Linch with a Leader

Mike Linch
  • 5.0 (180)
  • Religion & Spirituality
  • Updated Biweekly

What if you were able to sit down with some of the greatest leaders in the world? What would you ask? What would they say? Welcome to the “Linch with a Leader” Podcast with Mike Linch, where you are invited to join us in learning the spiritual principles behind big success.

  1. 5d ago

    Dr. Harv Powers on Why God Only Uses Broken People

    Why do most leaders think competency is the finish line, when it's actually just the beginning? In this episode of Linch with a Leader, Mike Linch sits down with Dr. Harv Powers, licensed clinical psychologist, pastor, and author of Redemptive Leadership, to explore the five stages every leader moves through on the way to genuine influence. Drawing from over 40 years working with leaders in crisis, Harv explains why most leaders don't fail because they lack skill or knowledge — they fail at the level of character. He shares the darkest season of his own life, when his marriage ended and he resigned from his job feeling like a complete failure, and how that exact crucible became the foundation for everything he now does helping leaders navigate their own breaking points. Mike and Harv unpack Harv's Redemptive Leadership framework, including the stages of Competency, Intelligence, Character, Transformation and Redemption, and explore why emotional intelligence is the number one predictor of success in any field. Harv explains why our shadows never fully disappear and must instead be stewarded, why every leader eventually faces their own "well of Midian" moment, and why the leaders who resist their crucible season often stall out right where they are. They also discuss one of the most freeing truths in leadership: God doesn't use us in spite of our brokenness. He uses us because of it. And for leaders in the middle of their own crisis, Harv offers a powerful reframe: Name it. Own it. Steward it. Dr. Harv Powers is a licensed clinical psychologist, ordained minister, and president of The Redimere Group, a faith-based nonprofit focused on leadership development for faith-based leaders and organizations. He is the author of Redemptive Leadership and has spent over 40 years working with leaders in crisis around the world. Read 'Redemptive Leadership': https://www.amazon.com/dp/0998789690?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback

  2. Sep 23

    Jesus Never Meant for You to Carry This Alone | Inside Out

    Every leader carries weight, but Jesus never meant for you to carry it alone. In this Inside Out episode, Mike builds on his conversation with Dr. Barry Corey, president of Biola University and co-author of Necessary Burdens, to unpack Matthew 11:28-30: "Come to me, all who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." Mike breaks down the difference between the burdens we take on ourselves and the ones placed on us by others' expectations, and why Jesus didn't come to help us manage those burdens better. He came to carry them for us. The question every leader has to answer isn't whether they'll carry burdens. It's whether they'll carry them alone, or hand them to the people around them and the Savior above them. Scripture: Matthew 11:28-30

  3. Sep 14

    Crumble or Crumple. Dr. Barry Corey on the Hidden Weight of Leadership

    You can crumble, or you can crumple. One is destruction. The other is something you can still open back up and straighten out. In this episode, Mike sits down with Dr. Barry Corey, president of Biola University and co-author (with Dr. John Townsend) of the new book Necessary Burdens, to talk honestly about the weight every leader carries, and why almost no one talks about it. Barry explains why the person at the top of any organization carries burdens no one else fully understands: the isolation of having no true peer, the criticism that comes with embodying an entire institution, the pull of unchecked temptation, the discipline of discretion, and the quiet fear of becoming irrelevant. Left unaddressed, these burdens can crumble a leader. Rightly carried, they can be the very thing that builds one. Jesus said, "My yoke is easy, my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30) and this conversation is about what it actually looks like to carry leadership's weight in a way that strengthens you rather than breaks you.

  4. Sep 9

    Do You See What's Coming? Inside Out

    Do you see what's coming before it happens or only after it's a crisis? In this Inside Out episode, Mike Linch builds on his recent conversation with pattern-recognition expert and bestselling author Les McKeown to explore a powerful idea: every organization, church, and team moves through a predictable life cycle, and the leaders who thrive are the ones who can see the shift coming before everyone else does. 1 Chronicles 12:32 tells us about the sons of Issachar, 200 leaders who "understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take." That kind of discernment isn't just business instinct — it's a spiritual gift God gives leaders who walk closely with Him. Mike unpacks what it means to lead from the inside out, how staying close to the Lord sharpens our ability to recognize warning signs before they become disasters, and why King Saul lost that gift while King David gained it. Whether you're leading a business, a church, a team, or a family, the question is the same: Are you seeing what's ahead, or only reacting to what's already happened? Scripture: 1 Chronicles 12:32 Inside Out takes a spiritual truth or theme from Mike's latest Linch with a Leader conversation and explores what Scripture has to say about it.

