L3 Leadership Podcast

At the end of each year, I do a year-end review, and at the beginning of the next year, I share what I learned from it. This year is no different. In this episode, I share the lessons I learned in 2021 in the categories of business, leadership, and building your platform and influence.Today, I share my biggest lessons learned in the past year. I talk about the importance of intentionality, the power of journaling, and the five sources I learn from. I note the importance of boundaries. I discuss the power of a culture of feedback, and I posit that the purpose of leadership challenges is to make you hungry for God. I point out the responsibility of a leader to grow others, I explain why you should become a fan of your customers, and I note the power of making aggressive mistakes. I share my input on the hiring process, why you should send emails on Saturdays, and the dangers of making influence an idol. I note the places where pride tends to invade, and I call on you to trust God with your reputation.“Be okay w

Mark Batterson serves as lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, DC. One church with eight locations, NCC is focused on reaching emerging generations and meets in theaters throughout the DC metro area. NCC also owns and operates the largest coffeehouse on Capitol Hill. Mark holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from Regent University and is the New York Times bestselling author of 11 books, including The Circle Maker, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, Wild Goose Chase, and most recently, Whisper and Play the Man. Mark and his wife Lora live on Capitol Hill with their three children: Parker, Summer, and Josiah.In this rebroadcasted episode, Mark joins me to share the lessons he’s learned on his journey. He talks about why not to underestimate God or overestimate yourself, shares the real cure for failure, and stresses our need for the Holy Spirit. He notes the importance of humility, the power of dreams, and why patience is crucial. He posits that everyone has a book in them and offers his advic

John Maxwell is a leadership expert and coach who has trained over 6 million leaders worldwide. He is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and Developing the Leader Within You 2.0. John has completely transformed my life and business through his books and teachings. For nearly two decades, I have dreamed of spending some one-on-one mentoring time with him - to ‘pick his brain,’ gain insight, and learn more about what it takes to be a great, inspiring, successful leader. So, I was honored to have the opportunity to turn that dream into a reality when I had lunch with him.Today, I rebroadcast an episode I recorded shortly after our lunch, in which I share the top 10 lessons I learned from it. I discuss the difference between being a “people pleaser” and being a “people leader,” and I share the lessons I learned from John about making the jump from pleasing others to leading them. I share the insight John provided on growing and developing company teams and the import

A year-end review is a process where you spend a few days going through your journals, calendars, photos, and more from the year, extracting all of the lessons and memories that you can in order to maximize your growth for the year. I’ve been doing this since 2004, typing up a report of my year after each one, and I can’t recommend this practice enough.Today, you’ll hear a replay of an episode I did a few years ago on year-end reviews. In it, I walk you through doing a year-end review. I explain why you need to do one, I note the importance of actually scheduling a time and place for it, and I tell you why you shouldn’t be deterred by the fact that your first year-end review won’t be perfect. I list what you should bring, I talk about the perks of having a year-end dinner with your spouse, and I share words of wisdom from John Maxwell on the value of evaluated experience.“You don’t grow just by getting another year older. You grow through reflecting, learning, and making changes as necessary.”- Doug SmithKey

Brett Hagler is the CEO and Co-Founder of New Story, an innovative nonprofit founded in 2015 to pioneer solutions to end global homelessness. Brett is a Y Combinator Alumnus, a 2016 Forbes 30 Under 30 entrepreneur, an author, a speaker, and a cancer survivor. Fast Company recognized New Story as one of the world’s most innovative companies in 2017, and as a top 10 nonprofit in 2019 . Brett was named as one of the Top 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs by Goldman Sachs in 2018.Today, Brett joins me to share the story of New Story. He shares why he’s so passionate about ending homelessness, what he’s actually doing about it, and the lessons he’s learned from the process. He goes into the company’s innovative approach to architecture and financing, discusses what it means to be a servant leader, and shares his faith story. He gives his definition of charity, discusses what having a home can do for a person, and talks about the prices and price variables of New Story houses. He explains why it’s not as hard as you

