The H2 Leadership Podcast

As we continue our Best of series, we wanted to highlight a very timely conversation. Gordon MacDonald—author, longtime pastor, and former Chancellor of Denver Seminary—joins us to share hard-won wisdom on calling, mentoring, and spiritual friendship. Gordon’s voice has shaped generations of leaders, and this episode captures why. Through stories, insights, and honest reflection, he gives leaders a practical roadmap for building resilient lives and ministries that last. Whether you’re a pastor, organizational leader, or simply someone seeking deeper impact, this conversation offers clarity, perspective, and hope. What You’ll Learn Why spiritual friendship is essential for healthy leadership How to cultivate intergenerational mentoring relationships The stages of a leader’s calling—and how they develop over a lifetime Why older leaders must invest in younger leaders How to build communities that encourage resilience rather than burnout The hidden dangers leaders face in midlife and beyond What Gordon wishes every leader understood about marriage, family, and calling About Gordon MacDonald Gordon MacDonald is a pastor, author of more than a dozen books, and the former Chancellor of Denver Seminary. For over 40 years, he has invested in leaders across the world through writing, preaching, mentoring, and spiritual formation work. His books Ordering Your Private World and Building Below the Waterline remain foundational leadership resources. Timestamps 00:00 — Introduction 02:45 — Gordon’s early calling and formation 07:10 — The mentors who shaped him 12:40 — Why intergenerational friendship matters 18:25 — The role of spiritual friendship in leadership 24:55 — Healthy vs unhealthy leadership communities 31:20 — Calling after 60: why most leaders miss it 38:15 — Marriage, family, and the real “Lord’s work” 45:40 — What the next generation needs from older leaders 52:10 — Gordon’s challenge to leaders today 57:55 — Final thoughts Connect + Take Your Next Step For coaching, resources, and tools for Healthy + High Impact leadership, visit: www.h2leadership.com If this episode encouraged you, please: Rate the podcast Review the show Share it with another leader Subscribe so you never miss an episode Your engagement helps other leaders discover conversations like this.

As we close out the year, we’re highlighting several of our most listened-to conversations—episodes that continue to shape leaders long after they air. Today’s conversation between Alan Briggs and Jimmy Rollins is one of those episodes: timeless and timely. Jimmy brings honesty, clarity, and courage as he talks about race, unity, culture, marriage, and the everyday leadership choices that build trust. This is a practical and grounded guide for leaders who want to lead with compassion, stay curious in hard conversations, and create cultures where people feel seen and valued. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to have “family conversations” around race with honesty and safety Why unity is not uniformity—and what real unity requires How to ask better questions and lead with curiosity, not fear Practical language that diffuses tension and builds trust What healthy leaders must confront in themselves to lead others well Jimmy’s personal story of pain, growth, marriage restoration, and calling Healthy and High Impact leaders lead with compassion, curiosity, and courage. This conversation is a masterclass in all three. Connect with Jimmy Rollins: imjimmyrollins.com www.twoequalsone.com Instagram: @jimmyrollins Connect with H2 Leadership: For coaching, resources, and tools to help you grow as a Healthy and High Impact leader, visit www.h2leadership.com If this episode helps you, like, rate, review, and subscribe. It helps more leaders discover the podcast.