  5. Aug 31

    Les McKeown on Why Growing Organizations Start to Break and How to Fix It

    Why does an organization often start feeling harder to lead just as it becomes more successful? In this episode of Linch with a Leader, Mike Linch sits down with bestselling author and Predictable Success founder Les McKeown to explore the predictable stages that businesses, churches, nonprofits and teams experience as they grow. Drawing from decades of experience building, advising and studying organizations, Les explains why growth inevitably creates complexity—and why the leadership practices that helped an organization succeed early can eventually begin holding it back. Mike and Les unpack Les’s Predictable Success framework, including Early Struggle, Fun, Whitewater and Predictable Success, and explore the leadership roles of the Visionary, Operator, Processor and Synergist. Les explains why Visionaries need Operators, why organizations begin dropping the ball as complexity increases, why systems become necessary, and why too much process can eventually become its own problem.   They also discuss one of the most difficult realities of organizational growth: sometimes the people who helped build an organization aren’t the people who can take it into its next stage. And for visionary leaders, Les offers a powerful challenge: Do only what only you can do. If you lead a business, church, nonprofit, ministry or team, and growth has made your organization feel more complicated instead of less, this conversation will help you identify where you are, why you’re experiencing it and what your leadership may need next. Les McKeown is the Founder and CEO of Predictable Success and the bestselling author of Predictable Success, The Synergist, Do Lead and Do Scale. His work focuses on helping leaders build scalable, sustainable organizations and high-performing leadership teams.

  6. Aug 26

    Why God Gave You Your Gifts | Inside Out

    Why did God give you the gifts, talents, and abilities you have? In this Inside Out episode, Mike Linch builds on his recent conversation with bestselling author and communication expert Nancy Duarte to explore a powerful idea: stewardship. First Peter 4:10 tells us that God has given each of us gifts and calls us to use them to serve one another. That means your gifts aren’t ultimately just about what you’re good at, what you can accomplish, or how successful you can become. God gave you your gifts for the benefit of other people and for His glory. Mike unpacks what it means to steward something that ultimately belongs to God, how our natural talents and spiritual gifts can work together, and why failing to use what God has entrusted to us affects more than just ourselves. Whether your gift is speaking, serving, encouraging, leading, helping, discerning, or something else, the question is the same: Are you using what God gave you for the purpose He gave it to you? Scripture: 1 Peter 4:10–11 Inside Out takes a spiritual truth or theme from Mike’s latest Linch with a Leader conversation and explores what Scripture has to say about it.

  7. Aug 17

    Nancy Duarte on How Great Leaders Communicate, Tell Stories & Move People

    What separates a good communicator from one who can actually move people to action? Mike Linch sits down with bestselling author, communication expert, and Duarte, Inc. CEO Nancy Duarte to explore how the world’s most effective leaders communicate with clarity, empathy, conviction, and story. Nancy shares what she’s learned studying communicators like Steve Jobs, Martin Luther King Jr., and Jesus, including her fascinating analysis of the Sermon on the Mount, and explains why your audience should always be the hero of the story. You’ll learn how to use Nancy’s “What Is / What Could Be” framework, why great leaders prepare more than people realize, how introverts can become powerful communicators, and why communication is ultimately about serving the people entrusted to your leadership. To watch the episode visit: https://www.youtube.com/@linchwithaleader

  8. Aug 12

    What It Really Means to be a New Creation in Christ

    👇 SUBSCRIBE TO LINCH WITH A LEADER and help us equip more Christian leaders to lead with their faith out front. @linchwithaleader What actually happens when you give your life to Jesus? 2nd Corinthians 5:17 tells us that anyone who is in Christ is a new creation. But becoming a new creation doesn’t only change where you’ll spend eternity, it changes your identity, your purpose, your calling, and the way you live right now. In this Inside Out episode of Linch with a Leader, Mike Linch reflects on his conversation with author and CEO Charlie Watkins and unpacks 2 Corinthians 5:17–18. Paul tells us that when we are reconciled to God through Christ, we’re also given something extraordinary: the ministry of reconciliation. In other words, Christians aren’t only called to know Jesus. We’re called to make Jesus known. Mike explores what it means to: - Find your identity in Christ - Become a new creation - Understand God’s purpose for your life - Live out the ministry of reconciliation - Use your gifts and influence for God’s purposes - Make Jesus known wherever God has placed you - Lead people instead of simply managing positions - Whether you’re leading a business, church, team, classroom, family, or organization, your purpose is bigger than your position. Know Him. Make Him known. 📖 SCRIPTURE: 2 Corinthians 5:17–18

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5
out of 5
180 Ratings

About

What if you were able to sit down with some of the greatest leaders in the world? What would you ask? What would they say? Welcome to the “Linch with a Leader” Podcast with Mike Linch, where you are invited to join us in learning the spiritual principles behind big success.

Information

  • Creator
    Mike Linch
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    291
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Northstar Church - GA
  • Show Website
    Linch with a Leader

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