The Global Leadership Podcast

Productive teams do not move faster because leaders push harder; they move faster because the goal is clear. In this episode, Whitney Putnam talks with GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft about productivity from a team leadership perspective—not as a system of hacks, but as a question of clarity, initiative, accountability, and trust. David shares why he looks for initiative in team members, how...

Leaders are constantly presented with opportunities, expectations, and decisions—but not every open door is an assignment. In this episode of the Global Leadership Podcast, GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft talks with Priscilla Shirer about how leaders discern what is truly theirs to carry. Priscilla shares practical wisdom on calling, wise counsel, humility, accountability, and learning to say...

Many leaders are trying to solve burnout with more inspiration, when their teams may actually need clearer progress. In this episode, GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft talks with Chris McChesney, author of The 4 Disciplines of Execution , about the difference between employee satisfaction and true engagement. Chris explains why people can have what looks like an ideal job and still feel disconn...

Communication can make or break trust on a team, especially when the conversation gets tense. In this episode, Whitney Putnam and GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft talk about one of the most common leadership challenges: how to communicate with clarity, candor and care when the stakes are high. They unpack a real moment from a recent GLN all-staff meeting, where a public challenge created tensi...

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 fail...

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

Leadership doesn't usually derail all at once—it gets hijacked slowly by subtle internal forces like comparison, self-doubt, and misplaced definitions of success. In this episode, Whitney Putnam sits down with David Ashcraft to unpack the internal and external "hijacks" that pull leaders off course. They explore how even confident leaders can fall into comparison traps, how self-doubt often disgui...

Leadership is often formed in the middle—when progress is slow, challenges persist, and outcomes are unclear. This episode highlights key moments from recent conversations to help you stay grounded in those seasons. You'll hear insights on perseverance from Walker Hayes, practical wisdom on resilience from David Ashcraft, and a timely reminder from John Maxwell about embracing the season you're in...

Every organization has a culture—but not every leader is shaping it intentionally. In this episode, Jenni Catron explains why culture is one of the most important (and often overlooked) responsibilities of leadership. In this conversation with GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft, Jenni offers a practical definition of culture, along with clear ways to translate values into everyday behaviors and...

Strategy can feel intimidating. Maybe it brings up pressure to get it right. Maybe it feels restrictive. Or maybe it's something you've been avoiding because you're not quite sure where to start. In this episode, Whitney Putnam sits down with GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft to simplify strategy and make it practical. Together, they unpack why strategy matters at every level of leadership—and...

Leadership isn't just about building something successful; it's about building something meaningful, aligning what you believe with how you lead and using what you've been given to make a difference. Today's guest is someone who has spent years helping leaders do exactly that.   Justin Forman is a strategist and leader working at the intersection of faith, entrepreneurship. He's the cofounder and...

Dr. Henry Cloud is a bestselling author, psychologist, and leadership expert whose work on boundaries, relationships, and emotional health has shaped leaders around the world.   If you are familiar with Henry, you know that he doesn't just diagnose problems—he helps leaders understand what growth actually looks like, and how we can take responsibility for it in real life.  Our President and CEO, D...

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

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

Whether it's ideating from nothing, feeling pressure to be original or wondering if creativity is something you either have or you don't, most of us struggle with creativity at some level. However, for today's guest, to be creative is to be human. Author, speaker and "Creativity Explorer" Fredrik Heron has spent decades helping leaders understand that creativity isn't about talent or personality:...

When the word, "innovation" gets mentioned, there tends to be two broad reactions: some people love pioneering and creating new things. However, a lot of people immediately think, "I am not creative; innovation is something that comes easily to other people and not me." If you find yourself in that latter group, today's interview with GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft will hopefully dispel thos...

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 M...

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

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

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

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to see the people around you—your teammates, your friends, your spouse, your children—absolutely thriving?   Today's guest is Bradley Rapier. Bradley is an award-winning, Emmy-nominated choreographer with over three decades of experience in dance, production and leading teams and talent from Hollywood to Broadway.  Whether dance and choreography is your...

When the topic of rest comes up, most of us fall into one of two camps. Some of us welcome the conversation and immediately begin to think about when we get to ease off the gas pedal and relax a little. Others, however, just as quickly start to experience frustration and maybe even anxiety. Maybe you struggle to unplug and take some time for yourself; maybe you're not even sure why rest is necessa...

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 t...

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

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...