Send us Fan Mail The health of your relationships is the truest measure of your leadership. In this episode of The Today Counts Show, Jim Piper and Winston Harris explore what happens when leadership moves beyond self-development and into the relationships that shape our teams, families, churches, businesses, and communities. Great leadership isn't simply about managing people. It's about learning to connect with people, understand people, collaborate with people, and intentionally choose the people who shape your life and leadership. Jim and Winston unpack the difference between being able to lead from a stage and actually being able to connect with someone one-on-one. They explore how temperament, conditioning, and character influence the way we relate to others—and why leaders need to understand their own emotional tank if they want to lead people well. In this episode, they discuss: • Why strong leaders must learn to connect up close, not just communicate from a distance • How temperament, conditioning, and character shape our relationships • The emotional tank and how relationships can either fill or drain a leader • The difference between relationships that are filling, neutral, and draining • Why compliance is only the floor—and ownership is where healthy leadership begins • How great leaders choose their people with intention • The role of an inner circle, team, family, and friendships • Why collaboration requires believing people are capable of more • How to deal with difficult relationships and the people you didn't necessarily choose • Why leaders need to replace the monologue with a meeting of minds • How our relationships can become part of our Wall of Gratitude—even when they were difficult seasons One of the most important challenges in this episode is simple: Who are the people in your life by intention—and who is there simply because you've drifted into the relationship? The goal isn't to build a larger network. It's to build healthier relationships, stronger teams, and deeper trust. Whether you're a business leader, entrepreneur, pastor, ministry leader, manager, or young leader trying to build something meaningful, this conversation will challenge you to think differently about the people you lead and the people you allow to influence you. Because your leadership isn't measured only by what you accomplish. It's also measured by who you help become stronger because you were in their life. The Today Counts Show exists to equip leaders with biblical principles and practical wisdom for life and leadership—helping you grow in character, purpose, and impact so you can lead with integrity at work, at home, and in your community. 👉 Subscribe for more conversations on leadership development, relationships, personal growth, faith, and purposeful living. Support the show