Speak up against for marriage against racism and around, not just about hardship but about survival resistance and hope it's about celebration what Art can do when we have nothing else to use and no other resources to use to really fight for ourselves to find our voices to chase our dreams Also in this episode; -not putting everything into the book -the fatigue of advocacy work -fighting for those who don't have a voice   Books mentioned in this episode: Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls On Writing by Stephen King   Sonita Alizada is an Afghan rapper and activist and the author of the new book: “SONITA: My Fight Against Tyranny and My Escape to Freedom." Through her music and advocacy work, Sonita has campaigned for women's rights and against child marriage, partnering with notable NGOS. She has performed at the U.S. Secretary of State's International Women of Courage Awards and has been recognized with prestigious honors, including TIME Magazine's Next Generation Leader, Forbes 30 Under 30, the Cannes Lions Humanitarian Award, and was included in BBC's 100 Women in 2015. Sonita, who learned English upon coming to the U.S., graduated from Bard College in 2023. In October 2025, she will be pursuing a master's degree at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar.    Connect with Sonita: Website: www.sonita.net Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonitalizadeh – Ronit's writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, Poets & Writers, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer's Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts' 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories.  She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and teaches memoir through the University of Washington's Online Continuum Program and also independently. She launched Let's Talk Memoir in 2022, lives in Seattle with her family of people and dogs, and is at work on her next book. More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com Subscribe to Ronit's Substack: https://substack.com/@ronitplank Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank https://bsky.app/profile/ronitplank.bsky.social   Background photo credit: Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash Headshot photo credit: Sarah Anne Photography Theme music: Isaac Joel, Dead Moll's Fingers

Ever wondered what dancing and effective leadership have in common? It's all about rhythm. In this episode, John Maxwell is sharing how you can know when to push your people, when to pull them, and when to be patient with them in the process.   After John's lesson, Mark Cole and Traci Morrow talk about what John has shared, as well as give you practical advice for how you can apply it to your personal life and leadership.  Key takeaways:  When you push people, you make pioneers out of them.  It's easy to lose focus on long-term goals when you get caught up in putting out daily fires.  Continually build your ability to read what approach your team needs from you as their leader in the moment.   Our BONUS resource for this episode is the Leadership Rhythm: When to Push, Pull, or be Patient Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/Rhythm and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource.”  This episode is sponsored by BELAY:  Leaders, stop trying to do it all yourself. The best leaders know their limits, operate out of their strengths, and set others up for success. Find freedom with BELAY — pairing you with vetted U.S. virtual assistants so you can focus on what matters.     To help you get started, BELAY is offering Maxwell Leadership listeners a free download of their resource, 10 Strategies to Unleash Your Productivity. Just text MAXWELL to 55123 for FREE access.  References:  Watch this episode on YouTube! Get 15% off John Maxwell's leadership guide High Road Leadership using code RHYTHM at checkout (expiring 8/19) Enroll in the High Road Leadership online course for $199 (reg. $299) Discover the 7 timeless principles for effective leaders when you get your copy of Love Works by Joel Manby What You Focus on Expands (Part 1) Podcast Episode  5 Ways to Win With People Podcast Episode  Are you a young leader? Take our Next Generation Leader survey and receive The Mentor's Guide to Everyday Challenges for FREE!  Learn more about the 5 Levels of Leadership Workshop for your teams! Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store

When you're tempted to stop moving forward, there are a few key strategies that will keep you going — and John Maxwell is sharing those strategies in this episode! After his lesson, Mark Cole and Chris Robinson sit down to discuss what John has talked about and help you practically apply it to your life and leadership.  Key takeaways:  Busyness without productivity is an early sign of complacency.  Go expose yourself to bigger, better, faster people.  A goal that does not stretch you is not a worthy goal.  Our BONUS resource for this episode is the Strategies to Stop Complacency Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/StopComplacency and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource.”  Take the next step in your growth journey and become a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member. Click here to speak with a Program Advisor today!  References:  Watch this episode on YouTube!  Conquer complacency with Chris Robinson's new book, From Drift to Drive  Enroll in the 21 Laws of Leadership online course for $199 (reg. $1,050)  What You Focus on Expands (Part 2) Podcast Episode  Experience Breakthrough Two-Part Series Podcast Episode  Are you a young leader? Take our Next Generation Leader survey and receive The Mentor's Guide to Everyday Challenges for FREE!  Learn more about the 5 Levels of Leadership Workshop for your teams!  Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team  Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store 

There are two kinds of people in the world: those who drift through life and those who take ownership of their journey. In this bonus episode of the Maxwell Leadership Podcast, Mark Cole and Jared Cagle are joined by Chris Robinson, who's sharing the story behind his brand-new book, and how it can help you move From Drift to Drive!  Key takeaways:  Get clarity on what you really want. Be intentional about learning from those ahead of you.  Take action, even if you start small.  In lieu of our usual bonus resource, you're invited to take the From Drift to Drive assessment to gain specific tips to help you conquer complacency. You can take it now at Drift2DriveQuiz.com.  References:  Watch this episode on YouTube! Conquer complacency with Chris Robinson's new book, From Drift to Drive Take the complacency self-assessment now at Drift2DriveQuiz.com Are you a young leader? Take our Next Generation Leader survey and receive The Mentor's Guide to Everyday Challenges for FREE!  Learn more about the 5 Levels of Leadership Workshop for your teams! Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store

