The Leader’s Way

Hitendra Wadhwa, professor, author, and founder of the Mentora Institute, explores spirituality’s role in leadership. He shares his journey from spiritual searching to integrated leadership, explains how his Columbia course awakens inner wisdom, and examines different ways of knowing. They discuss the divine inner core, humility, nurturing rather than shaping others, mortality, and leading with purpose.

Austin Carty is a writer and pastor of Boulevard Baptist Church in Anderson, South Carolina. Before becoming a pastor, he taught high school English, and while teaching Tolstoy, heard the first call to ministry. As a minister, he continues to immerse himself in stories and words that speak to the human condition and inform how he preaches the Gospel. Austin is the author of High Points and Lows: Life, Faith, and Figuring It All Out and The Pastor’s Bookshelf: Why Reading Matters for Ministry, which received the 2023 Christianity Today Award of Merit and was named Book of the Year by Preaching magazine. In this episode of the Leader’s Way, Brandon talks with Austin about his journey to the pulpit and his new book, Some of the Words Are Theirs: The Art of Writing and Living a Sermon, which explores the ways that careful attention to the craft of writing a sermon—like careful attention to living a meaningful life—leads to greater self-awareness and humility.   Host: Brandon Nappi Guest: Austin Carty   Instagram: @theleadersway.podcast berkeleydivinity.yale.edu/podcast   You can support our work at https://tinyurl.com/support-transforming-leaders

The Rev'd Elizabeth Riley is a priest and author with a vibrant digital presence on social media platforms, particularly TikTok, where she shares everything from the Good News of the Gospel to “rage prayers." Her book, Rage Prayers, is about turning your pent-up frustrations, daily annoyances, and righteous anger into a raw and transformative dialogue with a higher power who's ready to listen. As a Fellow with the Episcopal Church Foundation, Elizabeth is especially interested in exploring ministry through digital evangelism and how digital engagement can lead to more incarnational experiences of God.  Welcome to The Leader’s Way, a podcast for people who are not ready to give up on the world. We’re glad you’re here!   Host: Brandon Nappi Guest: Elizabeth Riley   Instagram: @theleadersway.podcast berkeleydivinity.yale.edu/podcast   You can support our work at https://tinyurl.com/support-transforming-leaders

Seane Corn is an internationally-acclaimed yoga teacher, author, and public speaker who has been at the forefront of yoga, activism, and community service for 30+ years. Known for her social activism and impassioned teaching style, Seane is raw, honest, articulate, and spiritually inspired in her self-expression.    Welcome to Within, a contemplative segment of The Leader’s Way Podcast that explores the convergence of mental health, art, and spirituality through authentic conversations across traditions about personal and collective transformation.   Speaking with Leader’s Way host Brandon Nappi, Seane Corn talks about the importance of integrating one's personal faith and spirituality with the work of justice in the world. For Seane, yoga inspires and informs her activism on to global issues, including social justice, sex trafficking, HIV/AIDS awareness, and animal rights. Her first book Revolution of the Soul was published in Fall 2019. Her online program, Align With Source, has a global reach of thousands and has been a touchstone of community support.   Host: Brandon Nappi Guest: Seane Corn   Instagram: @theleadersway.podcast berkeleydivinity.yale.edu/podcast   You can support our work at https://tinyurl.com/support-transforming-leaders

Laurie Santos is host of The Happiness Lab podcast and professor at Yale, where she teaches Psychology and the Good Life, Yale’s most popular course in over 300 years, with almost one out of four students enrolled. Laurie is an expert on the science of happiness and the ways in which our minds lie to us about what makes us happy. In this episode of The Leader’s Way, host Brandon Nappi talks with Laurie about how science can help us move toward happiness by offering evidence-based data about behaviors and practices that lead to human flourishing. A lot of these things we already know in our bodies and in our lives: It’s not what you believe, it’s what you do. Connection, relationships, engaging in service, leaning into contemplation and reflection and harnessing our behaviors and emotions can boost happiness. Tune in to learn more! Host: Brandon Nappi Guest: Laurie Santos Instagram: @theleadersway.podcast berkeleydivinity.yale.edu/podcast You can support our work at https://tinyurl.com/support-transforming-leaders

Bonnie Piesse is an Australian singer-songwriter, actress, soul alignment and manifestation coach and host of the podcast "Your Quantum Life." She helps conscious leaders and visionaries remember who they really are and step into their true power and light.   Bonnie is also an actress, best known for her role as ‘Star Wars’ Episode II - ‘Attack of the Clones’ and Episode III - ‘Revenge of the Sith’ and ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi.’ Part of her story is centered in the HBO docu-series "The Vow,” which chronicles the spiritual breakthrough that gave Bonnie the clarity and courage to leave, and ultimately bring down, the notorious NXIVM cult.     In this conversation with Leader’s Way host Brandon Nappi, Bonnie speaks to the incredible power of listening to your inner knowing, your intuition, even when it means taking a risk, even when it's inconvenient. “Following your intuition is not for the faint of heart,” says Bonnie, but when you are tuning into the call on your soul and taking steps to cultivate it, the world opens itself up to you. Brandon and Bonnie explore the spiritual risks and practices that can help us honor our inner knowing.   Host: Brandon Nappi Guest: Bonnie Piesse   Instagram: @theleadersway.podcast berkeleydivinity.yale.edu/podcast   You can support our work at https://tinyurl.com/support-transforming-leaders

