Vision
Execution
January 7, 2025

EP 159: Purposeful Leader — GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft

Contributor
Whitney Putnam
Whitney Putnam
Vice President of Marketing
|
Global Leadership Network
David Ashcraft
David Ashcraft
President and CEO
|
Global Leadership Network

“Vision leaks” is a well-known leadership axiom, and to kick off January’s theme of being a “purposeful leader,” Whitney Putnam sits down with GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft. In this conversation, they explore the role purpose and mission has in David’s life and leadership. We’ll also hear about some common pitfalls that leaders can face regarding purpose, and how he has learned to guard against them.

IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Does David do New Years’ Resolutions?

  • How would David describe his life’s purpose?

  • What can people do to discover a purpose that lasts?

  • What can leaders do if an organization starts to drift from its purpose or mission?

  • How did David learn the importance of maintaining clarity and focus?

  • For David, who modeled the quality of consistently showing up, day after day?

  • How do you keep showing up to do your job if it doesn’t align with your passion?  

LISTEN

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

STANDOUTS AND TAKEAWAYS

  • Focus on simplicity; don’t try to do too many things.

  • The leader’s job is to be the gatekeeper of the vision, to say no to things that might pull the organization off track.

  • Even after you spend months crafting the perfect vision statement, it will inevitably leak. Repetition is crucial.

  • After you establish your purpose, everything you do should be measured against it.

  • Oftentimes, people will get bored with vision and purpose and want to try new things. Sometimes the leader needs to remind people that winning comes from being consistent and doing their job.  

LINKS MENTIONED

Vision
,
Leadership Development
,
Team Building
,
March 25, 2026

Ep 202: Creating Meaningful Change Through Faith and Entrepreneurship (with Justin Forman)

Leadership isn’t just about building something successful; it’s about building something meaningful, aligning what you believe with how you lead and using what you’ve been given to make a difference. Today’s guest is someone who has spent years helping leaders do exactly that.

Leading Organizations
Calling
,
Confidence
,
Productivity
,
March 18, 2026

Ep 201: Five Essential Functions of Leadership (with Henry Cloud)

Our President and CEO, David Ashcraft, recently sat down with Dr. Cloud for a conversation about his upcoming book Your Desired Future. This book is basically a masterclass in how to lead—yourself and other people and is exactly what we’ve come to expect from Henry: deep psychological insight with super practical application.

Leading Organizations
Leading Yourself
Learning Agility
,
Replenishment
,
Complex Thinking
,
February 18, 2026

Ep 198: The World of Creativity (with Fredrik Haren)

For today’s guest, to be creative is to be human, author, speaker and “Creativity Explorer” Fredrik Heron has spent decades helping leaders understand that creativity isn’t about talent or personality: it’s about practice, environment and perspective

Leading Yourself
Leading Organizations

Leadership That Lasts

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