Leaders see more than others see and they see before others see — but often, that comes with taking action before being understood. Want to be a standout leader? John Maxwell shares how you can in this week's episode featuring 3 key values of going first!  After his lesson, Mark Cole reflects on what John has taught and gives you practical ways to apply it to your life and leadership.  Key takeaways:  You never know how far you can go until you go.  How do we win? By getting started.  The only way that you'll ever get out of the people pile is to be unique.  Our BONUS resource for this episode is the The Value of Going First Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/GoingFirst and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource.”  Take the next step in your growth journey and become a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member. Click here to speak with a Program Advisor today!  References:  Watch this episode on YouTube!  Enroll in the High Road Leadership online course for $199 (reg. $299)  Adjust Your Way to Victory Podcast Episode  10 Traits Successful Leaders Possess Podcast Episode10 Traits Successful Leaders Possess Podcast Episode  Are you a young leader? Take our Next Generation Leader survey and receive The Mentor's Guide to Everyday Challenges for FREE!  Learn more about the 5 Levels of Leadership Workshop for your teams!  Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team  Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store 

Activity does not equal productivity. Are your actions strategic enough to be effective? In this episode, John C. Maxwell is sharing 5 strategy questions to ask yourself if you want to lead successfully!  After his lesson, Mark Cole and Chris Goede sit down to discuss what John has shared and help you practically apply it to your personal life and leadership.   Key takeaways:  “Why” gives context to “what.”  If you don't see the big picture for your people, who else will?  Get committed to seeking outside perspectives.  Our BONUS resource for this episode is the Success Strategy Questions Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/Strategy and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource.”  Take the next step in your growth journey and become a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member. Click here to speak with a Program Advisor today!  References:  Watch this episode on YouTube!  Enroll in the 15 Laws of Growth online course for $99 (reg. $499)  Chapter 1: The Charismatic Leader Podcast Episode  Success: Keep it Simple Podcast Episode  Are you a young leader? Take our Next Generation Leader survey and receive The Mentor's Guide to Everyday Challenges for FREE!  Learn more about the 5 Levels of Leadership Workshop for your teams!  Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team  Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store 

Plato said, “The beginning is the most important part of the work” -- and in today's episode, John Maxwell is sharing how you can set your people up for success at the start of any project!  After his lesson, Mark Cole sits down to talk about John's insights and give you practical advice on how you can apply them to your life and leadership.   Key takeaways:  Your job as a leader is to get your people on the right track.  With release comes responsibility.  We compliment the gifts of our people too much and their choices not enough.    Our BONUS resource for this episode is the All's Well that Begins Well Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/BeginsWell and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource.”  This episode is sponsored by BELAY:      Leaders, stop trying to do it all yourself. The best leaders know their limits, operate out of their strengths, and set others up for success. Find freedom with BELAY — pairing you with vetted U.S. virtual assistants so you can focus on what matters.     To help you get started, BELAY is offering Maxwell Leadership listeners a free download of their resource, the Delegation Worksheet & Guide. Just text MAXWELL to 55123 for FREE access.  References:  Watch this episode on YouTube!  Enroll in the Every Day with Purpose online course for $49 (reg. $199) The Art of Leading Complicated People (Including Yourself) w/ Ryan Leak Podcast Episode  Become a World-Class Leader Podcast Episode  Are you a young leader? Take our Next Generation Leader survey and receive The Mentor's Guide to Everyday Challenges for FREE!  Learn more about the 5 Levels of Leadership Workshop for your teams!  Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team  Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store 

If you want to improve your life, you have to be accountable to somebody. This week, John Maxwell is sharing a lesson on the importance of accountability — because it's the key to improvement!  After his lesson, Mark Cole and Traci Morrow sit down to have a conversation on accountability and what John has shared, as well as offer you practical ways to apply it to your personal life and leadership.  Key takeaways:  Accountability provides the bridge to get you from good intentions to actual accomplishments. When accountability makes us better, everything else gets better.   People that are accountable have a real passion to develop and grow themselves.   Our BONUS resource for this episode is the Accountability Makes You Better Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/Accountable and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource.”  Take the next step in your growth journey and become a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member. Click here to speak with a Program Advisor today!   References:  Watch this episode on YouTube!  Enroll in the 15 Laws of Growth online course for $99 (reg. $499)  Become a Leader-Communicator Podcast Episode  A Leader's Greatest Enemy Podcast Episode  Are you a young leader? Take our Next Generation Leader survey and receive The Mentor's Guide to Everyday Challenges for FREE!  Learn more about the 5 Levels of Leadership Workshop for your teams!  Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team  Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store 

In this episode of Building the Billion Dollar Business, host Ray Sclafani highlights the vital role of succession planning in financial advisory firms and redefines business value as the ability to develop and elevate future leaders. He outlines eight essential qualities every future owner should embody and shares practical strategies for fostering an ownership mindset across your team. With coaching questions to guide meaningful conversations and steps to create real growth opportunities, this episode offers a clear path to building confident, capable leaders who will carry your firm's vision forward.Key TakeawaysSuccession planning is a leadership responsibility, not just an exit strategy.The most successful leaders build future leaders.Leadership development requires investment and intentionality.Modeling ownership thinking is key to leadership development.Start investing in future leaders now for long-term success.Download our Successful Next Generation Leaders: 8 Essential Qualities checklist to help identify, develop, and cultivate the right future leaders.Find Ray and the ClientWise Team on the ClientWise website or LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeTo join one of the largest digital communities of financial advisors, visit exchange.clientwise.com.