Carey Wallace believes inspiration is an essential and often under-explored part of the creative life. In her new book The Discipline of Inspiration: The Mysterious Encounter with God at the Heart of Creativity, Carey meditates on the ways artists have experienced and negotiated with that "creative spark" across genres and throughout history, identifying it as something beyond them. In this conversation with Leader’s Way host, Brandon Nappi, Carey suggests that while inspiration is a gift of the spirit, it can be cultivated and harnessed, as a spiritual discipline.  Welcome back to Within, a contemplative segment of The Leader’s Way Podcast that explores the convergence of mental health, art, and spirituality through authentic conversations across traditions about personal and collective transformation.  Carey Wallace is the author of The Discipline of Inspiration (Eerdmans), The Blind Contessa’s New Machine (Penguin), Stories of the Saints (Workman), Psalms of Wonder (Flyaway), and The Ghost In The Glass House (Clarion). She is a popular speaker on the creative life, and works to help people from all walks of life find inspiration and build strong creative habits. She grew up in small towns in Michigan, and lives and works outside Chicago.    Host: Brandon Nappi  Guest: Carey Wallace    Instagram: @theleadersway.podcast  berkeleydivinity.yale.edu/podcast    You can support our work at https://tinyurl.com/support-transforming-leaders 

What do we do in seasons of destabilization and doubt, uncertainty or rupture, when we find ourselves in the proverbial spiritual "wilderness?" Sarah Bessey tells us that the site of disruption is often “an altar to encounter God, an invitation from the Spirit” to encounter God’s love anew. Welcome back to Within, a contemplative segment of The Leader’s Way Podcast that explores the convergence of mental health, art, and spirituality through authentic conversations across traditions about personal and collective transformation. In this episode, Brandon Nappi talks with Sarah Bessey, author of the best-selling and critically acclaimed books Jesus Feminist; Out of Sorts: Making Peace with an Evolving Faith; Miracles and Other Reasonable Things; and most recently, Field Notes for the Wilderness: Practices for an Evolving Faith. Sarah and Brandon explore the themes of Sarah’s latest book, diving into the principles, prayers, and practices that help us navigate times of spiritual wilderness, especially for an emerging generation of Christians looking to reconnect to their faith, find inner healing, and build spiritual community. Host: Brandon Nappi Guest: Sarah Bessey  Instagram: @theleadersway.podcast berkeleydivinity.yale.edu/podcast You can support our work at https://tinyurl.com/support-transforming-leaders

By his own admission, Father Laurence Freeman came into the monastic life "kicking and screaming.”   In this lively episode, host Brandon Nappi asks Fr. Freeman to share the story of his journey into the monastery, about his relationship with the incredible meditation teacher, John Main, and the profound ways meditation shapes our experience of the world.  Father Freeman is a monk of the Benedictine Congregation of Monte Oliveto Maggiore. He is the director and spiritual guide of the World Community for Christian Meditation. John Main was his teacher and Fr. Laurence assisted him in establishing the foundations of the Community.   Fr. Laurence is the author of a number of books on Christian Meditation including Light Within: The Inner Path of Meditation and Jesus: The Teacher Within. He travels extensively giving presentations and leading Christian Meditation Retreats.  Before entering monastic life, Fr. Laurence worked with the United Nations in New York, in Banking and Journalism.     Host: Brandon Nappi  Guest: Laurence Freeman    Instagram: @theleadersway.podcast  berkeleydivinity.yale.edu/podcast    You can support our work at https://tinyurl.com/support-transforming-leaders 

How can the science of spirituality help us discover our true purpose in life?  Welcome back to Within, a contemplative segment of The Leader’s Way Podcast that explores the convergence of mental health, art, and spirituality through authentic conversations across traditions about personal and collective transformation.   In this episode, Brandon Nappi talks with psychiatrist and spiritual coach Dr. Anna Yusim about the science of spirituality as a path to wholeness and healing. Weaving together teachings from Kabbalah, Buddhism, and shamanistic traditions, Dr. Yusim has developed a program that marries empirical science and spirituality to help us find more meaning, more joy, and more fulfillment in life.  Dr. Yusim is an internationally-recognized, award-winning Stanford- and Yale-educated Psychiatrist & Executive Coach with a Private Practice in New York City, Connecticut, California and Florida. She is the best-selling author of Fulfilled: How the Science of Spirituality Can Help You Live a Happier, More Meaningful Life. With clients including Forbes 500 CEOs, Olympic athletes, A-list actors and actresses, and the Chairs of academic departments at top universities, Dr. Anna Yusim helps influential people achieve greater impact, purpose, and joy in their life and work.   Host: Brandon Nappi  Guest: Anna Yusim  Instagram: @theleadersway.podcast  berkeleydivinity.yale.edu/podcast    You can support our work at https://tinyurl.com/support-transform...