In this episode, Don reflects on what it means to lead through uncertainty, when clarity hasn’t yet come and all you can see is fog. Drawing from the concept of VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity), he explores how curiosity, not control, becomes the true anchor in turbulent times.

Joining him is Brandon Leppänen, Town Manager of St. George, Maine, a former mentee, longtime colleague, and now close friend. Together, they talk about learning to trust the process, balancing agency with empathy, and finding calm in the unknown.

Their conversation is a reminder that leadership isn’t about eliminating uncertainty, but about staying grounded enough to move through it one clear insight, one step at a time.

To learn more about Don's work, upcoming offerings, and leadership resources, visit carpentercompanyconsulting.com

If something in today’s episode spoke to you, I hope you’ll subscribe and continue the journey with me — because leadership begins within.

In this deeply personal episode of Meditations on Leadership, Don Carpenter explores what it truly means to lead toward something rather than simply reacting to what we fear or want to avoid. Through a candid reflection on scarcity, fundraising, and his own growth as a leader, Don shares how shifting from resistance to possibility reshaped his life and work.

This week’s conversation is especially meaningful: Don sits down with his father, 87-year-old Reid Carpenter, the visionary founder of the Pittsburgh Leadership Foundation and a catalyst behind a global network of over 55 Leadership Foundations worldwide. Together, they explore the roots of leadership, the cost and courage of vision, the tension between calling and family, and the complex beauty of a legacy shared across generations.

Part meditation, part father–son conversation, and part embodiment of the idea that leadership begins within, this episode invites listeners to reflect on where they are leading from - and what they are leading toward.

To learn more about Don's work, upcoming offerings, and leadership resources, visit carpentercompanyconsulting.com

If something in today’s episode spoke to you, I hope you’ll subscribe and continue the journey with me — because leadership begins within.

In this episode, Don explores what it means to tend the flame - to lead with passion without being consumed by it. Through the lens of Ronald Heifetz’s “balcony view” and a personal story about navigating conflict with a group of community members, Don reflects on the inner work required to rise above emotion and lead with clarity and purpose.

He’s joined by Julia Sleeper, co-founder and Executive Director of Tree Street Youth in Lewiston, Maine, and a powerful voice in community-based youth development. Don and Julia trace the origins of their shared fire for this work - from their early days shaped by UrbanPromise in Camden, NJ, to years of learning alongside one another across rural and urban communities.

Together, they dive into the heart of grounded leadership: how to stay connected without getting overwhelmed, how to recognize when passion turns into reactivity, and how to cultivate the inner steadiness needed to lead for the long haul.

A warm, honest, and energizing conversation for anyone committed to leading from the inside out.

To learn more about Don's work, upcoming offerings, and leadership resources, visit carpentercompanyconsulting.com

If something in today’s episode spoke to you, I hope you’ll subscribe and continue the journey with me — because leadership begins within.

In this episode, Don reflects on a lesson learned among the redwoods of the Pacific Northwest - that growth can’t be forced; it can only be cultivated when the conditions are right.

His guest, Elias Edwards-Jenks, embodies that truth. A former Trekkers student turned educator and community leader, Elias now leads the NOVA Alternative Education Program in Rockland, Maine, where he’s creating a relationship-based model that helps students reconnect to learning and to themselves.

Together, Don and Elias explore what it really means to build environments—whether in classrooms, organizations, or communities - where people can thrive. They talk about trust, belonging, the power of hands-on learning, and how leadership, like nature, flourishes when tended with care.

When the conditions are right, big things grow.

To learn more about Don's work, upcoming offerings, and leadership resources, visit carpentercompanyconsulting.com

If something in today’s episode spoke to you, I hope you’ll subscribe and continue the journey with me — because leadership begins within.

This episode begins with the meditation Built to Last, Not to Impress - a reflection on the pull between wanting to grow fast and the discipline to build slow. Don explores how real leadership isn’t about scaling quickly but about honoring each step and building foundations that endure.

Joining him is Dr. Bruce Main, founder and president of UrbanPromise, whose life’s work has embodied that very idea. From one summer camp in Camden, New Jersey, to a global network reaching across continents, Bruce has spent more than three decades building people, not just programs. Together, he and Don reflect on the tension between ambition and patience, the lessons learned from failure, and the deep satisfaction of creating something that lasts long after your name fades from it.

A conversation about wisdom, humility, and the quiet strength behind sustainable leadership.

