Follow 2 Lead: A Christian Leaders Podcast

What if your phone isn't just stealing your time, but quietly changing the way you lead, think, and connect with the people who matter most? In this episode of the Follow 2 Lead Podcast, Tony Miltenberger sits down with Jedd Medefind, president of the Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO) and author of Rule Your Tech So It Won't Rule You, for a conversation about technology, attention, spiritual formation, and the hidden costs of constant connectivity. Jedd believes one of the greatest gifts a leader can offer is their presence. Not simply showing up, but bringing a sense of calm, hope, and genuine attentiveness to the people around them. Unfortunately, the technology we rely on every day is making that increasingly difficult. Drawing from research, personal experience, and his work leading a global network of Christian organizations, Jedd explores how our devices influence our ability to focus, maintain healthy relationships, and experience peace. He also shares why technology itself isn't the enemy—and how small, intentional boundaries can help us reclaim what matters most. From phone-free bedrooms to team-wide spiritual practices, this conversation offers practical encouragement for leaders who want to use technology wisely without allowing it to shape their priorities. In this episode, you'll discover: Why your presence may be the most valuable gift you offer as a leader. How constant connectivity can undermine focus, calm, and meaningful relationships. The three ways technology affects us: content, displacement, and brain formation. Why technology boundaries matter for adults just as much as children. How to recognize when your devices are making decisions about your attention. What Jedd learned about leadership and collaboration while serving in the White House. How shared spiritual practices can strengthen an organization's culture. Why keeping your phone out of the bedroom can make a meaningful difference. How small, consistent choices can help you become a more attentive, grounded, and Christ-centered leader. Coaching Question What is one boundary you could establish with technology this week that would help you become more fully present with God, your family, or the people you lead? Connect with Jedd Medefind Jedd Medefind serves as president of the Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO), a collaborative network of organizations committed to caring for vulnerable children. Previously, he served in the George W. Bush administration, including at the White House, helping advance the Faith-Based and Community Initiative. His book, Rule Your Tech So It Won't Rule You, explores how intentional technology choices can protect our attention, relationships, and well-being. CAFO Website: https://cafo.org/ Book: Rule Your Tech So It Won't Rule You — Available on Amazon Integrated Leader Mastermind — Applications Open Strong leaders weren't meant to lead alone. Tony Miltenberger and Trey Tucker are bringing together 12 Christian men for a six-month mastermind focused on growing professionally, personally, and spiritually alongside other leaders committed to doing the same. Learn more and apply: https://leader-integrated-cohort.replit.app/ Connect with Tony Miltenberger Website: https://www.twmilt.com/ 12 Questions: https://www.follow2leadbenchmark.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twmilt Substack: https://twmilt.substack.com/ Instagram: @twmilt | @follow2lead Please check out our sponsors: EBEB Solutions https://www.ebebsolutions.com/ That Sounds Fun Network https://thatsoundsfunnetwork.com/ Follow 2 Lead Coaching https://www.follow2leadbenchmark.com/ Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/follow-2-lead-a-christian-leaders-podcast/id1429933082 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when the thing you're working so hard to build becomes the very thing God is asking you to surrender? In this episode of the Follow 2 Lead Podcast, Tony Miltenberger sits down with author, speaker, and coach Ryan Miller for a conversation about ambition, identity, surrender, and the surprising power of meekness in Christian leadership. Ryan knows what it's like to chase a big vision. In his twenties, he was on the verge of a major Hollywood deal for a multimillion-dollar film project. Then, at the height of its momentum, he made the difficult decision to walk away. What followed were years of financial uncertainty, failed ventures, and a painful confrontation with an identity built around achievement. But in that wilderness season, Ryan began discovering something that would change the way he understood leadership: meekness isn't weakness. It's strength surrendered to God. Drawing from his new book, Meek as a Mustang, Ryan shares how the process of taming wild horses became a powerful picture of discipleship, trust, and the freedom that comes from letting God lead. Tony and Ryan also explore the importance of spiritual rhythms, discerning whose voices to trust, protecting your priorities, and recognizing when even good ambitions have become distractions. In this episode, you'll discover: Why ambition and achievement can quietly become the foundation of your identity. How to recognize when you're pursuing your own success instead of God's direction. What walking away from a major opportunity taught Ryan about surrender. Why meekness is a leadership virtue, not a personality type or a sign of weakness. How seasons of failure and uncertainty can reshape your understanding of success. Why spiritual disciplines should deepen your