EPISODE 255: What if the role you're in isn't the one you were made for and God is calling you to something you never expected?

In this episode of Linch with a Leader, Mike Linch sits down with John Felkins, Executive Director of Coaching for EntreLeadership Elite at Ramsey Solutions, to unpack a powerful story of calling, identity, and how God uses every chapter of our lives, even the confusing ones, to shape who we become as leaders.

John’s journey is anything but linear:

from growing up on an almond farm…

to dreaming of being a fighter pilot…

to grinding through engineering school out of insecurity…

to accidentally becoming the coach who built Ramsey’s leadership coaching program.

What emerges is a deeply honest conversation about faith, self-awareness, limiting beliefs, and the inner battles leaders silently carry.

🎯 Leadership Lessons from John

- You can’t lead others if you haven’t learned to lead yourself.

- God never wastes your story, even the parts -you wouldn’t choose.

- Limiting beliefs don’t disappear; leaders confront them head‑on.

- Wholehearted leadership is sustainable leadership.

- Faith doesn’t sit outside leadership — it shapes it.

- Identity must be formed before leadership can flourish.

- Purpose often becomes clear only in the rearview mirror.

🎧 Listen & Subscribe

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/linch-with-a-leader/id1279929826

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0dJfeLbikJlKlBqAx6mDYW?si=3be196d45ecc469c

📝 Show notes & more: www.mikelinch.com

📺 Watch on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@linchwithaleader

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Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

05:03 Culture and Leadership at Ramsey

07:25 Personal Journey and Early Aspirations

10:01 The Role of Faith in Leadership

12:35 Transition from Engineering to Leadership

14:56 Overcoming Limiting Beliefs

17:20 The Importance of Lifelong Learning

19:38 Developing Confidence and Resilience

22:28 Purpose and Impact in Leadership