Linch With A Leader

Mike Linch welcomes back author and podcaster Jordan Raynor to the Linch with a Leader Podcast, as they discuss Jordan’s latest book, The Word Before Work, a Monday-Friday devotional to help you find eternal purpose in your daily work.Through his bestselling books, the Mere Christians podcast, and his weekly devotionals, Jordan has helped millions of Christians in every country on earth connect the gospel to their work.In addition to his writing, Jordan serves as the Executive Chairman of Threshold 360, a venture-backed tech startup which Jordan previously ran as CEO following a string of successful ventures of his own.Jordan has twice been selected as a Google Fellow and served in The White House under President George W. Bush. A sixth-generation Floridian, Jordan lives in Tampa with his wife and their three young daughters. The Raynors are proud members of The Church at Odessa.

Do you realize what special gifts and talents you bring to the table in your occupation each and every day? Conversely, can you articulate what frustrates you most in your job? Mike Linch digs in with Patrick Lencioni, one of the greatest modern day authors on organizational health to talk about his latest release, The Six Types of Working Genius. Lencioni shares candidly how God has been the true Author of his story and journey to become one of the foremost voices in the business world, and the author of 13 books that have transformed organizations and peoples’ approach to work and relationships.Pat is one of the founders of The Table Group and is the pioneer of the organizational health movement. His books have sold over 6 million copies and been translated into more than 30 languages. As President of the Table Group, Pat spends his time speaking and writing about leadership, teamwork, and organizational health and consulting with executives and their teams.Prior to founding the firm in 1997, Pat worked at Bain & Company, Oracle Corporation and Sybase. Pat lives in the Bay Area with his wife and four boys.

This week, we are excited to re-release an episode from the archives of Linch with a Leader to honor a legend in the State of Georgia and in the college football world. In his second episode ever published in Season 1 of the podcast, Mike Linch interviewed the late former University of Georgia Head Football Coach and Athletic Director Vince Dooley, who recently passed at the age of 90 at his home in Athens.Coach Dooley established his coaching legacy with the Georgia Bulldogs, compiling a record of 201-77-10, and winning a national title in the 1980 football season. During his 25 seasons as the head coach in Athens, he led the Bulldogs to 20 bowl games, coached 12 consensus All-Americans, and was named SEC Coach of the Year four times. In 1979, he was appointed as the Athletic Director, and saw the Bulldogs win 18 national championships and 75 SEC championships during that period.Coach Dooley was also instrumental in bringing collegiate football to Kennesaw State University, where he served as Chair of the Exploratory Committee which researched the feasibility of bringing the sport to the school. Additionally, he also partnered with Mascot Books to publish two children's books about the UGA mascot, How 'Bout Them Dawgs! and Hairy Dawg's Journey Through the Peach State. Dooley was also the chairman of the board of curators for the Georgia Historical Society from 2016 to 2018.In this episode, Mike Linch talks with Coach Dooley about, not only his coaching journey, but also some of the leadership lessons he learned on the football field. Coach Dooley also talks about the things he learned in his 50+ years of marriage to his wife, Barbara, and the role his faith has played in his journey through life.

What does the future look like for the next generation of leaders? In this week’s episode, Mike sits down with Clay Scroggins to talk through principles from his latest book, “The Aspiring Leader’s Guide to the Future.” According to Clay, you don't have to be a young entrepreneur with big dreams or someone looking to land a leadership role to be considered an aspiring leader. You are one now. And by developing your skills for the future, you can become today's version of a leader worth following.In addition to his latest release, Clay Scroggins has also authored How to Leader When You’re Not in Charge and How to Lead in a World of Distraction. His passion is organizational leadership – not just CEOs – but to help develop aspiring leaders within the organization. Clay offers personal coaching, and also loves to lead group (peer-to-peer) sessions to grow leaders and help them overcome challenges. Clay also co-hosts a leadership podcast with Adam Tarnow entitled “How to Lead.”

What holds us back from living life Whole and Holy? That’s the question Steve Carter answers in his latest book, entitled The Thing Beneath the Thing. Mike sits down with pastor, author, speaker, podcaster Steve Carter to talk about those potholes in our life’s journey that often keep us from seeing everything God makes available to us – His grace, peace, and wholeness.Steve Carter is a pastor, speaker, author, podcast host, sports enthusiast, and the former lead teaching pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago. Steve’s passion is to bring Jesus into everything he does. A gifted teacher, Steve spends his days crafting sermons, messages, blog posts, and books to encourage people in their walk with Christ. He describes his work as humbling and vulnerable—a soul-baring process that keeps him dependent, expectant, and grounded in Christ. Steve lives in Phoenix, AZ, with his wife, Sarah, and their two kids.