If you feel frustrated, disappointed, or stuck right now, you’re not broken – you’re human. The real question isn’t “What’s wrong with me?” It’s “What needs to change, and how do I actually change it?” In this solo episode, Alan unpacks a simple but powerful idea: only the hungry change. You can’t force your kids to change, your team to change, or your friends to change. You can barely force yourself to change. But when hunger meets a clear process, transformation becomes possible. Alan walks through a practical framework he calls the Wheel of Transformation – moving from new awareness, to new actions, to new rhythms. He shares personal stories about getting called out on weak hamstrings, losing steam on his goals, and how small, consistent steps have led to real change over time. If you’ve ever felt like you’ve tried to fix the same thing a hundred times and you’re still stuck, this episode will give you language, hope, and a concrete path forward. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why frustration and disappointment are usually gaps in expectation, not signs that you’re failing What it means that “only the hungry change” – and how to honestly assess your own hunger How new awareness (internal or external feedback) is the first step toward real change Why information alone is not enough – and what has to come after clarity How to move from awareness to new actions through courage and small next right steps Why the real transformation happens when new actions become new rhythms Where most leaders stumble: trying to change without community, accountability, or a clear process How coaching, tools, and simple calendars can help you build consistency instead of chasing quick fixes Key ideas and phrases “Only the hungry change. Hunger is the currency of change.” “Information isn’t bad. It’s just not enough.” “New awareness → new actions → new rhythms.” “Great leaders aren’t the ones who take one big step; they’re the ones who keep taking their next right step.” Resources and next steps Wheel of Transformation Tool Want a simple visual tool to help you walk through this process? Request the Wheel of Transformation and we’ll send it to you. → Visit h2leadership.com and use the contact form to ask for the Wheel of Transformation tool. Breakthrough Coaching Session If you feel stuck in one area of life or leadership and need clarity on your next right step, you can request a free 30-minute breakthrough coaching session with our team. → Learn more and reach out at www.h2leadership.com.

You can have a compelling mission and a sharp strategy, but if your culture is unhealthy or unclear, your team will stay stuck. In this episode, Alan sits down with culture coach and author Jenni Catron to unpack why culture matters more than we think and how clarity becomes the foundation for trust, engagement, and healthy growth. Jenni shares her own journey from the music industry into executive church leadership, and the jarring contrast between a life-giving culture and a toxic one. She explains why leaders can’t just “hope” for a great environment – they need a plan to build it with intention. They talk about the signs your culture is drifting, why people often go quiet long before they quit, how to invite honest feedback without losing your voice as a leader, and why patience and persistence are essential when you start changing long-standing patterns on your team. If you lead a staff, a volunteer team, or you’re trying to rebuild a culture you inherited, this conversation will give you language, practical steps, and hope. In this episode you’ll learn: Why great culture is really about clarity of who you are and how you work together How the environment leaders create can make or break team engagement The subtle warning signs your team has stopped believing their voice matters How to ask for feedback when some decisions aren’t actually up for debate Why culture change takes 6–12 months of patience and persistence Simple rhythms (meetings, one-on-ones, shout-outs) that reinforce a healthy culture over time Healthy and high-impact leadership doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It happens in cultures that are clear, honest, and aligned around the mission. This episode will help you take your next step in building that kind of environment. Jenni is the author of several books including Clout: Discover and Unleash Your God-Given Influence and The 4 Dimensions of Extraordinary Leadership. She loves a fabulous cup of tea, great books, learning the game of tennis and hiking with her husband. Jenni can be found on social media at @jennicatron and at www.get4sight.com. Grab a copy of Culture Matters For more tools, coaching, and resources to help you become a healthy and high-impact leader, visit www.h2leadership.com. And if this episode was helpful, please like, rate, review, and subscribe to the H2 Leadership Podcast. Every review helps other leaders discover the show.

Most leaders expect failure to be hard — but no one warns us how disorienting success can be. In today’s episode, Alan Briggs takes us inside a live leadership session and unpacks the real, often hidden challenges that come with growth: fulfillment gaps, maturity barriers, identity drift, disorientation, burnout, and the pressure of everyone wanting a piece of your time. But this conversation isn’t about fear. It’s about forming the kind of roots that can sustain real fruit. Alan shares practical insights on: Why success often feels emptier than we expect The surprising truth that what got you here won’t get you there How success multiplies options, noise, and expectations Why leaders lose honest feedback when they gain influence The difference between external fruit and internal roots The identity dreams every healthy leader should define How to build a life that matches the person you’re becoming What it takes to grow without losing yourself, your family, or your soul If you’re leading a team, building a company, or navigating a season of rapid growth, this episode gives you a framework to name what’s happening beneath the surface — and an invitation to design a healthier, more intentional way to live and lead. Key Takeaways Success reveals weaknesses success created. Leaders need pre-made filters to protect their time and energy. Roots = identity, health, and formation. Fruits = visible impact. Without strong roots, success will topple you like a pine tree in a storm. Identity dreams > traditional goals. Investment always feels like loss before it feels like growth. Healthy leaders design their lives on purpose — not in reaction. Resources Include these in your notes for authority + click-through: Learn more about H2 Coaching: https://www.h2leadership.com Get Alan’s book “Anti-Burnout”: https://a.co/d/9Xzn5mJ Follow the H2 Leadership Podcast: https://www.h2leadershippodcast.com If this episode resonated, share it with a leader who needs it — and leave a quick rating or review so more leaders can discover the show.