Lisa Scales has been President and CEO of the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank since 2012. She holds a JD degree from Boston University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Sciences from Seton Hill University. She serves on the Board of Directors at Adagio Health and is an Advisory Board Member for the Center of Supply Chain Management at the University of Pittsburgh, the Center for Community Engagement at Robert Moore University, and the University of Pittsburgh Johnson Institute for Responsible Leadership. She is a member of the University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics Board of Fellows and an Advisory Team Member for the Greater Pittsburgh Nonprofit Partnership. She currently serves as Chair of Feeding Pennsylvania. In 2018, Lisa received the Greater Pittsburgh Athena Award, and in January of 2021, Pittsburgh Magazine honored Lisa as Pittsburgher of the Year.Today, Lisa joins me on the podcast to share the lessons she’s learned in over 25 years of working her way up and leading

Brian Tome is the founding and senior pastor of Crossroads Church, 2017’s fastest-growing church in America. He has authored four books, including the bestselling The Five Marks of a Man, and hosts the Aggressive Life Podcast. He has opened several other nonprofits and started Man Camp, a primitive weekend camping experience that has helped tens of thousands of men reclaim the code of manhood. As an avid adventure motorcyclist, Brian rides over tens of thousands of miles and camps more than 30 nights each year. He has also released an adventure ride TV show called Phantom Lake, which is available on Amazon Prime. He is married with three children and lives in Cincinnati, OH.Today, Brian shares his story, and we discuss it in the context of our mentor Denny Pattyn, a previous guest on the show who brought Brian to Christ. Brian talks about his experience being adopted and shares his thoughts on leadership. He offers his insights on failure, discusses character development, and explains why it’s so important to

It's Thanksgiving week, and a lot of people are spending time thinking about what they're grateful for. As I reflect on my life, I'm overwhelmed with gratitude for the people who have made a difference in my life story.Today, I share that story, as well as the practical lessons that I've learned along the way to help you in leadership and life. I note the importance of giving voice to gratitude, and the power of inviting a person to be a part of something. I define real friendship, sharing my friend's observation that real friends don't just love you as you are; they love you enough not to let you stay where you are. I emphasize the weight your words hold, I invite you to let God write your story, and I call you to reach out to the people who have made a difference in your life. Throughout it all, I note the power of ordinary people's ordinary actions."The only way to change the world is when ordinary people do ordinary things that make an extraordinary difference."

Leah Lizarondo is the co-founder and CEO of 412 Food Rescue and the CEO of Food Rescue Hero, a technology platform that food rescue organizations like 412 use to facilitate food recovery. Today, Leah shares her story, explaining why food rescue is so important and why she’s passionate about it personally. She explains what the Food Rescue Hero app is and discusses the practical ways it helps combat food waste. She offers her advice for creating an effective app and discusses what she has learned about the art of entrepreneurship. She shares her tips for fundraising and notes the importance of enjoying the journey. She discusses her identity as an immigrant, explaining how it affects her mission, and she shares her tips on promoting diversity effectively and respectfully. She offers her insight on leadership in the Covid era, notes the potential of technology to be a force for good, and emphasizes the power of micro acts of kindness.“If you don’t ask, the default answer’s no.” - Leah Lizarondo“Enjoy the journe

After leading New Life Fellowship Church for 26 years, Pete Scazzero co-founded Emotionally Healthy Discipleship, a groundbreaking ministry that moves the church forward by slowing it down in order to multiply deeply changed leaders and disciples. He hosts the top-ranked Emotionally Healthy Leader Podcast and is also the author of a number of bestselling books, including The Emotionally Healthy Leader and Emotionally Healthy Spirituality. Pete and his wife Geri also developed the two-part Emotionally Healthy Discipleship Course, a powerful resource that helps move people from a shallow to a deep relationship with Jesus.Today, Pete joins me to talk about his journey to becoming an emotionally healthy leader and share how other leaders can take the same journey. He talks about the unbreakable link between emotional health and spiritual maturity and the power of experiencing grief and loss. He rebuts our culture’s unhealthy definition of success, offering his own biblical definition. He notes the meaning of marr