relationship with God rather than become another performance metric. How to discern which mentors and voices deserve influence in your life. Why healthy boundaries are essential to leading and loving others well. What it means to develop leaders who seek God's presence more than personal recognition. Coaching Question Where might your ambition be getting in the way of your obedience—and what would it look like to surrender that area of your leadership to God? Connect with Ryan Miller Ryan Miller is an author, speaker, and coach passionate about sharing stories that point people toward Jesus. His book, Meek as a Mustang, explores how surrender, trust, and meekness can transform the way we live and lead. Website: https://jesuspeoplemovement.org/ Instagram: @ryan_miller Integrated Leader Mastermind — Applications Open Strong leaders weren't meant to lead alone. Tony Miltenberger and Trey Tucker are bringing together 12 Christian men for a six-month mastermind focused on growing professionally, personally, and spiritually alongside other leaders committed to doing the same. Learn more and apply: https://leader-integrated-cohort.replit.app/ Connect with Tony Miltenberger Website: https://www.twmilt.com/ 12 Questions: https://www.follow2leadbenchmark.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twmilt Substack: https://twmilt.substack.com/ Instagram: @twmilt | @follow2lead Please check out our sponsors: EBEB Solutions https://www.ebebsolutions.com/ That Sounds Fun Network https://thatsoundsfunnetwork.com/ Follow 2 Lead Coaching https://www.follow2leadbenchmark.com/ Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/follow-2-lead-a-christian-leaders-podcast/id1429933082 Learn more about your ad choices. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You want to develop better leaders. But are you still developing yourself? In this episode, Tony sits down with Peter Hiskey for an in-person conversation about developing leaders, remaining a lifelong learner, discerning God’s call, and continuing to grow in every season of life. Peter has spent decades discipling and developing people in the world of professional golf, carrying forward a ministry that began when his father started gathering PGA Tour players for Bible study more than 60 years ago. His approach to developing leaders starts with something simple: never stop being a learner yourself. Tony and Peter also explore the major transitions that have shaped Peter’s life—from leaving a successful 25-year career with Ping to following God into ministry, to building The Saltire House at St. Andrews, to climbing Kilimanjaro, to taking on one of his biggest assignments at an age when many people are thinking about retirement. Through it all, Peter has learned to keep asking where God is leading, stay aligned with his wife, and remain willing to move when the answer comes. In this episode, you’ll discover: Why developing other leaders starts with continuing to develop yourself. How to recognize when someone is ready to lead and learn on their own. Why lifelong learners make better disciplemakers and leaders. How Peter discerned it was time to leave a successful 25-year career. The rhythms Peter and his wife have used for 40 years to stay aligned. Why your calling may require you to surrender your timeline and expectations. What climbing Kilimanjaro taught Peter about faith, fear, and letting go. Why retirement can be less about what you’re leaving and more about what you’re moving toward. How to identify the work you may be uniquely called and equipped to do. Coaching Question If you want the people you lead to keep growing, where do you need to become a learner again? Connect with Peter Hiskey Peter Hiskey has spent decades discipling and developing people throughout the world of golf. Today, his work includes The Saltire House at St. Andrews, creating opportunities for discipleship, connection, and spiritual formation at the historic home of golf. Website: The Saltire House Email: [email protected] Integrated Leader Mastermind — Applications Open Strong leaders weren't meant to lead alone. Tony Miltenberger and Trey Tucker are bringing together 12 Christian men for a six-month mastermind focused on growing professionally, personally, and spiritually alongside other leaders committed to doing the same. Learn more and apply: leader-integrated-cohort.replit.app Connect with Tony Miltenberger Website: twmilt.com 12 Questions: follow2leadbenchmark.com YouTube: youtube.com/@twmilt Substack: twmilt.substack.com Instagram: @twmilt | @follow2lead SEEDS Download the free SEEDS app and take one small step today: plant your first seed and see what God can grow. Please check out our sponsor: EBEB Solutions ebebsolutions.com That Sounds Fun Network thatsoundsfunnetwork.com Follow 2 Lead Coaching follow2leadbenchmark.com Apple Podcasts Follow 2 Lead on Apple Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when praising God no longer comes naturally? In this episode, Tony sits down with author, speaker, and Bible teacher Wendy Speake for a deeply personal conversation about praise, perseverance, spiritual disciplines, and learning to trust God when life gets hard. For years, praise had been a natural overflow of Wendy’s faith—until she entered a season where life became tremendously difficult. In the middle of feeling physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and relationally broken, Wendy began to discover that praise and thanksgiving aren’t dependent on our circumstances. Sometimes, they become a discipline we choose precisely when we don’t feel like it. Wendy