What has propelled Molly Miller to become one of the brightest young stars and most successful coaches in women’s college basketball? As the college basketball season begins, Mike sits down with Molly to gain an understanding of what has fueled her journey from player to assistant coach to head coach, and how she keeps her internal engine running.Molly Miller serves as the head coach of the women’s basketball program at Grand Canyon University. Following six seasons as the head coach at her Alma Mater, Drury University, she took over as the Lopes’ head coach after amassing an incredible record of 180-17, including a stunning 67-1 mark over her final two seasons in Springfield. Her teams won conference championships five of the six years between 2015-2020, and made an appearance in the Division II Final Four in 2019. Additionally, Coach Miller was named the WBCA Division II Coach of the Year in 2019 and 2020.In her first two seasons at Grand Canyon University, Miller has led the Lopes to a record of 39-15. In her first season at the helm, she led her team to its first-ever WAC Conference Championship game appearance. In her second season, the Lopes ranked second nationally in steals per game and turnover margin, while also ranking fourth in turnovers forced nationally.

As we head deeper into MLB’s postseason excitement, it’s a perfect time for Mike to sit down with former Major League pitcher Jim “The Rookie” Morris. Jim shares many of the obstacles he overcame in life, and is a real-life example that it is never too late for God to work, even through the most painful and  least likely places in our lives.Jim Morris is no stranger to big dreams. Since he was five years old, he passionately yearned to play baseball in the major leagues. However, despite all his hard work and determination, a series of unfortunate events and injuries scuttled his career before he was twenty-five. Doctors told him he would never play again. Then, at age thirty-five—after a string of highly implausible events and at an age when most players are retiring—Morris found himself on the mound as a relief pitcher for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. His return to the game was so incredible that Disney made his story into aheartwarming film—The Rookie—with Jim portrayed by Dennis Quaid. It was released to popular acclaim and was a huge box office success. It won the ESPY for Best Sports Movie in 2002 and the CAMIE award for Character and Morality in Entertainment.Morris is the author of two books, with his most recent release entitled Dream Makers. It picks up where The Rookie left off. This compelling memoir explores the untapped territory of Morris’ life, including his contentious relationship with his father, his incessant and grueling struggle with pain and addiction, the mentorship with his wise and loving grandfather who kept him grounded, and the resolve and faith that drove him to overcome every tribulation. Dream Makers explores the transformative power of surrounding yourself with the best, most accomplished people possible—inspiring you to overcome life’s obstacles and achieve your dreams.

Why do nearly all of us struggle with failure? How can we fail forward, rather than collapsing and giving in? How can we parent effectively through our kids’ failures? Dr. Karyn Gordon sits down with Mike to talk through some of her personal experiences in dealing with failures of all kinds, and how we can be propelled to a flourishing life through failures and setbacks we encounter. Additionally, Mike and Dr. Gordon discuss concepts from her book, The Three Chairs, which aims at equipping today’s leaders with essential skills to lead their organizations well.Dr. Karyn Gordon is the CEO and co-founder of DK Leadership, a global leadership coaching company whose purpose is developing great leaders at work and home. She has spoken to more than 500,000 people across 17 countries—including Fortune 500 companies, family businesses, entrepreneurs, professional associations, and others.  A sought-after media personality and contributor, she has worked with Good Morning America, Forbes, The New York Times, and Cityline.Dr. Karyn has worked as a professional coach to global CEO’s, organizations, and families for over 20 years. She has a Doctorate in Marriage and Family and additional certifications in leadership, EQ, personality, wellness, and career direction. In 2021, she was nominated for the 29th annual RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Award.

Something we don’t see quite as celebrated today as in decades past is longevity: the ability to last and stick with something for a long time. In this episode of Linch with a Leader, Mike sits down with one of the legends in American high school football history, Coach Philip Haywood. In his conversation with Mike Linch, Coach Haywood shares how his role as a coach is far more than about winning; it’s about changing lives.Haywood is the head football coach at Belfry High School in Belfry, Kentucky. He is the winningest high school football coach in Kentucky history, amassing more than 465 wins over 47 seasons, including eight state runner-up finishes and seven state championships. Haywood has been honored by his peers on numerous occasions, being named the Louisville Courier-Journal overall Coach of the Year numerous times, and either Class AA or Class AAA Coach of the Year seven times. In 2013, he was voted USA Today’s Best High School Football Coach, and in 2017 was named Coach of the Year by the National High School Athletic Coaches Association.One of Haywood’s biggest trademarks is his off-the-field activities related to youth and church activities. He has been the FCA huddle leader at Belfry for more than 35 years and is presently a youth leader at his church. He speaks regularly at churches, youth meetings, and various functions. When speaking at football clinics, he quickly turns to one of his favorite topics related to why we coach and the values we should be teaching our kids.Coach Haywood was indicted into the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016. He is also the author of Faith, Family, and Football, in which he shares his life story through the vehicle of his career in coaching and the three most important things in his life: faith, family, and football. Beyond a sports story, Faith, Family, and Football is a playbook for a successful life whether you are a coach, athlete, or parent.