Dr. John Wallace is a kid from Homewood, the pastor at Bible Center Church, a professor and provost at the University of Pittsburgh, a husband, and a father of four. His mission is to help God's kingdom come and will be done on earth as it is in heaven, particularly in the realm of community development and interracial relationships.Today, John tells his story. He talks about how he got to where he is today, and he discusses the Lord's Prayer, asking what it looks like to have the kingdom of God on earth. He talks about the importance of the youth and shares what motivates us to act. We discuss the fact that the process of becoming a leader is gradual, and he distinguishes between quitting and pivoting. John explains why dismissing slavery as a thing of the past doesn't work, and he notes the difference between conciliation and reconciliation. We discuss what it means to have a kingdom worldview and how to be part of the solution. He explains why it's not fair to ask black people to educat

Greg McKeown is the host of the What’s Essential podcast and author of Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less and, more recently, Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most. His goal is to help successful people become very successful by avoiding the errors he’s found in his research that keep them from breaking through to their highest points of contribution.Today, we talk about his book Effortless. He talks about why he wrote the book and notes the importance of focusing on the essentials. He shares his philosophy on how to get more return out of the same amount of effort. He talks about the Big Rock analogy, and he notes the weight of holding grudges. He talks about the power of getting into an effortless state, and he discusses how to break the surviving/reacting cycle that many of us live our lives in. “Burnout is not a badge of honor.”- Greg McKeownKey Takeaways this week on the L3 Leadership Podcast:●       The power of focusing on the essentials●       ROE: Return on Effort●       The B

If you've listened to the past two episodes, you've heard my republished conversations with two great leaders who both passed recently: Tunch Ilkin and Jay Passavant. These interviews have had me reflecting on what it means to leave a legacy, particularly as a leader.Today, I talk about why it’s important to leave a legacy. I share some questions everyone should ask themselves, and I emphasize the importance of recognizing and accepting that you will die. I share a collection of Biblical and non-Biblical quotes on death, and I note that no one is promised tomorrow. I call you to stop taking life and leadership for granted, and I note that there are no do-overs in life. I stress the importance of living intentionally, and I note that people and relationships are what really matter in the end. I talk about how to create a life plan and the power of being honest with yourself, and I note that God’s plan for you is better than any plan you could come up with on your own."It's only when you rec

Jay Passavant was the founder of North Way Christian Community in Pittsburgh. The impact of his obedience to God’s call in his life to plant that church cannot be understated. He transformed our city, but his impact goes far beyond the walls of Pittsburgh as well. At Jay’s memorial service, my pastor said of him that he could have easily been a successful elected official or a CEO of a major corporation, and instead he chose to go all in on God’s call for him to start North Way, and that decision changed the world for so many people.Today, you’ll hear a throwback conversation I had with Jay in 2013. In it, we talk about life and leadership. He shares his story and discusses the lessons he has learned from it, emphasizing the importance of family and legacy. He defines leadership and notes what it means to have a natural talent for it, additionally explaining why everybody has what it takes to be a leader, to an extent. He talks about his experience as Student Body President in college and shares what he learn

Tunch Ilkin played football for the Pittsburgh Steelers for many seasons before becoming a broadcaster for the team for the rest of his career. He spent 35 years serving homeless men, women, and children of Pittsburgh at Light of Life Rescue Mission. He was also on staff at the Bible Chapel, where he made a significant impact on countless men’s lives by leading their men’s retreat. He also raised an incredible family. Tunch’s top priority in life was fulfilling the plan that God had for him. It was the center of everything that he did, and through this mission, he impacted thousands upon thousands of people with his life. He lived an extraordinary life and has left behind an incredible legacy. Once you met and interacted with Tunch Ilkin, your life was never the same.Today’s episode is a throwback to a conversation I had with Tunch in 2013. In it, Tunch shares his story, his thoughts on leadership, and a lot more. He talks about what it means to be a mentor and a servant leader and notes the role of humility

