Linch With A Leader

The customer experience can make or break a business, and but regardless of your role within an organization, you can play a significant role. Whether you're the boss calling the shots, the employee making it happen, or the intern just starting out in your field, you're uniquely positioned right where you are to make an impact in the place you spend so much of your time: your job! Leadership coach and entrepreneur Elizabeth Dixon joins Mike and shares her journey, as well as some of the key principles in her book, The Power of Customer Experience: 5 Elements to Make an Impact.Elizabeth serves as Executive Director of Trilith Foundation, and previously serves as Principal Lead for Chick-fil-A Strategy, Hospitality & Service Design. She is a winsome business leader and serial entrepreneur who connects with executives and their teams, integrating strategy, innovation, leadership, and personal development in speeches that ignite conversation and inspire purposeful action. She has founded, operated, and sold several small businesses as well as actively coaches emerging entrepreneurs toward success in achieving their business goals.

What would look like to reach your full potential – in your relationships, as a parent, in your career, in athletics? Mike sits down with leadership consultant and speaker Scott Wozniak to pull apart what separates good leaders and organizations from great ones, and how anyone can optimize their ability to learn and improve in any arena in life.Scott has spent years upgrading his understanding of organizations and their leaders, including being mentored by best-selling authors and billionaires, traveling the globe, acquiring multiple leadership coaching certifications, and earning a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership. For more than 20 years, Scott has coached and consulted with leaders, helping them take their organizations to the next level. For eight years he parked his consulting practice to the side to serve as an in-house consultant at Chick-fil-A headquarters, working directly with their top leaders on company strategy and leading the implementation of major change programs.In addition to leading Swoz Consulting, Scott has written three books, is an active member of Mensa (international genius society), helped to found three other organizations, and risks his life in a variety of ways, from heli-skiing to Spartan Races. Scott and his team of consultants help organizations transition from average to legendary. Follow Scott on Twitter: @ScottEWozniakUpgrade Engines Podcast: https://www.scottwozniak.com/podcast

All of us have the ability to develop as leaders. Even if you don’t see yourself as a leader, you likely are around people throughout the week, and have opportunities to influence them. That’s leadership! In this episode, Mike sits down with leadership coach and consultant Holly Moore of Hollis Strategies. Holly shares her leadership journey – including the story of someone who encouraged and propelled her by expressing a belief in her when she was a college student. In this episode, she explains that we each have opportunities to “call people up” into leadership and help them discover their God-ordained calling in life.Holly Moore is an accomplished senior executive with more than 25 years of diverse leadership experience in a publicly traded corporation, as well as both large and start-up non-profit organizations.   Holly is the President of Hollis Strategies, where she collaborates with individuals and organizations to help them implement effective and scalable people development solutions and strategies for growth. She is also a sought-after speaker and leadership coach who uses her expertise as a GiANT Consultant and Certified Myers Briggs Practitioner to discuss personality-based communication patterns and how they apply to leadership, relationships, and team performance. Holly has spoken to audiences throughout the United States as well in Egypt, Brazil, Zambia, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and Singapore. Holly has over 14 years of executive experience with non-profit organizations, including serving as the Vice President of Advancement for Mercy Ships. During her tenure there, she spearheaded development and marketing efforts in the United States to launch the world’s largest privately funded hospital ship providing free medical care in some of the poorest nations on earth.  Connect with Holly on LinkedIn

Are you familiar with the term “Unholy Hurry?” It’s a frantic pace that may make you look busy, but too often it keeps you from actually being fruitful in the ways Jesus wants you to be. Jesus modeled grace-paced leadership. In this episode, Mike welcomes Alan Fadling, Founder of Unhurried Living and author of An Unhurried Leader: The Lasting Fruit of Daily Influence.Alan is President and Founder of Unhurried Living, Inc. in Mission Viejo, CA, inspiring people to rest deeper, live fuller and lead better. He speaks and consults internationally, as well as nationally with organizations such as Saddleback Church, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Cru, Halftime Institute, Apprentice Institute and Open Doors International. He is the award-winning author of An Unhurried Life, honored with a Christianity Today Award of Merit in spirituality, and A Year of Slowing Down. He is a trained spiritual director. He lives in Mission Viejo, California with his wife, Gem, and their family.An Unhurried Leader on AmazonAn Unhurried Life on AmazonA Year of Slowing Down on AmazonThe Unhurried Living Podcast

