The Global Leadership Podcast

Organizations can have vision, resources, and opportunity—and still be held back because they do not have enough leaders ready to take responsibility. In this episode, David Ashcraft explains why leadership development works best when it becomes part of an organization's culture rather than another class, program, or pipeline.
David outlines the practices that help create an environment where people continually grow as leaders: intentionality, consistent development rhythms, shared experiences, and time. He also explains the power of 'unconscious competence'—how an idea can become so embedded in a culture that people begin developing in that direction almost without realizing it.
Whether you lead a large staff, a small team, or a volunteer-driven organization, the conversation offers a practical challenge: develop the people already around you so your organization is prepared when new opportunities arrive.

Leaders communicate constantly, but not everything they say is remembered, internalized, or acted on. In this episode, David Ashcraft talks with Emma Kuhl Pitts, CEO of PullSpark and, about how leaders can create messages and experiences that stay with people. Emma shares why attention is not the same as impact, how memory shapes influence, and why leaders should ask, "What do I want people to believe?" before asking, "What do I want people to do?" PullSpark is also the official creative partner of the Global Leadership Summit, and this conversation gives a behind-the-scenes look at how Emma and her team help shape creative moments at the Summit, from openers and story videos to the details that help leaders engage more deeply. For pastors, executives, communicators, and team leaders, this conversation offers a practical framework for creating moments people do not just consume, but remember.

Some of the most consequential leadership in an organization happens far from the stage. Lori Hermann has helped lead the Global Leadership Summit team for 14 years, drawing on more than three decades of experience creating events and experiences that serve leaders around the world.
In this conversation with David Ashcraft, Lori explains how she learned to recognize her influence even though she did not fit the image of an outspoken, visionary leader. She also offers a practical look at the leadership behind the Summit: assembling people with complementary strengths, developing a shared standard of excellence, encouraging honest collaboration and finding the courage to speak up when the work begins to drift.
Lori's approach demonstrates that excellence is not the same as perfection. It grows through continual learning, thoughtful preparation and leaders who care enough about the people they serve to ask difficult questions and keep improving.

When plans change, leaders still need to provide clarity, steady themselves internally, and help their teams keep moving forward. In this Q2 "Best Of" episode, Whitney Putnam and Eric Case revisit four leadership moments from recent conversations with Craig Groeschel, David Ashcraft, Chris McChesney, and Edgar Sandoval.
Together, these clips explore what leaders can do when strategy meets reality: stay flexible when plans shift, avoid comparison, define success by the right measures, create visible progress for their teams, and communicate with steadiness during pressure-filled seasons.
This episode is a practical look at the internal and external work of leadership. Whether you are navigating organizational change, team fatigue, personal self-doubt, or a season that feels unpredictable, these four lessons will help you lead with greater clarity, humility, and purpose.

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 clear guardrails help people move with confidence, and why leaders often stay busy with the wrong things while avoiding the work that matters most. The conversation also explores how accountability rhythms, like the 12-week year, can help leaders and teams stay focused on what they said they would do. For leaders who feel busy but not always effective, this episode offers a practical way to rethink productivity as a leadership responsibility.