The Global Leadership Podcast

Every leader eventually faces a moment when the plan stops working. A strategy fails, a team dynamic breaks down, growth creates new complexity, or an unexpected circumstance forces a change in direction. In this episode, David Ashcraft talks with Craig Groeschel, founder and senior pastor of Life.Church, about how leaders can respond when leadership does not go as planned. Craig reflects on failed ideas, organizational pivots, team conflict, and the ongoing discipline of letting go as leadership expands. He also shares how humility, preparation, prayerfulness, candor and trust have shaped the way he leads through uncertainty. For leaders navigating disruption—whether external circumstances or internal challenges—this conversation offers a grounded reminder: the mission matters more than the method, and growth often requires the courage to release what you can no longer carry.

Have you ever wished you could sit down with someone who has truly mastered their craft? Michael Jordan on winning; Mozart on music; Leonardo Da Vinci on creativity. Not just to review their highlight reels but to unpack all the lessons they learned across their lives? Well, that's what today's conversation feels like because today we get to listen to John C Maxwell talk about leadership. John Maxwell is a world-renowned leadership expert and best-selling author who has trained countless leaders across industries and across the globe. It's no exaggeration to say that he has helped define the shape of modern leadership. John's life is an example of what can happen when someone stays curious, humble and committed to growth for decades, and there also something truly about getting to learn from someone who has run their race well and stayed faithful to growth over the long haul. John was honored as a GLN Legacy Leader at the 2025 global leadership Summit, and he sat down with our president and CEO, David Ashcraft for a conversation in front of a live studio audience about what a lifetime of leadership looks like.

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

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to see the people around you—your teammates, your friends, your spouse, your children—absolutely thriving? Today's guest is Bradley Rapier. Bradley is an award-winning, Emmy-nominated choreographer with over three decades of experience in dance, production and leading teams and talent from Hollywood to Broadway. Whether dance and choreography is your thing or not, what Bradley teaches in this conversation with GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft is what happens when people feel engaged and connected, and how we as leaders can facilitate that engagement. So, whether you're leading your teenage children, a creative group, or you're simply part of a group of friends, when people deeply feel that they are a part of something, everything changes: productivity, creativity and well-being soar. Bradley calls it, "stepping into the Circle," and everyone is invited.

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

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

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