If what you focus on expands and what you put behind you shrinks, your focus impacts the trajectory of your leadership. This week, we're continuing our two-part series where John Maxwell shares 4 things that you should focus on! After his lesson, Mark Cole and Chris Robinson discuss John's insights and give you practical ways that you can apply them to your life and leadership.  Key takeaways:  Take action on things that are worthwhile.  The main difference between who you are and who you want to be is what you do.  Don't allow others to control your destiny.  Our BONUS resource for this episode is the What You Focus on Expands (Part 2) Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/Expand and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource.”  Take the next step in your growth journey and become a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member. Click here to speak with a Program Advisor today!   References:  Watch this episode on YouTube! Enroll in the High Road Leadership online course for $199 (reg. $299)  How to Be a Leader People Love to Follow Podcast Episode  How to Develop an Abundance Mindset Podcast Episode  Are you a young leader? Take our Next Generation Leader survey and receive The Mentor's Guide to Everyday Challenges for FREE!  Learn more about the 5 Levels of Leadership Workshop for your teams!  Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team  Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store   

Today, we're excited to bring you a hopeful and constructive perspective on modern technology — a story about gamified tech that's positively transformative. Dr. Eugene Ohu is a native Nigerian who grew up in this complex nation observing painful divisions, stereotyping between the ethnic groups, and deep discrimination. He wondered, is it possible to have a united Nigeria? Dr. Ohu wanted to do something radical to help his country unite. He wanted to ensure that the next generation of Nigerian leaders would be compassionate, tolerant, and empathetic toward all citizens, no matter their ethnic identity. He especially wanted Nigerian school children to embrace love and unity. So what was his answer? Virtual reality. Read the transcript of this episode Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts Find us on Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube Share your comments, questions and suggestions at info@storiesofimpact.org Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation

If what you focus on expands and what you put behind you shrinks, what should you be focusing on in your leadership? This week, we're starting a two-part series where John Maxwell answers this question and gives you 4 things that you need to put in front of you!  After his lesson, Mark Cole and Chris Robinson discuss what John has shared and offer you practical advice for how you can apply it to your life and leadership.  Key takeaways:  Spend time with the right people.  You equip people off of strengths; you counsel people off of weaknesses.  People need clarity and direction in their lives.  Our BONUS resource for this episode is the What You Focus on Expands (Part 1) Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/Expand and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource.”  This episode is sponsored by BELAY:   Leaders, stop trying to do it all yourself. The best leaders know their limits, operate out of their strengths, and set others up for success. Find freedom with BELAY — pairing you with vetted U.S. virtual assistants so you can focus on what matters.    To help you get started, BELAY is offering Maxwell Leadership listeners a free download of their resource, the Delegation Worksheet & Guide. Just text MAXWELL to 55123 for FREE access. References:  Watch this episode on YouTube!  Enroll in the Every Day With Purpose online course for $49 (reg. $199)  The Foundation of a Leader Podcast Episode  Think Ahead with Craig Groeschel Podcast Episode  Are you a young leader? Take our Next Generation Leader survey and receive The Mentor's Guide to Everyday Challenges for FREE!  Learn more about the 5 Levels of Leadership Workshop for your teams!  Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team  Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store

No matter what your leadership looks like, the more context you have, the better a leader you are to those around you. In this episode, John Maxwell shares a list of 9 kinds of context that empower you to make your most effective leadership decisions!  After his lesson, Mark Cole and Traci Morrow sit down to have a conversation about what John has shared and give you practical ways to apply it to your life and leadership.  Key takeaways:  Leaders must humbly seek information, even if it feels vulnerable.  Collaboration is so important in learning how to lead and how to make decisions.  Leaders who don't listen will eventually be surrounded by people who have nothing to say.  Our BONUS resource for this episode is the Value of Contextual Leadership Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/Context and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource.”  Take the next step in your growth journey and become a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member. Click here to speak with a Program Advisor today!   References:  Watch this episode on YouTube!  Enroll in the 21 Laws of Leadership online course for $199 (reg. $1050)  Courage to Continue Podcast Episode  Become a World-Class Leader Podcast Episode  Are you a young leader? Take our Next Generation Leader survey and receive The Mentor's Guide to Everyday Challenges for FREE!  Learn more about the 5 Levels of Leadership Workshop for your teams!  Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team  Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store 

In this episode of Building the Billion Dollar Business, Ray Sclafani explores how financial advisory firms can unlock leadership readiness by creating intentional, real-world growth experiences. Ray introduces the concept of performative opportunities- purposeful assignments that prepare next-generation leaders for the challenges of firm leadership. He shares insights on implementing Leadership Labs, cultivating autonomy, and building a culture of development and accountability. Whether you're focused on succession planning, scalable growth, or team empowerment, this episode offers actionable strategies to strengthen your firm's leadership pipeline and long-term stability.Key TakeawaysPerformative opportunities are structured projects that test leadership ability.Demonstrate, Observe, and Verify is a key structure for leadership development.Autonomy is crucial for advisor satisfaction and happiness.Motivation drives followership and career development.Firms should not wait to develop leaders; they must act now.Sharing leadership creates stability and a clearer path for future ownership.Ready to explore this topic more? Download our Successful Next Generation Leaders: 8 Essential Qualities checklist to help identify, develop, and cultivate the right future leaders. For more information click here to visit the Best in the Business Blog.Find Ray and the ClientWise Team on the ClientWise website or LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeTo join one of the largest digital communities of financial advisors, visit exchange.clientwise.com.

If the greatest gap between successful and unsuccessful people is the thinking gap, how can you close it? In this episode, John Maxwell is sharing the key to shrinking the distance between where you are and where you want to be!  After his lesson, Mark Cole and Chris Goede sit down to talk about what John has shared and offer you practical application for your own life and leadership.  Key takeaways:  The most effective leaders give themselves permission to think about what's possible, not just what's probable.  If I think that there is an answer, I'll become a victor. If I think that there's no answer, I'll become a victim.  When facing a problem, think beyond just resolving the issue at hand. Discover solutions to eliminate the root cause and equip others to handle it in the future.  Our BONUS resource for this episode is the How to Close the Thinking Gap Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/ThinkingGap and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource.”  Take the next step in your growth journey and become a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member. Click here to speak with a Program Advisor today!   References:  Watch this episode on YouTube!  Enroll in the Every Day with Purpose Online Course for $49 (Regular $199)  Courage to Continue Podcast Episode  Mindset Matters Podcast Episode  Are you a young leader? Take our Next Generation Leader survey and receive The Mentor's Guide to Everyday Challenges for FREE!  Learn more about the 5 Levels of Leadership Workshop for your teams!  Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team  Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store 