Peter Ostapko is a Vice President of commercial banking, but also the founder and publisher of the "Kinsmen Journal." On this episode of "Linch with a Leader" Peter shares his journey and how God has wired him to do what he is doing today. Additionally, Peter discusses the mindset needed to be ready to respond to God's call and how to follow His voice.The Kinsmen Journal is an amazing publication that invites men to lead lives of transformative faith, redemptive fatherhood, and honoring work. Volume One includes 40 + authors and creatives sharing personal stories, reflections, advice, encouragement, perspective, ideas, beliefs, testimonies, commentaries, declarations and powerfully striking photography and illustrations.To order a journal: https://www.kinsmenjournal.com/shop/p/kinsmen-journal-volume-1Follow Peter on LinkedIN:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterostapko/

Mike Linch welcomes back author and leadership consultant Brian Dodd to the podcast to discuss his latest book, Mighty: 7 Skills You Need to Move from Pandemic to Progress. Did 2020 feel like a wilderness experience for you? So many people lost loved ones, opportunities, financial resources, careers, time, and much, much more during COVID. The worst thing many people lost was hope. COVID stripped away the non-essentials in our lives. It revealed how foolish pride, ego, and narcissism are. It made us question almost everything in our lives, including God himself.About Brian Dodd:Brian Dodd currently serves as the Director of New Ministry Relationships for Injoy Stewardship Solutions, where he helps churches fully-fund their mission and vision for their church. Brian also writes a leadership blog, entitled Brian Dodd on Leadership. Brian states the goal for the site is “to take everyday life experiences we all have and process them in the light of leadership.” He is constantly updating the site with blog posts and e-books that are all leadership focused. Brian’s site is consistently viewed by some of the greatest leaders in the industry and over the past five years, the readership of his website has grown to more than 70,000 per month. Brian has authored several books, including 2021: The Year in Leadership; Timeless: 10 Enduring Practices of Apex Leaders, and 10 Indispensable Practices of the 2-Minute Leader.

Mike welcomes back Dr. Richard Blackaby to the Linch with a Leader podcast, as they discuss Dr. Blackaby’s latest book, The Ways of God: How God Reveals Himself Before a Watching World. Many Christians scratch their heads at how God works – and for good reason. God’s ways are vastly different than ours. Problems arise when we attempt to do God’s work the world’s way. However, as Dr. Blackaby shares, HOW you do something is as important as what you do.Dr. Richard Blackaby is the president of Blackaby Ministries International and lives in Atlanta, Georgia. Richard travels internationally speaking on spiritual leadership in the home, church, and marketplace as well as on spiritual awakening, experiencing God, and the Christian life. Richard regularly ministers to Christian CEOs, church, and family leaders. Richard has written or co-authored thirty-five books, including: The Seasons of God: How the Shifting Patterns of Your Life Reveal His Purposes for You; The Inspired Leader: 101 Biblical Reflections for Becoming a Person of Influence; Unlimiting God: Increasing Your Capacity to Experience the Divine; Putting a Face on Grace: Living a Life Worth Passing On; Experiencing God at Home, Rebellious Parenting, Living Out of the Overflow: Serving Out of Your Intimacy with God, Spiritual Leadership Coaching: Connecting People with God’s Heart and Purposes, and Developing a Powerful Praying Church.He has also co-authored many books with his father, Henry, including: Experiencing God: Revised Edition; Spiritual Leadership: Moving People on to God’s Agenda; Experiencing God: Day by Day; Hearing God’s Voice; Called to Be God’s Leader: Lessons from the Life of Joshua; Being Still With God: A 365 Daily Devotional; Fresh Encounter: God’s Pattern for Spiritual Awakening; God in the Marketplace: 45 Questions Fortune 500 Executives Ask about Faith, Life, and Business, Flickering Lamps: Christ and His Church, and Developing A Powerful Praying Church.Richard grew up in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. He has been married to Lisa for 35 years and has three kids: Mike, Daniel, and Carrie. Richard also has six grandchildren: Emerson, Logan, Everett, Luca, Finley, and Claire.