Like many leaders, you may think that you can get along fine without being part of a mastermind group. But the truth is, on your own, you’ll only last for so long. In this episode, I talk about why you need a mastermind group and what being in one can do for you.Today, I explain what mastermind groups are and share why they’re so powerful. I note that every leader needs to be in one, and I talk about what your life could look like after being in one for a year. I share the four ways that we at L3 Leadership work to gather and connect leaders, and I talk about how I learned about mastermind groups. I explain why our mastermind group will help you to be fully known, fully loved, and fully challenged. I share four reasons to join a mastermind group and talk about the results of being in one.“Sometimes it’s not the lesson that you need; it’s the lives of leaders that you need.”- Doug smithKey Takeaways this week on the L3 Leadership Podcast:●       Every leader needs to be in a mastermind group●       The purpose

Phil and Diane Comer are the parents of John Mark Comer, author of The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry. Together, they wrote Raising Passionate Jesus Followers, in which they share the practical parenting wisdom they have gained from raising four children, all of whom are looking for God and making a difference in the world. They have been married for 41 years and have been in ministry together for all of it.Today, Phil and Diane join me to talk about their book and share their best parenting lessons. They talk about the importance of beginning intentional parenting as early as possible and take me through the different stages of parenting a child as he or she grows. We discuss the importance of family in the kingdom of God. They note the importance of discipline and communication, and they make a distinction between discipline and punishment. They stress the importance of parenting your children as God parents us.“You want to raise your kids to know that following Jesus doesn’t mean everything is gonna go perf

Kim Scott is the author of several books including Radical Candor: Be a Kickass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity and Just Work: Get Sh*t Done, Fast & Fair. She has held management positions at both Apple and Twitter, and she is the co-founder of Radical Candor, LLC.Today, Kim joins me to talk about the power and meaning of just leadership. She notes the power of feedback and how to respond to it. She talks about the need to recognize failure and the power of the default. She defines just work and notes the difference between bias, prejudice, and bullying. She talks about the power of common language and shares how to write and use a code of conduct. She distinguishes between It, I, and You statements and explains when to use each. She shares some practical steps to address injustice in the workplace and offers her take on alcohol in the office. She also notes the need for boundaries between your work life and your non-work life.“Managing a restaurant or managing a small business, people are people.”- Kim

We live in a culture where people spend their health trying to make money, and then they spend all their money that they earned trying to buy back their health - and it’s not working. It’s hard to prioritize your health and fitness, but it’s necessary - not just for you but for all of the people who need your leadership.Today, I talk about the importance of health and fitness. I talk about why it matters and I share the story of my personal journey. I share the practical things that I’ve implemented in my life that I think you’ll find helpful. I share my definitions of health and fitness, I talk about the importance of focusing on what’s in your control (thereby reducing the risk of contracting health problems that are out of your control), and I offer four key takeaways.“If you don’t start where you are, you’re gonna stay where you are.” - Doug SmithKey Takeaways this week on the L3 Leadership Podcast:●       You have to get a personal vision for your health and fitness.●       You have to discover the price

Benjamin Hardy lives in Orlando with his wife and six kids, three of whom are adopted. He is an organizational psychologist with a Ph.D. in the subject from Clemson University. Benjamin writes on psychological self-improvement and entrepreneurial-related topics. Among his books are Will Power Doesn’t Work, Personality Isn’t Permanent, and Who Not How (co-written with Dan Sullivan).Today, Benjamin joins me to share his story. He talks about how he got started writing and tells all about the process. He shares what publishers are looking for and gives his tips for the writing process. He shares the three things you have to be clear on before sitting down to write a book, and he notes the importance of investing in yourself. He also shares his reflections on fostering, adopting, and raising children.“Your identity is your story, your narrative about yourself, and really, it’s up to all of us to decide what...our narrative is.”- Benjamin HardyKey Takeaways this week on the L3 Leadership Podcast:●       The power