Great leaders don’t just give answers. They ask better questions. J.R. Briggs joins Alan to unpack how curiosity, coaching questions, and practical reflection rhythms build trust, unlock growth, and transform teams. Episode Summary: If you’ve ever left a conversation wishing you’d asked a better question, this episode is for you. J.R. Briggs shares the mindsets and mechanics behind powerful questions at work, at home, in faith, and why leaders who cultivate curiosity build healthier, higher-impact teams. We explore obstacles like expertise traps, speed, and “question deserts,” then get tactical with preparation prompts, in-the-moment practices, and post-conversation reflection. You’ll Learn: • The difference between clarity questions and connection questions • Practical coaching prompts: trade-offs, the capital-C Challenge, and “what do you really want?” • How one courageous question (Darryl Davis) can disarm hostility • A repeatable rhythm to prepare, participate, and reflect after conversations • How asking better questions reduces decision fatigue and builds trust Key Quote: “Questions are pre-made decisions that make the moment simple.” Giveaway: Ask J.R. your question and enter to win his new book. Email h2leadership.com Email your question: hello@h2leadership.com The Art of Asking Better Questions

Most leaders don’t fail because of a lack of ideas... they fail because those ideas never leave their heads. In this episode, Alan Briggs helps leaders make the crucial shift from intuitive to intentional, showing how to build systems and filters that multiply impact and prevent burnout. If your team constantly depends on you for decisions, it’s time to get what’s in your head into theirs — so your organization can grow beyond your personal capacity. Alan unpacks insights from the middle of his book, Anti-Burnout: A Lighter Way to Live and Lead in a Heavy World, and breaks down a practical process that will help you lead more effectively without carrying it all alone. What You’ll Learn Why your best ideas and decisions shouldn’t stay in your head The three essentials for moving from intuitive to intentional: process, courage, and trust How to clarify your vision, mission, and values so your team can act without hesitation The four H filters every leader needs (humble, hungry, honest, high-capacity) How to reduce decision fatigue and build simple, repeatable decision-making filters Why slowing down, documenting, and delegating is an investment, not a setback How releasing control can actually expand your influence and create new space for creativity Key Quote “Filters are pre-made decisions that make decision-making in the moment simple.” Resources Mentioned Book: Anti-Burnout: A Lighter Way to Live and Lead in a Heavy World by Alan Briggs Learn more about H2 Leadership: www.h2leadership.com Schedule a Breakthrough Coaching Session: h2leadership.com/#breakthrough Join the Conversation If this episode helped you rethink how you lead, leave a review or share it with a leader who’s carrying too much alone. Follow the H2 Leadership Podcast for more practical, human conversations that help you live and lead Healthy + High Impact.

Every leader has that project...The one that’s been sitting on your list for months (or years) because you don’t know where to start. In today’s episode, Alan breaks down a simple but powerful 3-step framework to help you get unstuck and finally take action on the work that matters most. Whether you’re writing a book, launching a new initiative, creating a new offering, or trying to push a big idea across the finish line, this episode gives you a proven path forward rooted in clarity, momentum, and healthy leadership practices. This teaching comes directly from the H2 coaching process and aligns with the principles in Alan’s book Anti-Burnout: A Lighter Way to Live and Lead in a Heavy World. In This Episode, You’ll Learn: Why feeling stuck is not a leadership flaw—it’s a signal The first mindset shift required to create movement The exact 3 questions you must ask to break through resistance How healthy leaders use who and how to move faster—with less stress A practical way to break down overwhelming projects into actionable next steps Three Questions to Get You Unstuck Who can help me? How can I do this more lightly (not harder)? What smaller chunks can I break this into? Resources Mentioned Anti-Burnout: A Lighter Way to Live and Lead in a Heavy World by Alan Briggs Coaching with H2 Leadership – Learn more at H2Leadership.com Subscribe & Review If this episode helped you get clarity, share it with a leader who needs momentum. Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review—it helps more leaders discover tools for health and high impact. Chapters / Timestamps 00:00 – Why every leader gets stuck 02:40 – The difference between feeling stuck and being stuck 04:15 – Step 1: Naming the project 05:30 – Question #1: Who can help me? 07:45 – Question #2: How can I do this more lightly? 09:50 – Question #3: Break it into chunks 12:00 – Final leadership challenge & call to action