If you want to love the people you work with and lead them effectively, build a community of friendship in the workplace. In this bonus episode of the Maxwell Leadership Podcast, Mark Cole is joined by special guest Marcylle Combs to discuss her brand-new book, Never Hire Your Friends!  Key takeaways:  Too many people say that humility is a weakness and not a strength. Speak honesty with kindness, especially when it's going to hurt.  Having fun with your team isn't just a nice idea — it's serious business.  Our BONUS resource for this episode is the *Never* Hire Your Friends Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from this teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/HireYourFriends and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource.”   References:  Watch this episode on YouTube!  Click here to order your copy of Marcylle's new leadership connection resource, Never Hire Your Friends!  Enroll in the Every Day with Purpose Online Course for $49 (Regular $199)  Courage to Continue Podcast Episode  Mindset Matters Podcast Episode  Are you a young leader? Take our Next Generation Leader survey and receive The Mentor's Guide to Everyday Challenges for FREE!  Learn more about the 5 Levels of Leadership Workshop for your teams!  Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team  Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store

How can you take something bad and make it better? In today's episode, John C. Maxwell answers this question and shares a lesson on how you can grow from tough experiences!  After his lesson, Mark Cole and Chris Robinson sit down to discuss what John shared and give you practical ways to apply it to your life and leadership.  Key takeaways:  Be intentional in your personal time to do something that will make you better. People need encouragement and added value more during difficult times than in any other time.  What action will I take to improve my situation?  Our BONUS resource for this episode is the Turn Bad into Better: How to Grow From Tough Experiences Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/BadtoBetter and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource.”   Take the next step in your growth journey and become a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member. Click here to speak with a Program Advisor today! References:  Watch thisepisode on YouTube!  Enroll in the 15 Laws of Growth Online Course for $99 (Regular $499)  What All Leaders Have in Common Podcast Episode  How to Lead in Difficult Times Podcast Episode  Are you a young leader? Take our Next Generation Leader survey and receive The Mentor's Guide to Everyday Challenges for FREE!  Learn more about the 5 Levels of Leadership Workshop for your teams!  Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team  Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store 

The greatest way to identify with other people is to say, “I know what you're going through.” In today's episode, John C. Maxwell is sharing a lesson on how you can be a relatable leader for the people around you!  After his lesson, Mark Cole and Chris Goede sit down to have a conversation on what John has shared, as well as offer you practical leadership wisdom and application.  Key takeaways:  Adversity makes you relatable to others.  Success and failure are not opposites.  Wisdom always comes out of crisis.  Our BONUS resource for this episode is the How to Be a Relatable Leader Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/Relatable and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource.”  Take the next step in your growth journey and become a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member. Click here to speak with a Program Advisor today!   References:  Watch this episode on YouTube!  Enroll in the 21 Laws of Leadership Online Course for $199 (Regular $1,050)  Get your copy of No Limits by John C. Maxwell (use code PODCAST at checkout for 15% off – valid until 6/3)!  Great Leaders Value People Podcast Episode  Get a Return on Failure Podcast Episode  Are you a young leader? Take our Next Generation Leader survey and receive The Mentor's Guide to Everyday Challenges for FREE!  Learn more about the 5 Levels of Leadership Workshop for your teams!  Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team  Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store   

In life and in leadership, you'll meet complicated people. How do you work with them? Do you change them? Challenge them? Ignore them? Or is there a better way to approach them? In today's episode, Mark Cole and Jared Cagle are joined by Ryan Leak for a special look at his new book, How to Work with Complicated People! Key takeaways:  Focus on influencing and serving your people rather than controlling them. On the other side of each and every one of us is complexity.  The best leaders humbly examine themselves first.  Our BONUS resource for this episode is the The Art of Leading Complicated People (Including Yourself) with Ryan Leak Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/Complicated and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource.”  Take the next step in your growth journey and become a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member. Click here to speak with a Program Advisor today!   References:  Watch this episode on YouTube!  Click here to get your copy of How to Work with Complicated People. Use promo code COMPLICATED at checkout to receive $10 off your purchase plus a bonus video keynote of Ryan Leak!  Are you a young leader? Take our Next Generation Leader survey and receive The Mentor's Guide to Everyday Challenges for FREE!  Learn more about the 5 Levels of Leadership Workshop for your teams!  Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team  Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store 

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.

The most effective coaches make powerful halftime adjustments. In this episode, John C. Maxwell explains the power of adaptability and how you can leverage it to adjust your way to victory!  After his lesson, Mark Cole and Chris Robinson have a conversation about what John has shared and offer you practical ways to apply what you've learned to your life and leadership.  Key takeaways:  You have to get a result in order to change a result.  There's a profound difference between conformity and adaptability.   Adaptability is adjusting not out of weakness, but out of strength.   Our BONUS resource for this episode is the Adjust Your Way to Victory Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/Victory and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource.”   This episode is sponsored by BELAY:   Leaders, stop trying to do it all yourself. The best leaders know their limits, operate out of their strengths, and set others up for success. Find freedom with BELAY — pairing you with vetted U.S. virtual assistants so you can focus on what matters.    To help you get started, BELAY is offering Maxwell Leadership listeners a free download of their resource, 10 Strategies to Unleash Your Productivity. Just text MAXWELL to 55123 for FREE access.  References:  Watch this episode on YouTube!  Enroll in the High Road Leadership Online Course for $199 (Regular $299)  Courage to Continue Podcast Episode  How to Improve Every Day Podcast Episode  Are you a young leader? Take our Next Generation Leader survey and receive The Mentor's Guide to Everyday Challenges for FREE!  Learn more about the 5 Levels of Leadership Workshop for your teams!  Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team  Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store 

