In this episode of The Beacon Podcast, The Rev. Dr. Stuart Gulley joins Lighthouse Counsel President Jeff Jowdy for a wide-ranging conversation on what it takes to lead a campus with clarity, consistency and conviction. Drawing from three decades as a chief executive and his leadership at LaGrange College, Woodward Academy and Emory University, Stuart shares a simple but powerful discipline: Cast the vision constantly, in every setting, and pair it with stories that make the mission real. He describes how repeating core language and reinforcing it through lived examples helps faculty, staff, parents, alumni and students not only understand the mission but truly own it.

Stuart also unpacks the ingredients of a high-functioning CEO and board relationship. These include longer-serving board chairs, leaders who understand governance and a clear system for addressing “rogue” behavior before it derails momentum. He explains how Woodward built succession strength through intentional development, including identifying future leaders early and launching “Leadership Woodward” to grow talent across the organization. The episode closes with timely reflections on moral leadership in a fraught climate, using mission as the North Star when pressure collides with values and a practical decision filter every leader can use: Can I live with this if it becomes public?