The Global Leadership Podcast

Many leaders are trying to solve burnout with more inspiration, when their teams may actually need clearer progress. In this episode, GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft talks with Chris McChesney, author of The 4 Disciplines of Execution, about the difference between employee satisfaction and true engagement. Chris explains why people can have what looks like an ideal job and still feel disconnected from the work, while others can serve in demanding environments and remain deeply motivated. The difference often comes down to progress and purpose.
Through practical examples from manufacturing, creative work, ministry and leadership, Chris helps leaders understand how to create a "winnable, high-stakes game" for their teams. This conversation will help leaders translate big vision into visible wins, address burnout with greater clarity and give their people something meaningful to move toward.

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

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

Every leader eventually encounters disruption—moments that challenge assumptions, redirect plans, and test resilience. In this episode, GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft talks with Edgar Sandoval, President and CEO of World Vision, about navigating what David calls "leadership hijacks": unexpected events that reshape both leadership and life.
Edgar shares his journey from immigrating to the United States as a teenager with little money and no English skills, to leading one of the world's largest Christian humanitarian organizations. Along the way, he reflects on lessons learned through personal hardship, raising children with special needs, leaving a successful corporate career at Procter & Gamble, and leading World Vision through COVID and global uncertainty.
This conversation explores how leaders can remain grounded during disruption, communicate hope without ignoring reality, and create healthy organizational cultures that help people thrive even in difficult seasons.

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