We have a special episode this week on the Maxwell Leadership Podcast! Mark Cole is joined by personal finance expert, best-selling author, and CEO of Ramsey Solutions, Dave Ramsey. In this episode, they discuss Dave's latest book, Build a Business You Love, and walk through the 5 stages of business growth. Key takeaways:  Time management is one of the ways you level up. The people you put your DNA in define your success.  Don't wait until it's too late to ensure your business can thrive without you.  Our BONUS resource for this episode is the Building the Business You Love with Dave Ramsey Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from Dave and Mark's discussion. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/BusinessYouLove and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource.”  Take the next step in your growth journey and become a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member. Click here to speak with a Program Advisor today!  References:  Watch this episode on YouTube!  Order Dave Ramsey's new book, Build a Business You Love!  Are you a young leader? Take our Next Generation Leader survey and receive The Mentor's Guide to Everyday Challenges for FREE!  Learn more about the 5 Levels of Leadership Workshop for your teams!  Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team  Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store 

Ross Wehner shares his journey of discovering and uncovering his purpose through experiences in Chile and teaching. He emphasizes the importance of following intuition and stepping into one's own story. Ross discusses the impact of traumatic events and the role of darkness in shaping purpose. He highlights the influence of philosophy, solitude, and fasting in gaining clarity. Ross also explains the mission of World Leadership School in partnering with K-12 schools to reimagine learning and create next-generation leaders. He advocates for purpose learning and the integration of thinking, feeling, and doing in education.   Takeaways Follow your intuition and step into your own story. Traumatic events can lead to a deeper understanding of purpose. Solitude and fasting can provide clarity and insight. Education should focus on purpose learning, integrating thinking, feeling, and doing. Chapters Introduction and Background Engagement with Purpose in Chile Impact of Traumatic Events Stepping into Purpose Uncovering Purpose Transitioning to Teaching Finding Meaning in Teaching and Wilderness Instruction Uncovering Purpose with the Help of a Coach Living the Story of Purpose Influence of Philosophy on Purpose Navigating Darkness and Finding Purpose Seeking Solitude and Fasting for Clarity Purpose Learning and Reimagining Education Planting Seeds of Purpose in Education Balancing Classical Learning and Purpose Recommendations for Discovering Purpose Conclusion and Contact Information   Website: https://worldleadershipschool.com/

Send us a textOn Friday, April 11, over 300 high school students from across northeast Ohio gathered for the 2025 NEO Youth Climate Summit, hosted by Laurel School and Global Shapers Cleveland. The event brought students together to discuss and collaborate on solutions for climate change, sustainability, and environmental justice.The summit was kicked off with a keynote address by a young climate activist, Sage Lenier. Sage was honored by TIME Magazine as a 2023 Next Generation Leader. She started teaching about climate change while still a student at UC Berkeley and has since founded her own non-profit, Sustainable and Just Future. In this episode, we share her message to the students. Hear what one Gen Z'er has to say to young environmental leaders about meeting the future with excitement and innovative solutions. And hear from Angela Yeager, a teacher whose students in Laurel School's Environmental Justice Semester planned the event. Organizers called it a "beaming light for young people demanding change in the face of the climate crisis." And it was. Thanks for listeneing. Follow us: https://www.facebook.com/ecospeaksclehttps://www.instagram.com/ecospeakscleContact us:hello@ecospeakscle.com

Have you ever wondered what it takes to be a leader that people love to follow? This episode is for you! John C. Maxwell shares a lesson that will help you develop a culture where people feel valued, inspired, and empowered.  After his lesson, Mark Cole and Traci Morrow sit down to discuss what John has shared and help you to apply what you've learned to your life and leadership.  Key takeaways:  Respect is always earned on difficult ground.   As leaders, we need a heart to care.    We may forget what a leader says or does, but we will always remember how that leader made us feel.   Our BONUS resource for this episode is the How to Be a Leader People Love to Follow Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/LoveToFollow and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource.”  This episode is sponsored by BELAY:      Leaders, stop trying to do it all yourself. The best leaders know their limits, operate out of their strengths, and set others up for success. Find freedom with BELAY — pairing you with vetted U.S. virtual assistants so you can focus on what matters.     To help you get started, BELAY is offering Maxwell Leadership listeners a free download of their resource, The Leadership Toolkit. Just text MAXWELL to 55123 for FREE access.   References:  Watch this episode on YouTube!  Enroll in the 15 Laws of Growth Online Course for $99 (Regular $499)  The Foundation of a Leader Podcast Episode  How Leaders Lift Others Podcast Episode  Are you a young leader? Take our Next Generation Leader survey and receive The Mentor's Guide to Everyday Challenges for FREE!  Learn more about the 5 Levels of Leadership Workshop for your teams!  Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team  Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store 

As John Maxwell says, all is well that begins well and all is well that ends well — reflection is key to ending well! In this episode, John shares what his reflection path looks like and helps you understand why reflection is so important when it comes to success in leadership.  After his lesson, Mark Cole takes what John has shared and offers you practical ways to implement it into your own life and leadership.  Key takeaways:  Instead of having reactions to what is happening to us, we need to have reflection.  The most important person you listen to every day is yourself.  Does my reflection lead to action?  Our BONUS resource for this episode is the Reflect Instead of React Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/Reflect and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource.”  Take the next step in your growth journey and become a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member. Click here to speak with a Program Advisor today!   References:  Watch this episode on YouTube!  Enroll in the Every Day With Purpose Online Course for $49 (Regular $199)  Redefine the Problem Podcast Episode  The Growing Leader Podcast Episode  Are you a young leader? Take our Next Generation Leader survey and receive The Mentor's Guide to Everyday Challenges for FREE!  Learn more about the 5 Levels of Leadership Workshop for your teams!  Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team  Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store 

