Linch with a Leader

Am I getting parenting right? Most parents, at any and every stage, find themselves asking this question. Mike Linch sits down with Andy and Sandra Stanley, co-authors of Parenting: Getting it Right, to dive into a subject all moms and dads encounter challenges in.No matter our family makeup or our children's personalities, many of us experience anxiety over our children's futures and often fear making a mistake. Andy and Sandra Stanley are no strangers to this feeling. As parents of three grown children and cofounders of North Point Ministries, they are seasoned experts on faith and parenting. Together they have spent decades counseling countless families, mentoring others, and learning from mentors of their own, all while leading one of the largest churches in the country.In Parenting: Getting It Right, Andy and Sandra combine their experience and wisdom into a guide that helps readers understand and live by essential parenting principles. In an inviting, conversational approach that is both informative and accessible, the Stanleys help readers understand the most important goal in parenting and learn the steps to pursue it by:- Learning the four distinct stages of parenting- Clarifying the primary goal of parenting and developing a parenting orientation around that goal- Identifying and adapting their approach--not their rules--to their children's distinct personalities- Deciding on their shortlist of non-negotiables and learning to stick to it

Did you know that God wants to bless His children? Mike Linch welcomes back Pastor Terry Smith to the Linch with a Leader Podcast, as they dive into Terry’s latest book, The Lord Bless You. In this encouraging devotional, Terry will help you recapture God’s heart for His people and discover His extraordinary goodness in your life right now. You will learn how much God wants to bless you, but also how to receive blessing, how to bring blessing to the world around you, and how blessing leads to the discovery of your true purpose.About Terry Smith:Terry A. Smith has served as Lead Pastor of The Life Christian Church (TLCC) for thirty-one years. TLCC, a non-denominational faith community with campuses in West Orange, New Jersey and Online, is known for its vibrant diversity and robust leadership culture. A gifted communicator, Terry speaks in a variety of venues nationally and internationally and is the author of Live Ten: Jump-Start the Best Version of Your Life, The Hospitable Leader: Create Environments Where People and Dreams Flourish, andThe Lord Bless You: A 28-Day Journey to Experience God’s Extravagant Blessings.

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.