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by Don Carpenter
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What changes when leaders begin with what is strong instead of what is wrong? In this episode, Don reflects on the ways a deficit mindset can quietly shape how we see ourselves, our teams, and the work we are called to grow. He is joined by Susan Bates, a board and civic leader, relationship-centered facilitator, and longtime community builder, for a conversation about listening, leadership, data, family, community, and the discipline of seeing what people are already bringing.&n...
What if the problems we care about most are bigger than the solutions we have built to address them? In this episode, Don reflects on the challenge of staying faithful to the problem rather than simply preserving the structure, and is joined by Peter Jenks, longtime Episcopal priest, community leader, and one of the original sparks behind Trekkers. Together, they explore service, collaboration, enduring leadership, and what becomes possible when a leader commits to a community long eno...
What if the leaders we become are shaped, in part, by the people willing to reflect us with honesty, care, and courage? In this episode, Don reflects on the power of being mirrored in relationships that call us forward and is joined by Dr. Ruth Kermish, Executive Director of the Maine Math and Science Alliance, for a rich conversation about leadership, learning, and creating the conditions where people can grow. Together, they explore how trust, reflection, and the right environment he...
In a world shaped by urgency, distraction, and performance, what does it mean to lead with real presence? In this episode, Don reflects on the rare gift of giving someone your full attention and is joined by Martha Kempe, former Head of Schools at Wayfinder Schools, whose remarkable career building humane, resilient spaces for vulnerable people offers a powerful window into leadership shaped by compassion, depth, and care. Together, they explore how presence can restore dignity, ...
What if purpose does not arrive all at once, but reveals itself through the people, questions, and experiences that bring us most alive? In this episode, Don reflects on the quiet clues that point us toward our deeper calling and is joined by Tom Kulp, whose journey from longtime engineer to Director of Experiential Learning at Urban Promise in Camden, NJ is a powerful story of courage, alignment, and following what has been true all along. To learn more about Don's work, upcomin...
What does it take to lead with heart without being undone by other people’s reactions? In this episode of Meditations on Leadership, Don reflects on the inner challenge of not taking things personally, especially in moments of tension, misunderstanding, or silence that can so easily pull us off center. He is then joined by Jamie Dorr, Executive Director of Midcoast Youth Center, for an honest conversation about emotional immunity, sensitivity, self-awareness, and the kind of grounded strengt...
What does it mean to lead from the inside out? In this episode of Meditations on Leadership, Don reflects on the difference between image and character, and on how the deepest mark we leave as leaders is often shaped less by what we try to project than by the quieter qualities that consistently come through us. He is then joined by former Maine State Senator Chris Rector for a thoughtful conversation about public service, personal formation, and the lifelong work of building strength of hear...
What happens when the need to be right starts to weaken trust, damage connection, and disrupt the peace around you? In this episode of Meditations on Leadership, Don reflects on the tension between conviction and peace, and the quiet ways a leader’s need to be right can erode trust, connection, and culture. He then sits down with educator Neal Walter Young for a thoughtful conversation about teaching, civic life, moral clarity, and what it means to lead with both principle and humility...
Leadership begins within. In Meditations on Leadership with Don Carpenter, author, youth development pioneer, and relational leadership coach Don Carpenter invites you into a weekly practice of deeper reflection, personal clarity, and meaningful connection.Each episode begins with a short meditation from Don’s soon to be released book, The Inner Work of Leadership: 52 Meditations for a Life of Meaning, Courage, and Growth. From there, Don offers personal commentary and lived insights before welcoming a guest, leaders from all walks of life, to explore how that week’s theme plays out in their own professional journey. The episode closes with two powerful questions to help you pause, reflect, and grow as a leader from the inside out.Whether you’re leading a team, a classroom, a nonprofit, or your own life, this podcast is a companion for those committed to doing the inner work that sustains courageous outer change
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