shares the unexpected airplane conversation that led her into an “ask fast,” where she temporarily stopped petitioning God for what she wanted and instead focused on praising Him for who He is. That practice became an important part of her healing—and ultimately inspired her new book, A Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving. Tony and Wendy also explore the daily practices that keep faith rooted, how our thought patterns shape our relationships, what it means to share vulnerably without sharing every detail, and why persevering in our relationship with God matters even when everything else feels like it’s falling apart. In this episode, you’ll discover: Why praise is a spiritual discipline—not just a response to good circumstances. What an “ask fast” is and how it can shift the way you approach prayer. How to build spiritual disciplines without turning them into shame-filled checklists. Why intentionally focusing on what is true and praiseworthy can reshape your thought patterns. How surrendering control can change the way you relate to the people you love. The important difference between vulnerability and transparency. Why leaders should be thoughtful about sharing wounds that haven’t fully healed. What it looks like to persevere with God when you’re barely persevering in life. Coaching Question What spiritual discipline are you building today that will help anchor you when life gets hard? Connect with Wendy Speake Wendy Speake is an author, speaker, and Bible teacher whose latest book, A Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving, explores what it means to praise God through difficult seasons. Website: wendyspeake.com Integrated Leader Mastermind — Applications Open Strong leaders weren't meant to lead alone. Tony Miltenberger and Trey Tucker are bringing together 12 Christian men for a six-month mastermind focused on growing professionally, personally, and spiritually alongside other leaders committed to doing the same. Learn more and apply: leader-integrated-cohort.replit.app Connect with Tony Miltenberger Website: twmilt.com 12 Questions: follow2leadbenchmark.com YouTube: youtube.com/@twmilt Substack: twmilt.substack.com Instagram: @twmilt | @follow2lead SEEDS Download the free SEEDS app and take one small step today: plant your first seed and see what God can grow. Please check out our sponsor: EBEB Solutions ebebsolutions.com That Sounds Fun Network thatsoundsfunnetwork.com Follow 2 Lead Coaching follow2leadbenchmark.com Apple Podcasts Follow 2 Lead on Apple Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if everyone on your team is saying yes—but you’re not actually aligned? In this episode, Tony Miltenberger sits down with real-life friends Allison Steele and Rachel Huffman of Emerge Recovery & Trade Initiative to talk about what it takes to build a team that can move in the same direction without avoiding the hard conversations along the way. Rachel shares a recent realization from Emerge’s leadership team: they were good at making decisions and moving forward, but sometimes they were acting like “good soldiers” instead of spending enough time in healthy conflict. Real alignment requires more than agreement—it requires trust, curiosity, honest conversation, and a willingness to stay at the table when perspectives differ. Tony, Rachel, and Allison also explore leading through rapid growth, navigating relationships with founders, discerning God’s direction, and Allison’s approach of simply doing the “next one right thing.” And they get personal about the relationship they’ve built as leaders—one where disagreement is safe, hard conversations are possible, and neither has to lead alone. In this episode, you’ll discover: Why agreement and alignment aren’t the same thing. How healthy conflict can actually strengthen a leadership team. Why curiosity is a leadership muscle worth developing. How core values create clarity around hiring, decisions, goals, and accountability. What it looks like to lead an organization when the founders are still involved. Why Allison focuses on the “next one right thing” instead of figuring out the whole path. How trust creates the safety leaders need to disagree and grow. Why great leaders weren’t meant to lead alone. Coaching Question Where might your team be settling for agreement when you need to spend more time building real alignment? Connect with Emerge Recovery & Trade Initiative Emerge Recovery & Trade helps people build healthy, sustainable lives through an integrated ecosystem of behavioral health services, supportive housing, and workforce development—including its on-site Trades Institute. Website: https://emergerecoverytrade.com/about Integrated Leader Mastermind — Applications Open Strong leaders weren't meant to lead alone. Tony Miltenberger and Trey Tucker are bringing together 12 Christian men for a six-month mastermind focused on growing professionally, personally, and spiritually alongside other leaders committed to doing the same. Learn more and apply: leader-integrated-cohort.replit.app Connect with Tony Miltenberger Website: twmilt.com 12 Questions: follow2leadbenchmark.com YouTube: youtube.com/@twmilt Substack: twmilt.substack.com Instagram: @twmilt | @follow2lead SEEDS Download the free SEEDS app and take one small step today: plant your first seed and see what God can grow. Please check out our sponsor: EBEB Solutions ebebsolutions.com That Sounds Fun Network thatsoundsfunnetwork.com Follow 2 Lead Coaching follow2leadbenchmark.com Apple Podcasts Follow 2 Lead on Apple Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices