Leadership is never finished. It’s a lifelong journey of learning, adapting, and persevering. Unfinished Leadership invites leaders to stay ready for what’s next and embrace the process of growth.
Part 3: On the Operating Table: How Transformation Actually Happens
In the 3rd and final episode of this series, Jon and Chris talk through what it looks like to have a Band of Brothers, being vulnerable and being coachable, and what leaving a legacy should look like for all of us.
Order "The Quiet Drift" on 85leadership.com
25 Aug 2026
Part 2: "Get Out of My Chair": How Successful People Drift
In Part 2 of our series with Chris DeLeenheer, Jon and Chris discuss what it means to have a Calling and finding your way back to the track God has laid out specifically for you. Chris gives personal advice on how to start each day, serve, and pray. #stayready #unfinishedleadership
28 Jul 2026
"Get Out of My Chair": How Successful People Drift
Ep. 16 | Part 1 In this episode of the Unfinished Leadership Podcast, Chris DeLeenheer discusses his new book, 'The Quiet Drift,' exploring themes of personal growth, leadership, and the subtle ways individuals can drift away from their true purpose. Through personal anecdotes, including a transformative experience at a men's retreat and lessons learned during his time in India, Chris emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and the need for regular reflection to combat the quiet drift that many face in their lives. He shares practical steps to help listeners stay attuned to their inner selves and maintain a strong connection to their purpose.
23 Jun 2026
Pain is Not Your Enemy, It's Your Ally
In this month's episode, we get to hear from Pastor, Missionary, and Founder of Ndure, Adam Everett. Listen as Adam takes us through part of his testimony, and how he explains that pain was a necessary piece of the puzzle to reconnect with his family and calling.
13 May 2026
The REAL Currency of Leadership: ENERGY, not Time
The conversation explores the shift from time management to energy investment in leadership, emphasizing the importance of understanding and leveraging individual working geniuses. It delves into the concept of ROE (Return on Energy) and the need to operate on an energy-based system. The coaching session provides insights into identifying energy leaks and optimizing energy flow. The episode concludes with a discussion on Ephesians 2:10 and the conviction that everyone is a genius.
Takeaways
Energy over time
Working Genius tool
ROE of opportunities
Operating system of energy
Chapters List
00:00 Introduction to Energy in Leadership
02:56 Understanding the Burnout Epidemic
06:07 The Shift from Time Management to Energy Investment
08:48 Exploring the Working Genius Tool
12:07 Identifying Energy Drains and Competencies
15:03 Live Coaching Session on Energy Management
18:04 The Importance of Energy in Leadership
20:49 Ephesians 2:10 and Personal Purpose
24:14 Mistakes Leaders Make with Energy
27:10 Conclusion and Call to Action
31 Mar 2026
Balance is a Lie (Here's What Actually Works)
Balance is a lie.
If you’ve been chasing balance as a leader, you’ve probably felt it—frustration, guilt, and eventually burnout. That’s because balance was never the goal.
In this episode of the Unfinished Leadership Podcast, we explore a better way: rhythm.
Instead of trying to divide your life into perfectly equal parts, what if you learned to live fully present—moving in a sustainable, life-giving rhythm?
You’ll learn:
Why balance often leads to burnout (not freedom)
The difference between a divided life and an integrated one
A simple framework for sustainable leadership:
Divert Daily. Withdraw Weekly. Abandon Annually.
How to evaluate your rhythm across your relational, physical, mental, and spiritual life
Why most leaders burn out after the big push—not during it
If you’re tired of feeling like you’re always behind or in the wrong place, this conversation will help you rethink how leadership—and life—is meant to be lived.
27 Feb 2026
Why Leaders Lose Their Way (Before Their Organization Does)
Most organizations don’t collapse overnight. They drift.
And before an organization experiences mission drift… the leader has already drifted.
In this episode of the Unfinished Leadership Podcast, we break down the four hidden forces that cause leader drift — the subtle shifts that slowly pull leaders off mission, off values, and off course.
If you lead a business, church, nonprofit, or team, this conversation is essential.
We cover:
• Unprocessed pain in leadership
• The undisciplined pursuit of more
• Hubris born of success
• Isolation at the top
Leadership failure rarely happens in a single decision. It happens gradually — through drift.
You’ll learn how to recognize the early warning signs, how to protect your mission, and how to stay aligned as a leader even in seasons of growth and success.
If you're serious about leadership growth, resilience, and long-term impact — this episode is for you.
27 Jan 2026
Ben Zobrist On What Happens After The Win - Bonus Episode
In this bonus episode of the Unfinished Leadership Podcast, Jon Peacock sits down with Ben Zobrist, 2016 World Series MVP of the Chicago Cubs, for a raw and honest conversation about leadership, pressure, and identity. Ben reflects on his journey from small-town Eureka, Illinois, to a last-minute scout day that changed his future, the leaders who offered borrowed belief along the way, and the defining moments of the Cubs’ historic 2016 championship run—including the iconic Game 7 rain-delay meeting. The heart of this episode comes after the win, as Ben opens up about the panic attacks, anxiety, and mental health struggles that followed his greatest professional success, forcing him to confront a question every leader eventually faces: Am I enough if I can’t perform? He closes by sharing his passion for developing emotional intelligence in youth sports through Champion Forward, and why learning to sit with pain—rather than run from it—has become a defining leadership habit in his life.
00:00 – Introducing Ben Zobrist & the unfinished leader
06:05 – The scout day that changed everything (borrowed belief)
14:00 – MLB leadership lessons & belief
17:10 – The 2016 World Series & the Game 7 rain-delay moment
25:15 – When success breaks you: panic, anxiety, and burnout
30:30 – “You are enough”: redefining strength, faith, and leadership
30 Dec 2025
6 Keys To Crush 2026 - Extended Episode
In this extended episode, we wrap up season one of the Unfinished Leadership Podcast. Jon welcomes two great friends to discuss six keys to crush 2026. Each key is explored in depth and provides actionable insights to help you grow and achieve your goals in the coming year.
00:00 — Introductions
08:47 — Key 1 - Win the Identity Game
18:16 — Key 2 - Build Tiny Wins
24:24 — Key 3 - Guard Your Environment Like It’s Your Destiny
32:58 — Key 4 - Leverage the Power of Community & Accountability
43:14 — Key 5 - Plan for the Dip
52:23 — Key 6 - Measure What Matters
25 Nov 2025
Three Things Great Leaders Are Grateful For
In a culture obsessed with more - more results, more goals, more achievement - great leaders practice something countercultural: gratitude. In this episode, Jon unpacks three things the best leaders are thankful for and why gratitude isn’t just a nice personal habit… it’s a leadership multiplier.
00:00 — Why Gratitude Is a Leadership Multiplier
04:23 — Great Leaders Are Grateful for Their Mentors
08:34 — Leaders Must Be Grateful for Their Followers
11:05 — Embrace Challenges as Opportunities for Leadership Growth
28 Oct 2025
How Resilience Shapes Legacy (featuring Chris DeLeenheer)
In this episode of the Unfinished Leadership Podcast, Jon Peacock sits down with longtime friend and leader Chris DeLeenheer for a honest and inspiring conversation on resilience. Chris shares the behind-the-scenes story that shaped his leadership philosophy. You’ll hear how pain of adversity forged a new mindset and led to building a legacy. This episode will challenge and encourage any leader who feels like they’re on the sidelines or starting over.
00:00 – Welcome
01:12 – Introduction to Chris DeLeenheer
02:01 – Chris's Athletic Journey
14:53 – Life Doesn't Happen To You, It Happens For You
20:41 – Leadership Traps
25:14 – Final Encouragement to Leaders
30 Sept 2025
Rebuilding When The Vision Is Shattered (featuring Shawn Williams)
On this episode of the Unfinished Leadership Podcast, Jon Peacock sits down with Shawn Williams, Senior Pastor of Willow Creek Community Church, to talk about the realities of leading through a rebuilding season. From stepping into a post-crisis environment to making painful but necessary changes, Shawn shares what he’s learned about putting values in the driver’s seat, rebuilding culture, and restoring trust. He opens up about the endurance required to keep showing up, the role of feedback in shaping healthier teams, and why leaders must hold onto vision even when it feels dormant.
