“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

— Martin Luther King Jr.--------------------------

Episode 238 | Leadership on the Hardest Day (S5:E25)

Series: The Leader Within I Coaching The Bible

Sometimes leadership demands a decision. Other times, it demands a presence.

In one of the most emotionally complex narratives in the entire Bible, Aaron — fresh off the joy of national triumph — is struck by sudden, devastating loss. His response? Silence. But that silence speaks volumes.

In this deeply personal episode, we explore what it means to lead when your heart is breaking. We examine emotional mastery, attentional control, the role of presence over performance, and what it takes to be the kind of leader whose presence alone steadies the room.

From Torah to trauma psychology, Prime Ministers to boardrooms, this is an episode for every leader who's ever had to hold it together — not because they wanted to, but because they had to.

🎙️ Includes:

• The emotional frameworks behind Aaron’s silence

• Moses vs. Aaron: two different leadership instincts

• President Bush on 9/11, PM Netanyahu on 10/7

• Coaching tools from Bill Campbell, Tony Robbins, and Navy SEALs

• The 5 tools every leader must develop before the storm hits

“The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.”

— Bob Richards

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Ep 237 I The 4 Questions EVERY Leader Must Ask I Passover Special I Coaching The Bible I The Leader Within I S5:E24

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What if the most powerful leadership breakthroughs don’t come from strategy… but from self-reflection?

In this special Passover episode of Coaching the Bible, we pause the weekly Torah portion and go inward. Because every great leader — biblical or modern — eventually faces four questions that change everything.

🟦 What’s it like to be led by me?
🟦 Am I focusing on what only I can do?
🟦 Where might I be wrong?
🟦 What am I pretending not to know?

These aren’t surface-level.
They’re not for the faint of heart.
But they are essential.

And you need to be asking them of yourself...regularly.

If you're leading a team, an organization, a family, or even just trying to live more intentionally — this episode is for you.

We'll explore how ancient wisdom and modern psychology come together to help us lead from within. Because when you grow the inner leader, everything else gets better.

Listen now — and maybe, take a note or two.

Happy Listening!

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Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Leadership Questions

02:35 The Importance of Self-Reflection in Leadership

07:27 Focusing on Unique Abilities

10:44 Embracing the Discomfort of Being Wrong

15:01 Facing Uncomfortable Truths

20:05 The Path to Leadership Excellence

“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.”

— Pablo Picasso

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Ep. 236 | The Call You Almost Missed

Series: The Leader Within | Leviticus Begins

This week marks the start of our fifth journey through the Book of Leviticus — and this time, we're going inward.

The Leader Within is a new series exploring how leadership isn’t just about power, plans, or platforms — it’s about presence, purpose, and personal growth. In this opening session, we examine the tiny letter that opens the book — the small aleph in the word Vayikra — and how it teaches us about the quiet, easily missed calls to lead that shape everything.

From biblical figures who resisted their call (Moses, Jonah, Esther) to everyday heroes who step into sacred roles — this episode unpacks what it means to feel called, how to discern it, and what tools we need to say yes when it matters most.

Happy Listening!

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more — you are a leader."
— John Quincy Adams-----------------------------------

Podcast #235 | Pekudei | Beyond Sinai #4: The Legacy of Leadership – How Great Leaders Build What Lasts

Welcome back to Coaching the Bible. This week, we conclude our Beyond Sinai series with a powerful question: What remains after the leader steps back?

In this fourth and final session, we explore what it takes to build a leadership legacy that lasts — long after the speeches are over, the applause has faded, and the original builder is no longer at the center.

Drawing from Exodus 39–40, this episode unpacks the final steps of constructing the Mishkan and how Moses subtly transitions from central figure to sustaining presence — by embedding values into rituals, preparing successors, designing sacred space, and ultimately, letting go.

📌 In this episode:

• Why rituals are more powerful than rules

• How great leaders train successors to carry the mission

• What it means to build shared space that reinforces culture

• And why the ultimate act of leadership is knowing when to step back

This is leadership beyond charisma — it’s about building something durable, transferable, and holy.