When you meet a truly charismatic leader, you'll notice one thing: they are focused on others, not themselves. In this episode, John Maxwell is sharing 3 ways you can develop your influence – and achieve significance – as you maintain your focus on others.  After his lesson, Mark Cole and Traci Morrow dive into the chapter and give you practical ways that you can apply it to your life and leadership.  Key takeaways:  Put your focus on others.   Success in life has nothing to do with what you gain or accomplish for yourself. It's what you do for others.   Focusing on others can give you energy.   Our BONUS resource for this episode is the Chapter 1: The Charismatic Leader Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/CharismaticLeader and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource.”  Take the next step in your growth journey and become a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member. Click here to speak with a Program Advisor today!   References:  Watch this episode on YouTube!  Order John C. Maxwell's influence guide The Charismatic Leader today!  Mindset Matters Podcast Episode  The Heart of Leadership Podcast Episode  Are you a young leader? Take our Next Generation Leader survey and receive The Mentor's Guide to Everyday Challenges for FREE!  Learn more about the 5 Levels of Leadership Workshop for your teams!  Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team  Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store   

John Maxwell shares that truly great leaders make themselves replaceable by empowering the leaders around them. Do you wonder if you're an empowering leader? Find out as John himself shares the 3 signs to look for!  After his lesson, Mark Cole takes what John has shared and helps you to apply it to your life and leadership.  Key takeaways:  We need a willingness to empower people.   Trust is the foundation of an empowering leader.   If you want to develop leaders, you have to delegate authority.  Our BONUS resource for this episode is the Three Indicators of an Empowering Leader Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/Empower and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource.”  Take the next step in your growth journey and become a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member. Click here to speak with a Program Advisor today!   References:  Watch this episode on YouTube!  Enroll in the High Road Leadership Online Course for $199 (Regular $299)  How to Be a REAL Success (Part 2) Podcast Episode  The Best Thing You Can Do for Yourself and Others Podcast Episode  Are you a young leader? Take our Next Generation Leader survey and receive The Mentor's Guide to Everyday Challenges for FREE!  Learn more about the 5 Levels of Leadership Workshop for your teams!  Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team  Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store 

Good values allow leadership to rise! In this episode, John Maxwell shares a lesson on ethics in leadership and the importance of valuing people and adding value to them.  After his lesson, Mark Cole analyzes John's teaching and equips you with practical advice and application for your life and leadership.  Key takeaways:  Everything rises and falls on leadership.  We should lead not out of reward — we should lead out of responsibility.  Treat others how you would like to be treated.  Our BONUS resource for this episode is the Great Leaders Value People Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/ValuePeople and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource.”  Take the next step in your growth journey and become a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member. Click here to speak with a Program Advisor today!   References:  Watch this episode on YouTube!  Enroll in the 21 Laws of Leadership Online Course for $199 (Regular $1050)  The Foundation of a Leader Podcast Episode  Are you a young leader? Take our Next Generation Leader survey and receive The Mentor's Guide to Everyday Challenges for FREE!  Learn more about the 5 Levels of Leadership Workshop for your teams!  Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team  Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store   

In leadership, how can you have courage to continue and keep moving forward in difficult times? John Maxwell shares a lesson in this episode that is all about courage and the important role it plays in the lives of leaders!  After his lesson, Mark Cole and Traci Morrow talk about what John has shared and help you navigate how to apply it to your own life and leadership.  Key takeaways:  We need to focus on today — today matters.   Courage is not an absence of fear or failure.   Actions follow the dominant emotion.   Our BONUS resource for this episode is the Courage to Continue Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/Courage and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource.”  This episode is sponsored by BELAY:    Leaders, stop trying to do it all yourself. The best leaders know their limits, operate out of their strengths, and set others up for success. Find freedom with BELAY — pairing you with vetted U.S. virtual assistants so you can focus on what matters.     To help you get started, BELAY is offering Maxwell Leadership listeners a free download of their resource, 5 Blind Spots that Sink Your Leadership. Just text MAXWELL to 55123 for FREE access.   References:  Watch this episode on YouTube!  Enroll in the Change Your World Online Course for $99 (Regular $299)  Become a World-Class Leader Podcast Episode  Are you a young leader? Take our Next Generation Leader survey and receive The Mentor's Guide to Everyday Challenges for FREE!  Learn more about the 5 Levels of Leadership Workshop for your teams!  Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team  Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store 

How can you attract people to your team or organization? In this episode, John Maxwell answers this question by sharing 5 helpful tips that you can begin applying today!  After his lesson, Mark Cole sits down to review what John has shared and give you practical ways to implement what you've learned into your life and leadership.  Key takeaways:  Passion is the great energizer.  Leaders not only know the way, but they also show the way.  The size of the vision you have determines the size of the person you attract.  Our BONUS resource for this episode is the How to Attract Leaders Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/AttractLeaders and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource.”  Take the next step in your growth journey and become a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member. Click here to speak with a Program Advisor today!   References:  Watch this episode on YouTube!  Enroll in the High Road Leadership Online Course for $199 (Regular $299)  What All Leaders Have in Common Podcast Episode  Are you a young leader? Take our Next Generation Leader survey and receive The Mentor's Guide to Everyday Challenges for FREE!  Learn more about the 5 Levels of Leadership Workshop for your teams!  Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team  Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store   

