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The Discerning Leader Podcast

The Discerning Leader Podcast

Steve Macchia | Leadership Transformations, Inc. 322 Episodes Aug 20, 2026

The Discerning Leader podcast is for Christian leaders who are interested in discovering the joy of 'practicing a preference for God' in all aspects of their personal lives and relationships, their leadership and service to others. Each episode our host, Steve Macchia, founder and president of Leadership Transformations, Inc. (LTI), with friends from the LTI community, will explore one aspect of spiritual discernment as a way of life. Join us on this refreshingly transformational journey and add your voice to this leadership conversation.

Episodes

Mark Buchanan | Summer 2026: Rewind, Episode 8
Mark Buchanan | Summer 2026: Rewind, Episode 8 Aug 20, 2026 39:58 Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Mark Buchanan This episode originally aired on June 17, 2021 as Episode 3 of Season 11. "The premier physical activity for spiritual formation is walking." — Mark Buchanan In this REWIND episode, Steve Macchia welcomes Mark Buchanan to explore God Walk and what it means to move at "the speed of your soul"—the speed of love and grace. They reflect on Sabbath, attentivene
Amy Murgatroyd | Summer 2026: Rewind, Episode 7
Amy Murgatroyd | Summer 2026: Rewind, Episode 7 Aug 13, 2026 48:30 Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Amy Murgatroyd This episode originally aired on October 14, 2021 as Episode 4 of Season 14. "I'm not creating these moments. I'm bearing witness to them." – Amy Murgatroyd   What would change if we slowed down enough to really see? In this episode, Steve Macchia talks with photographer and filmmaker Amy Murgatroyd about the spiritual practice of noticing. After a health
Rich Plass | Summer 2026: Rewind, Episode 6
Rich Plass | Summer 2026: Rewind, Episode 6 Aug 6, 2026 47:33 Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Rich Plass This episode originally aired on August 19, 2021 as Episode 2 of Season 13. "Every leader needs someone who can hear their story without judgment." - Rich Plass Steve Macchia welcomes longtime friend Dr. Richard Plass, author of The Relational Soul, to explore how our earliest relationships form us and why healing often begins when we have the courage to tell
Alice Fryling | Summer 2026: Rewind, Episode 5
Alice Fryling | Summer 2026: Rewind, Episode 5 Jul 30, 2026 46:48 Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Alice Fryling This episode originally aired on October 28, 2021 as Episode 6 of Season 14. "Aging faithfully isn't about holding onto what once was—it's about trusting the God who remains faithful in every season." - Alice Fryling In this thoughtful conversation, Steve Macchia welcomes author and spiritual director Alice Fryling to explore the holy invitation of aging f
Alan Fadling | Summer 2026: Rewind, Episode 4
Alan Fadling | Summer 2026: Rewind, Episode 4 Jul 23, 2026 47:34 Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Sara Singleton This episode originally aired on November 4, 2021 as Episode 1 of Season 15. "We have a cultural assumption that fast is good and slow is bad…how might slow be good for your soul?" – Alan Fadling In this episode, Steve Macchia welcomes author, spiritual director, and Unhurried Living founder Alan Fadling for a rich conversation about slowing down to the p
Sara Singleton | Summer 2026: Rewind, Episode 3
Sara Singleton | Summer 2026: Rewind, Episode 3 Jul 16, 2026 45:22 Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Sara Singleton This episode originally aired on May 12, 2022 as Episode 7 of Season 18. "You don't have to do anything or be anything for God to love you more." - Sarah Singleton In this deeply moving conversation with Steve Macchia, Sarah shares the remarkable story of God's faithfulness through infertility, adoption, heartbreaking loss, vocational calling, racial rec
Adele Calhoun | Summer 2026: Rewind, Episode 2
Adele Calhoun | Summer 2026: Rewind, Episode 2 Jul 9, 2026 50:29 Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Adele Calhoun This episode originally aired on September 23, 2021 as Episode 1 of Season 14. "Shaming voices have the power to cripple us. They isolate us from the truth about ourselves and others." – Adele Calhoun How we deal with the shaming voices of our past will either set us free to live more abundantly, or will keep us crippled by their falsehood. In this week's
Gary Franklin | Summer 2026: Rewind, Episode 1
Gary Franklin | Summer 2026: Rewind, Episode 1 Jul 2, 2026 45:17 Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Gary Franklin *This episode originally aired on May 11, 2023 as Episode 5 of Season 26.* "For the first twenty years of my ministry, discernment wasn't a part of my way of life – it was just busyness and activity." – Gary Franklin  A large part of discernment is learning to pay attention to our soul. Gary Franklin is a pastor in the greater Atlanta area who has minister
Caring for Your Soul in Every Season | Season 40, Episode 12
Caring for Your Soul in Every Season | Season 40, Episode 12 Jun 25, 2026 40:45 Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Matt Scott "A spiritual practice is not a prescription for success; it's an invitation to deeper intimacy with God." - Steve Macchia As Season 40 of The Discerning Leader Podcast comes to a close, Steve Macchia and Matt Scott reflect on the journey of exploring the state of our souls through the lens of LTI's Soul Care Audit. Together they revisit key themes from the se
The Monastery of the Soul | Season 40, Episode 11
The Monastery of the Soul | Season 40, Episode 11 Jun 18, 2026 42:38 Host: Steve Macchia Guests: Gayle Heaslip, Matt Scott "Hospitality of the soul is about a gracious welcome, not just a literal space. It's a kind of inner spaciousness and unhurried quality that's created within our hearts." – Steve Macchia What does it mean to practice hospitality—not just in our homes, but within our souls? In this episode of The Discerning Leader Podcast, Steve Macchia welcomes
Spiritual Community: A Safe Space For The Soul | Season 40, Episode 10
Spiritual Community: A Safe Space For The Soul | Season 40, Episode 10 Jun 11, 2026 38:02 Host: Steve Macchia, Guests: Gail Edmonson, Matt Scott "Community is built through trust, but it is redeemed through love, grace, forgiveness, and a lot of listening." - Steve Macchia In this episode, Steve Macchia, Matt Scott, and Gail Edmondson explore the beauty, challenges, and transformative power of spiritual community. Together they discuss why healthy community requires trust, humility, li
How Spiritual Direction Nurtures The Soul | Season 40, Episode 9
How Spiritual Direction Nurtures The Soul | Season 40, Episode 9 Jun 4, 2026 41:39 Host: Steve Macchia, Guests: Susan Currie, Matt Scott "I'm becoming more and more convinced that every leader needs a spiritual director." – Steve Macchia This week's episode of The Discerning Leader Podcast, offers a thoughtful conversation about the transformative practice of spiritual direction. Steve Macchia and Susan Currie explore what spiritual direction is, how it differs from counseling,

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