If you’ve ever found yourself leading in the aftermath of disruption - whether in business, ministry, or community - this conversation will encourage you to stay committed, lead with integrity, and hold out hope for the “fun stuff” ahead.
00:00 – Introduction
05:57 – From building to rebuilding at Willow Creek
09:14 – Post-crisis realities and shattered vision
11:48 – Making painful but necessary staff and structure changes
14:58 – Culture on life support: addressing trust and morale
17:51 – Staff surveys, feedback, and rebuilding culture
20:54 – Personal endurance, calling, and convictions
23:51 – Values in the driver’s seat vs. vision in the driver’s seat
26:47 – Looking ahead: the future of leadership at Willow Creek
26 Aug 2025
Why Your Habits Don’t Stick
This episode continues our deep dive into the role of habits in leadership and life. Building on the foundation from the last conversation, Jon introduces three more powerful mind shifts that reshape how we think about growth. Instead of trying to fight bad habits head-on, Jon shows why it’s more effective to avoid them altogether. He unpacks the surprising power of simply showing up daily, and he explores what it means to rely on God’s strength rather than our own limited willpower.
Together, these shifts create a framework for lasting transformation helping leaders close the gap between who they are today and who they are becoming tomorrow.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Habits
02:24 Recap of Episode 4 Mindshifts
08:27 The Power of Avoidance Over Resistance
09:05 The Importance of Showing Up
15:00 Tapping into God's Power for Habits
29 Jul 2025
Why Your Habits Are Holding You Back
In this episode, Jon Peacock challenges leaders to confront the gap between where they are and where they want to be and to close that gap with consistent, intentional habits. But more than just building habits, Jon explores how we think about habits and why that mindset shift is essential to sustained growth. Jon introduces three powerful mind shifts that can help leaders stay in the game, even when progress feels slow.
Chapters:
00:00 — Closing the Leadership Gap
02:47 — The Power of Habits
05:57 — Mind Shifts for Habit Formation
11:53 — Transforming Your Thinking About Habits
24 Jun 2025
Lead Through The Pain
In this episode of Unfinished Leadership, Jon Peacock gets real about the pain that comes with leadership. Whether it’s emotional, relational, or physical, pain is inevitable. How we respond to it determines the kind of leader we become. Jon walks through three essential steps to turning pain into growth: recognize it, release it, and reframe it.
Chapters
00:00 - Understanding Leadership Pain
06:11 - Recognizing the Pain
07:32 - Release the Pain
12:50 - Reframe the Pain
27 May 2025
Teamwork That Actually Works
In this episode of the Unfinished Leadership Podcast, Jon Peacock explores the evolving nature of teams. Using the analogy of varying sports teams, Jon helps leaders assess if their current team structure matches the demands of their growth season. He also unpacks three key tensions that every healthy team must learn to navigate. Whether you’re leading a small startup or a growing organization, this episode will challenge you to rethink how your team is built and what it needs to thrive.
00:00 – The Importance of Teamwork
01:03 – Identifying the Right Team for the Season
08:55 – Understanding Team Dynamics and Growth
10:13 – Navigating Tensions in Teams
28 Apr 2025
Why Great Leaders Lose
In this debut episode of the Unfinished Leadership Podcast, host Jon Peacock explores the hidden ways ego undermines effective leadership. Rather than being a source of strength, ego often becomes a silent killer—eroding trust, distorting accountability, and stalling personal growth. Jon offers a fresh, honest take on how humility can shift a leader’s posture from self-preserving to self-aware. He outlines three key stages of leadership—Beginning, Building, and Decline—and unpacks how ego and humility uniquely show up in each. It’s a conversation for anyone who wants to grow, lead with authenticity, and leave behind the myth of the finished leader.
00:00 — The Ego: Your Greatest Leadership Threat
03:07 — Understanding Ego and Humility
06:00 — Compete vs. Celebrate: Leadership and Comparison
08:54 — Blame vs. Own: The Power of Responsibility
11:47 — Their Growth vs. Your Growth
15:07 — Leadership Stages: Beginning, Building, and Decline
17:59 — Final Reflection & Call to Action
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5.0 / 5
20 ratings
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