John Maxwell often says, “The best thing a leader can leave people is a legacy.” In this episode, John will be sharing 3 pictures that will help you develop a legacy culture for your team and organization.  After his lesson, Mark Cole and Traci Morrow sit down to talk about what John has shared and give you practical ways to apply it to your life and leadership.  Key takeaways:  “There is no success without a successor. And the most important thing you can do is leave a legacy.” — Peter Drucker   When you think of your legacy, you have to think of today.  You should be preparing to hand the baton off to someone else.  Our BONUS resource for this episode is the Succession: A Leader's Lasting Value Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/Succession and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource.”  Want to learn from Ryan Leak, Tim Tebow, and other impactful leaders? Click here to register for Day to Grow on March 19, 2025: https://daytogrow.maxwellleadership.com/   References:  Watch this episode on YouTube!  Enroll in the Every Day With Purpose Online Course for $49 (Regular $199)  How to Create a Growth Environment Podcast Episode  Are you a young leader? Take our Next Generation Leader survey and receive The Mentor's Guide to Everyday Challenges for FREE!  Learn more about the 5 Levels of Leadership Workshop for your teams!  Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team  Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store 

Leaders and business owners – tired of working around the clock to grow your organization? In this bonus episode of the Maxwell Leadership podcast, John is sharing 3 questions that will help you move from linear to exponential expansion – all while getting some hours back in your day.  After his lesson, Mark Cole is joined by BELAY CEO Tricia Sciortino to help you turn these questions into practical time-saving strategies to leverage in your own life and leadership.  Key takeaways:   Growth is happiness.  Doing everything yourself is not a growth strategy.  Explosive growth happens when you're doing the things only you can do.  In lieu of our usual bonus resource, BELAY is offering you their time management resource, The 40-Hour CEO, to help you direct your energy into the daily tasks that get you the greatest return. Text MAXWELL to 55123 to get your free copy today!   References:  Watch this episode on YouTube!  Enroll in the 15 Laws of Growth Online Course for $99 (Regular $499)  How to Create a Growth Environment Podcast Episode  Are you a young leader? Take our Next Generation Leader survey and receive The Mentor's Guide to Everyday Challenges for FREE!  Learn more about the 5 Levels of Leadership Workshop for your teams!  Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team  Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store   

Every leader worth following builds their leadership on 3 key qualities. In this episode, find out what they are as John Maxwell shares a lesson on the foundation of great leadership!   After his lesson, Mark Cole and Traci Morrow help you to practically apply what you've learned to your own life and leadership.  Key takeaways:   Character is essential to who you are.   Commitment separates the doers from the dreamers.   The best generosity comes when you give in a way that has no strings attached.  Our BONUS resource for this episode is the The Foundation of a Leader Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/Foundation and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource.”  Want to learn from Ryan Leak, Tim Tebow, and other impactful leaders? Click here to register for Day to Grow on March 19, 2025: https://daytogrow.maxwellleadership.com/   References:  Watch this episode on YouTube!  Enroll in the High Road Leadership Online Course for $199 (Regular $299)  What All Leaders Have in Common Podcast Episode  Are you a young leader? Take our Next Generation Leader survey and receive The Mentor's Guide to Everyday Challenges for FREE!  Learn more about the 5 Levels of Leadership Workshop for your teams!  Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team  Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store 

If leadership is influence, then relationships are the foundation of leadership. What can you do to win with others and grow your relationships? In this episode, John Maxwell shares a lesson on 5 ways that you can do just that!  After his lesson, Mark Cole and Chris Goede sit down to offer you practical ways that you can apply what you've learned to your life and leadership.  Key takeaways:  Relationships are the foundation of leadership.  Look for the best in others.  Let people know that you need them.  Our BONUS resource for this episode is the 5 Ways to Win with People Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/Win and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource.”  Want to learn from Ryan Leak, Tim Tebow, and other impactful leaders? Click here to register for Day to Grow on March 19, 2025: https://daytogrow.maxwellleadership.com/   References:  Watch this episode on YouTube!  Pre-order The Charismatic Leader today!  Redefine the Problem Podcast Episode  Are you a young leader? Take our Next Generation Leader survey and receive The Mentor's Guide to Everyday Challenges for FREE!  Learn more about the 5 Levels of Leadership Workshop for your teams!  Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team  Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store 

What would you attempt if you knew you would get a positive return on the failures you encounter? In this episode, John is sharing a lesson on how you can powerfully shift your perspective on failure in your life and leadership!  After his lesson, Mark Cole and Traci Morrow sit down and give you practical application for what John has shared.  Key takeaways:  Success and failure belong together.   On good misses, I make adjustments. On bad misses, I make excuses.  There are no shortcuts to success.  Our BONUS resource for this episode is the Get a Return on Failure Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/ReturnOnFailure and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource.”  Want to learn from Ryan Leak, Tim Tebow, and other impactful leaders? Click here to register for Day to Grow on March 19, 2025: https://daytogrow.maxwellleadership.com/ References:  Watch this episode on YouTube!  Enroll in the 15 Laws of Growth Online Course for $99 (Regular $499)  If John Maxwell Could Spend a Day with You Podcast Episode  Are you a young leader? Take our Next Generation Leader survey and receive The Mentor's Guide to Everyday Challenges for FREE!  Learn more about the 5 Levels of Leadership Workshop for your teams!  Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team  Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store 

John Maxwell says, “If the foundation is correct, you can build a skyscraper of leadership for your life.” In this episode, John is sharing 3 qualities that are the foundation of successful leadership!  After his lesson, Mark Cole and Chris Goede discuss these qualities and offer you practical ways to apply them to your life and leadership.  Key takeaways:  Before you work on the outside of your leadership, work on the inside of your leadership.  Commitment is an essential quality for you to have as a leader to make your dreams come true.  Sowing comes before reaping.  Our BONUS resource for this episode is the How to Develop Leaders Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/Develop and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource.”  This episode is sponsored by BELAY:     Leaders, stop trying to do it all yourself. The best leaders know their limits, operate out of their strengths, and set others up for success. Find freedom with BELAY — pairing you with vetted U.S. virtual assistants so you can focus on what matters.     To help you get started, BELAY is offering Maxwell Leadership listeners a free download of their resource, The Ultimate Guide to Working with a Virtual Assistant. This guide has everything you need to get started, grow, and succeed with your new VA. Just text MAXWELL to 55123 for FREE access.   References:  Watch this episode on YouTube!  Enroll in the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership Online Course for $199 (Regular $1,050)  How to Be a REAL Success (Part 2) Podcast Episode  Are you a young leader? Take our Next Generation Leader survey and receive The Mentor's Guide to Everyday Challenges for FREE!  Learn more about the 5 Levels of Leadership Workshop for your teams!  Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team  Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store 