Legacy isn’t what you leave—it’s what you set in motion. In this conversation, David Green (Founder & CEO of Hobby Lobby) and Bill High (CEO of Legacy Stone) share insights from their new book, Legacy Life: Leading Your Family to Make a Difference for Eternity. Together they unpack how to think beyond success and retirement to build something that outlives you—faith, family, and purpose that multiplies through generations. What You’ll Learn What inspired Legacy Life and why legacy is a system, not a season The key difference between legacy and generosity Why retirement isn’t the finish line for leaders of faith How to clarify your identity, calling, and assignment The practical process to write your family vision, mission, and values Why storytelling is vital for passing down faith and wisdom A simple model for repairing conflict and celebrating progress The mindset of a 100-year leader and how to start now Episode Chapters 01:06 – The story behind Legacy Life 03:34 – Rethinking retirement: calling never expires 07:36 – Legacy vs. generosity: why generosity is a symptom 10:21 – Inheritance vs. legacy: passing on what truly lasts 12:15 – Creating family vision, mission, and values 17:27 – Setting legacy in motion (not leaving it behind) 22:09 – Simple steps to start your family legacy plan 26:22 – Why storytelling keeps generations connected 29:58 – Repairing the past and celebrating progress 32:26 – The 100-year family mindset 36:20 – Final takeaways: eternal impact through intentional living Guests David Green — Founder & CEO, Hobby Lobby Bill High — CEO, Legacy Stone; co-author of Legacy Life: Leading Your Family to Make a Difference for Eternity Resources & Links 📘 Legacy Life — [https://a.co/d/1vS943R] Legacy Stone — https://www.legacystone.com/about Hobby Lobby — [hobbylobby.com] Learn more at [h2leadership.com] If this episode challenged or encouraged you, share it with one person you respect—and take 20 minutes this week to write down your family’s top five values. Legacy begins there.

Misalignment sneaks up slowly—and it’s expensive. When your life, work, or team drifts out of alignment, you start feeling it: fatigue, frustration, disconnection, and eventually burnout. In this episode, Alan unpacks how to spot misalignment early and realign your wiring, your purpose, and your team before things break down. You’ll hear: The story of a coaching client who ignored the “alignment rumble” too long Why wiring, purpose, and team are the three biggest alignment zones How to use the Working Genius Assessment to clarify your design The Drains & Fills exercise to reclaim energy and focus A simple Pacing Check to make sure your speed matches your team’s capacity Two reflection questions to realign your work this week “You will hit potholes. You will need realignment. It’s not if—it’s when.” Reflection Questions How can you align your work more closely to your wiring? What change can you make to align more closely with your team? Tools Mentioned www.h2leadership.com for more tools and resources. Chapters 00:00 – What is an H2 Leader? Health and high impact in harmony 02:15 – The need for new brakes and better alignment 03:30 – What misalignment looks and feels like 05:00 – The story of “Tim”: when wiring, purpose, and team fall out of sync 07:00 – The cost of misalignment in leadership and culture 09:20 – The great disengagement: how misalignment kills engagement 10:00 – Tools for realignment: Working Genius, Drains & Fills, Pacing Check 11:45 – Reflection questions and next steps Subscribe and follow the H2 Leadership Podcast for more episodes. Share this episode with another leader who might be feeling “out of alignment.”