🔗 Part 4 of 4 in the Beyond Sinai series:

1. From Blueprint to Breakthrough

2. Fueling the Mission

3. Wearing the Weight

4. The Legacy of Leadership

Whether you’re building an organization, leading a team, or raising a family — this is the session that reframes leadership not just as impact, but as endurance.

Listen now and ask yourself:

Am I building something that will last beyond me?

"You can delegate authority, but you cannot delegate responsibility."
— Senator Byron Dorgan

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Beyond Sinai #3: Wearing the Weight — The Sacred Responsibility of Leadership

This is Part 3 in the Beyond Sinai series — exploring how leaders move from vision to execution and from influence to legacy.

In this powerful episode, we dive into the next crucial step:

✅ How the High Priest's garments reveal the emotional weight leaders must carry

✅ The difference between holding power and bearing responsibility

✅ Why great leaders understand that presence, accountability, empathy, and focus shape lasting influence

Previously, we explored:

➡️ Session 1: How Moses transitioned from survival mode to structured leadership

➡️ Session 2: How Moses inspired the people to move from passive followers to active stakeholders

🔥 Now, in Session 3, we confront a powerful truth:

Leadership isn’t just about what you do — it’s about who you become and what you carry.

➡️ Listen now and learn how to lead with strength, presence, and purpose.

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Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Beyond Sinai

03:11 Wearing the Weight of Leadership

07:40 Leadership as Visible Identity

15:00 Accountability in Leadership

19:24 Emotional Presence in Leadership

24:07 Focus and Intentionality in Leadership

29:06 The True Weight of Leadership

"Leadership is not about being in charge. It’s about taking care of those in your charge."
— Simon Sinek

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In this episode, we explore one of the Bible's most dramatic moments — the Golden Calf. Mistakes were made, leaders failed, and followers faltered. But within this crisis lies a powerful set of lessons about leadership, followership, and the choices we make when trust is broken.

This episode is also something new — after over 230 episodes of Coaching the Bible as a solo podcast, this is my first time bringing on a guest and shifting from monologue to dialogue. It’s raw, unstructured, and takes some getting used to — but it’s rich with meaningful insights and ideas that can reshape how we think about leadership and community.

Join me and Dr. David Leitner as we unpack the missteps of Moses, Aaron, and the Israelites — and discover what this ancient story reveals about navigating uncertainty, rebuilding trust, and leading through failure.

If you've ever wondered what it takes to hold a community together when everything’s falling apart — this episode is for you.

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Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Leadership and Followership

09:51 Understanding Followership

12:10 The Golden Calf: A Leadership Perspective

12:38 Courageous Followership and Strategic Partnerships

12:57 The Dynamics of Leadership and Followership

15:26 Moses as a Leader and Follower

18:10 The Role of Middle Management in Leadership

20:39 Connecting Biblical Narratives to Modern Leadership

24:09 Leadership and Communication in Exodus

27:59 The Role of Aaron and Leadership Void

33:41 The Dynamics of Followership

38:55 The Golden Calf Incident and Leadership Response

43:50 Understanding Followership and Its Challenges

50:02 The Power of Choice in Leadership

52:51 The Dynamics of Followership

55:53 Understanding Leadership and Free Will

59:43 Lessons from the Golden Calf Incident

01:02:58 The Interplay of Leadership and Followership

01:06:11 Redemption and Growth in Leadership

01:10:14 The Complexity of Leadership Roles

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Find Dr. Leitner here:

• https://www.drdleitner.com/

• https://www.rhydl.com/

"If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood—teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea."

— Antoine de Saint-Exupéry----------------------------------------

Coaching the Bible | Beyond Sinai #2: Fueling the Mission – How Great Leaders Inspire Buy-In and Build Ownership

After Sinai, the people of Israel face a new challenge: how do you turn inspiration into action?

🔄 Last week, we explored how Moses transitioned from direct leadership to structured execution—building a system for long-term success.

This week, we take it further: how do great leaders inspire true buy-in, ensure commitment turns into action, and know when to stop asking?

💡 Key Leadership Lessons:
✅ Creating Buy-In: How great leaders inspire voluntary commitment.
✅ Structuring Participation: Why enthusiasm needs clear roles and execution.
✅ Knowing When to Stop Asking: The rare leadership skill of shifting from gathering to implementation.