In this episode, John Maxwell dives into how he became a world-class leader and offers practical steps for you to become one too! After his lesson, Mark Cole and Traci Morrow sit down to talk about what John has shared and help you to apply it to your own life and leadership. Key takeaways: -   You don't lead for what it benefits you. The only reason to lead is to benefit others. -   If you can't lead a few, you'll never be able to lead many. -   If you keep doing the right thing every day, someday you're going to reap a huge return. Our BONUS resource for this episode is the Become a World-Class Leader Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/WorldClass and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource.”  Take the next step in your growth journey and become a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member. Click here to speak with a Program Advisor today!   References: Watch this episode on YouTube! Enroll in the High Road Leadership Online Course for $199 (Regular $299) How to Be a REAL Success (Part 2) Podcast Episode Are you a young leader? Take our Next Generation Leader survey and receive The Mentor's Guide to Everyday Challenges for FREE! Learn more about the 5 Levels of Leadership Workshop for your teams! Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store

John Maxwell often says that a great leader serves others! In this episode, he's sharing 3 things that serving others has taught him throughout his leadership journey. After his lesson, Mark Cole and Chris Robinson sit down to talk about servant leadership and how you can apply what John has shared to your life and leadership. Key takeaways:  -   Leaders add value to others by serving them. -   One of us is not as smart as all of us. -   The moment I started valuing people, I found that fulfillment comes in living a significant life  Our BONUS resource for this episode is the What Serving Others Has Taught Me Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/ServingOthers and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource.” Take the next step in your growth journey and become a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member. Click here to speak with a Program Advisor today!   References: Watch this episode on YouTube! Enroll in the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership Online Course for $199 (Regular $1,050) The Best Thing You Can Do for Yourself and Others Podcast Episode Are you a young leader? Take our Next Generation Leader survey and receive The Mentor's Guide to Everyday Challenges for FREE! Learn more about the 5 Levels of Leadership Workshop for your teams! Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store

All great companies and organizations have great builders! In this episode, John Maxwell is sharing characteristics of a builder so that you know what they look like and so that you can become a builder yourself.  After his lesson, Mark Cole and Chris Goede talk about these characteristics and offer you practical ways to apply them to your life and leadership.  Key takeaways:  Never be satisfied with yesterday; it ended last night.  When people believe in the leader, they believe in the vision.  When you build up builders, everything begins to compound.  Our BONUS resource for this episode is the Characteristics of a Builder Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/Builder and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource.”  Take the next step in your growth journey and become a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member. Click here to speak with a Program Advisor today!    References:  Watch this episode on YouTube!  Enroll in the High Road Leadership Online Course for $199 (Regular $299)  Become a Leader-Communicator Podcast Episode  Are you a young leader? Take our Next Generation Leader survey and receive The Mentor's Guide to Everyday Challenges for FREE!  Learn more about the 5 Levels of Leadership Workshop for your teams!  Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team  Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store 

When John Maxwell was a freshman in college, he learned 3 questions from a professor that have shaped the way he leads today. And he's sharing them with you in this episode!  After his lesson, Mark Cole and Chris Robinson discuss these questions and help you apply them to your own life and leadership. Key takeaways: -   What do you cry about? -   What do you sing about? -   What do you dream about? Our BONUS resource for this episode is the 3 Questions to Become a Better Leader Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/MorePassion and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource." This episode is sponsored by BELAY:    Leaders, stop trying to do it all yourself. The best leaders know their limits, operate out of their strengths, and set others up for success. Find freedom with BELAY — pairing you with vetted U.S. virtual assistants so you can focus on what matters.    To help you get started, BELAY is offering Maxwell Leadership listeners a free download of their resource, The Ultimate Guide to Working with a Virtual Assistant. This guide has everything you need to get started, grow, and succeed with your new VA. Just text MAXWELL to 55123 for FREE access.   References: Watch this episode on YouTube! Use code PODCAST for 15% off of Developing the Leader Within You 2.0 How to Create a Growth Environment Podcast Episode Are you a young leader? Take our Next Generation Leader survey and receive The Mentor's Guide to Everyday Challenges for FREE! Learn more about the 5 Levels of Leadership Workshop for your teams! Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store

As John Maxwell says, “Talent is a gift, but character is a choice.” Today's lesson from John is all about how you can help your people cultivate the character of a winner in their own lives and leadership!  After his lesson, Mark Cole and Chris Goede sit down to talk about what John has talked about and offer you practical ways to apply it to your life and leadership.  Key takeaways:  If you become better on the inside, you'll become better on the outside. If you become bigger on the inside, you'll become bigger on the outside.  You can't travel without until you've traveled within.  Values are what give you stability.  Our BONUS resource for this episode is the Developing the Character of a Winner Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/Winner and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource.”  Take the next step in your growth journey and become a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member. Click here to speak with a Program Advisor today!  References:  Watch this episode on YouTube!  Enroll in the Change Your World Online Course for $99 (Regular $299)  How to Be a REAL Success (Part 2) Podcast Episode  Are you a young leader? Take our Next Generation Leader survey and receive The Mentor's Guide to Everyday Challenges for FREE!  Learn more about the 5 Levels of Leadership Workshop for your teams!  Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team  Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store