To learn more about Don's work, upcoming offerings, and leadership resources, visit carpentercompanyconsulting.com

If something in today’s episode spoke to you, I hope you’ll subscribe and continue the journey with me — because leadership begins within.

In this episode, Don reflects on the quiet strength it takes to lead without rushing to fill the space. Drawing from Meditation #10: The Discipline of Holding Back, he explores the power of restraint—how silence, patience, and presence can become acts of courage in leadership.

Joining him is Krystal Williams, attorney, social entrepreneur, and founder of the Providentia Group and the Alpha Legal Foundation. Krystal shares how she’s learned to balance conviction with curiosity, structure with empathy, and how sometimes the most powerful thing a leader can do is wait.

Together, they explore what it means to hold space instead of control it—and how silence can be a bridge to deeper understanding, trust, and transformation.

If you’ve ever felt the urge to jump in, fix, or fill the silence, this conversation is an invitation to slow down, listen more deeply, and W.A.I.T. 

To learn more about Don's work, upcoming offerings, and leadership resources, visit carpentercompanyconsulting.com

If something in today’s episode spoke to you, I hope you’ll subscribe and continue the journey with me — because leadership begins within.

What happens when leadership is guided not by power, but by love?

In this episode, Don explores the tension between love and control - and what it really means to lead with honesty, courage, and care. Based on his meditation “When Love Leads,” Don reflects on how love, when practiced in leadership, doesn’t soften accountability - it deepens it.

Joining him is Alan Furth, co-founder of the Cobscook Institute and a lifelong educator whose work has been rooted in peace, honesty, respect, and empowerment - with love intentionally at the core. Together, they talk about the difference between control and care, the courage it takes to hold both truth and compassion, and how leadership grounded in love can transform people, organizations, and communities.

Because when love leads, power finds its proper place - and people rise.

To learn more about Don's work, upcoming offerings, and leadership resources, visit carpentercompanyconsulting.com

If something in today’s episode spoke to you, I hope you’ll subscribe and continue the journey with me — because leadership begins within.

In this episode of Meditations on Leadership, Don reflects on Dr. Richard Schwartz’s Internal Family Systems model and what it means to lead from the grounded center of the Self. He’s joined by Bill Burke, founder of The Optimism Institute, former CEO of The Weather Channel, and host of the Blue Sky podcast, to explore how optimism, presence, and inner clarity shape authentic leadership. Together, they consider how the best leaders create safety within themselves - and, in doing so, invite others to do the same. 

To learn more about Don's work, upcoming offerings, and leadership resources, visit carpentercompanyconsulting.com

If something in today’s episode spoke to you, I hope you’ll subscribe and continue the journey with me — because leadership begins within.

Episode 7 — Leading Without Hidden Agendas 

In this episode of Meditations on Leadership, Don Carpenter sits down with Dr. Jacqueline “Jackie” Edmondson, President of the University of Southern Maine. A first-generation college student who grew up in rural America, Jackie’s journey from the piano bench to the presidency of one of Maine’s largest public universities is a story of courage, curiosity, and purpose.

Together, Don and Jackie explore what it means to lead from wholeness rather than need — to show up in service without hidden agendas, and to trust that authenticity is the foundation of real influence. Along the way, Jackie reflects on her early mentors, her lifelong love of music, and what she’s learned about leadership through decades of teaching, writing, and leading in higher education.

If you’ve ever found yourself giving from emptiness instead of overflow, this conversation offers a gentle reminder: leadership that endures begins on the inside.

To learn more about Don's work, upcoming offerings, and leadership resources, visit carpentercompanyconsulting.com

If something in today’s episode spoke to you, I hope you’ll subscribe and continue the journey with me — because leadership begins within.

This episode of Meditations on Leadership begins with Meditation #17: The Broker, Not the Keeper, a reflection on collaboration—why it’s harder than we often admit, and how real partnership requires trust, belonging, and agency.

Don is then joined by Molly Feeney, Executive Director of Homeworthy, the only dedicated homeless service agency serving Knox, Waldo, and parts of Lincoln County, Maine. With a background that spans teaching in a youth detention facility, leading a residential treatment school, and now guiding Homeworthy through growth and transformation, Molly’s leadership embodies courage, equity, and compassion. Together, Don and Molly explore what it takes to meet people where they are, build communities of belonging, and practice collaboration not as competition, but as culture.

To learn more about Don's work, upcoming offerings, and leadership resources, visit carpentercompanyconsulting.com

If something in today’s episode spoke to you, I hope you’ll subscribe and continue the journey with me — because leadership begins within.