From vision to ownership, from inspiration to execution—this episode breaks down the psychology and strategy behind true leadership buy-in.

Listen now and learn how to lead with vision, inspire commitment, and build movements that last.

👉 Follow Coaching the Bible on YouTube & Spotify for more insights on leadership, faith, and impact!

"Ideas are easy. Execution is everything."

— John Doerr -----------------------------------------------

Beyond Sinai: Why Vision Alone Isn’t Enough | Coaching the Bible (Ep. 231, S5E18)

Having a vision is great—but how do you turn it into reality?

That’s the real challenge of leadership.

Even Moses had to figure out how to move from inspiration to execution after Sinai.

Welcome to Beyond Sinai—our new series on what happens after the revelation, after the commandments, after the big moment.

Because leadership isn’t just about having a vision. It’s about building something that lasts.

Why listen?

• If you’ve ever struggled to turn ideas into action, this episode is for you.
• Learn how Moses transitioned from charismatic leader to structured leadership.
• Discover why delegation is strength—and how letting go creates real impact.
• See how the Tabernacle’s construction is a blueprint for sustainable leadership.

This isn’t just history—it’s a masterclass in leadership for anyone building something bigger than themselves.

📌 Up next in Beyond Sinai: How to get real buy-in and turn passive followers into active participants!

Tune in, take notes, and start building!

#CoachingTheBible #BeyondSinai #Leadership #VisionToExecution #MakeItHappen

"The best way to predict the future is to create it."

— Peter Drucker

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#230: The Leadership Covenant: Trust, Action, and the Decision That Defined a People

What if your team, your organization, or your community could commit to a vision instantly—without hesitation, without resistance?

"We will do, and we will hear."

At Mount Sinai, an entire nation made the most remarkable decision in leadership history: full, collective commitment before knowing all the details. No deliberation. No second-guessing. Just absolute trust in the mission.

This wasn’t blind faith.

It was the result of a structured leadership progression:

🔹 Collective courage – The first belief in change.
🔹 Persistent leadership – Trust built through endurance.
🔹 Decisive action – The willingness to move forward without certainty.
🔹 Leap leadership – Taking the first step before seeing the results.
🔹 Covenantal leadership – Committing to the future before all details are known.

What does this mean for us today?

✅ How do great leaders create this level of alignment?

✅ What psychological and cognitive mechanisms make this possible?

✅ Where do we see this in history—moon landings, revolutions, business breakthroughs?

✅ How can you apply the Sinai model to build trust, vision, and action in your own leadership?

This is one of the most powerful leadership conversations we’ve ever had on Coaching the Bible.

If you lead a team, build an organization, or seek to inspire lasting commitment, this episode is a must-listen.

Listen now and step into the leadership of Sinai.

Happy Learning!

"You can do anything, but not everything."

— David Allen 

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Ep 229 I Strategic Leadership: Moses’ Pivot Beyond Survival & Into Systems

How do leaders transition from survival mode to building systems that last?

In this episode of Coaching the Bible, we explore Moses’ greatest leadership pivot—one that took him from handling every crisis himself to building a scalable system for the future.

After splitting the sea, confronting Pharaoh, and standing before God at Sinai, Moses should be leading at a higher level. Instead, he finds himself buried in every dispute, every decision, every detail—unable to step back. Enter Jethro, his father-in-law, who offers a radical leadership intervention:

“What you’re doing is not good. You will wear yourself out.”

This moment marks the first time Moses takes leadership advice from a human, not God. And what unfolds is a transformation from reactive, crisis-driven leadership to structured, sustainable governance.

🔹 How does the Eisenhower Matrix (Urgent vs. Important) explain Moses’ leadership shift?

🔹 Why do so many leaders struggle to delegate—even after major success?

🔹 What is the "Jethro Moment"—and have you had one in your leadership journey?

🔹 What is the Delegation Test, and are you passing it?

We unpack how modern leaders—from CEOs to community builders—face the same struggle as Moses: moving beyond hands-on execution to strategic, scalable leadership.

Listen now to learn how to pivot your leadership beyond survival mode and into systems that last.