What are the true keys to success in the life of a believer? Mike sits down with pastor and author Joby Martin, who shares his feelings on the value of hard work, and ultimately why it’s trusting God’s sovereignty – and being obedient – that matters most in our life journey. From his initial call into ministry, to how God is using him today to reach a community for Christ, Joby shares candidly some of the greatest lessons he has learned in leadership and in ministry over the past 30 years.About Joby MartinPastor Joby Martin is the founder and lead pastor of The Church of Eleven22 in Jacksonville, Florida. Since launching the church in 2012, he has led a movement for all people to discover and deepen a relationship with Jesus Christ. In addition to providing The Church of Eleven22 with vision and leadership, Pastor Joby is a national and international preacher and teacher, and the co-author of two books with Charles Martin: If the Tomb is Empty and his latest, Anything is Possible. He has been married to his wife, Gretchen, for over 20 years and they have a son, JP, and a daughter, Reagan Capri.

Please, Sorry, Thanks: These three magic words are the keys to healthy relationships and successful careers. Nothing opens doors like a genuine "please." Nothing resolves conflict like a sincere apology. Nothing incurs favor like heartfelt gratitude. Mike Linch welcomes back Mark Batterson, Pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D.C., and author of Please, Sorry, Thanks: The Three Words that Change Everything. Mark shares how each of these words are essentially a different posture of the heart, and he explains that our country is in dire need of a “revival of politeness.”In addition to serving as lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, DC, one church with multiple locations, Mark serves as lead visionary for The Dream Collective, which equips and supports dreamers who long for revival in the church, reformation in the kingdom, and renaissance in culture.Mark holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from Regent University and is the author of 23 books including the New York Times bestselling The Circle Maker as well as In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, Wild Goose Chase, Double Blessing, Whisper, and, more recently, Win the Day and Do it for a Day. Mark is married to Lora and they live on Capitol Hill. They have three children: Parker, Summer (married to Austin), and Josiah.

As we officially head into spring and dive into the college baseball season, Mike sits down with Coastal Carolina head coach Gary Gilmore, who began his 28th season at the helm of the Chanticleers’ program in 2023. Sure, Coach Gilmore is one of the most knowledgeable baseball minds you’ll ever meet. But it’s his love for his players and coaches that has set him apart and made the Chants a family. Listen in as Coach Gilmore shares his journey, and how love has made the difference.Gary Gilmore was named the 2016 National Coach of the Year and has seen the Coastal program continually rise in the world of college baseball to a national power. A two-time ABCA Atlantic Region Coach of the Year (2005 and 2016) and a 10-time conference Coach of the Year, Gilmore ranks among the NCAA’s all-time top 25 in wins with 1,293 (through 2022 season) and entered the 2023 season ranked fourth overall in wins among all active NCAA Division I head coaches.Under his guidance, Coastal won the 2016 NCAA College World Series, has made 17 NCAA berths, and advanced to a Super Regional three times. In addition to team success, the program has featured numerous draft picks - including 26 players drafted within the top 10 rounds over the last 15 years and built perhaps the best overall practice and playing facilities in the nation.Gilmore was recently named the 2021 Jerry Kindall Character in Coaching Award winner presented by Fellowship Christian Athletes (FCA) and will be one of seven individuals inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Hall of Fame as part of the 2022 Class in January 2023.Since 2000, the Chants have won 11 regular-season championships, 13 conference tournament championship titles, made 17 NCAA Division I Championship appearances, advanced to three NCAA Super Regionals, and won the 2016 NCAA College World Series.