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The Global Leadership Podcast

The Global Leadership Podcast

Ep 217: What Great Leaders Do: Two Powerful Practices (with Andy Stanley)

Aug 26, 2026 · 30 min · 12 segments

Good decisions depend on more than having the most information—they require knowing when to trust experience, whose judgment matters most, and how to keep hierarchy from getting in the way. In this…

Good decisions depend on more than having the most information—they require knowing when to trust experience, whose judgment matters most, and how to keep hierarchy from getting in the way. In this episode, Andy Stanley draws from his latest book, *What Great Leaders Do*, which identifies seven practices of effective leadership. This conversation goes deeper on two: trusting your leadership intuition and resisting the "evolution of a court" around influential leaders. Andy explains why intuition is often acquired knowledge leaders cannot immediately articulate, how to draw that judgment out of the right people on your team, and why positional authority should not determine whose voice carries the most weight. He also explores the safeguards leaders need as their influence grows and why finishing well requires choosing enduring values over immediate pressures. The conversation was conducted by Life.Church founding pastor Craig Groeschel in front of a live audience at the 2026 Global Leadership Summit.

Good decisions depend on more than having the most information—they require knowing when to trust experience, whose judgment matters most, and how to keep hierarchy from getting in the way. In this…

Speakers: Andy StanleyGuestWhitney PutnamHost

Show signals: SuitabilitySafeBiasNot politicalAudience≈63k followers

Spotify Apple Podcasts YouTube Amazon Music Website

Top entities: Albert Speer×6 Craig Groeschel×20 Andy Stanley×32 Adolf Hitler×7 Life.Church×2

Why Andy Wrote the Book2:19 – 4:04

C

Craig GroeschelModerator

2:19

Andy, great to have you on the Global Leadership Network podcast.

C

Craig GroeschelModerator

2:23

Thank you.

C

Craig GroeschelModerator

2:23

You've written a very important book, What

Andy StanleyGuest

2:26

Great Leaders Do.

Andy StanleyGuest

2:27

Yep.

Andy StanleyGuest

2:27

I think it's important.

C

Craig GroeschelModerator

2:28

It is important.

C

Craig GroeschelModerator

2:29

And all these years, we've talked behind the scenes.

C

Craig GroeschelModerator

2:32

And I've kind of even said, hey, you should do a leadership book.

C

Craig GroeschelModerator

2:35

And you've always kind of said, yeah, maybe one day, someday.

C

Craig GroeschelModerator

2:40

Why this book now?

Andy StanleyGuest

2:41

Well, the world needs more leaders.

Andy StanleyGuest

2:44

I don't necessarily think the world needs more leadership books.

Andy StanleyGuest

2:47

But we love leadership stuff.

Andy StanleyGuest

2:49

We read it all the time.

Andy StanleyGuest

2:51

And so I put it off, put it off, put it off.

Andy StanleyGuest

2:53

And I was having a conversation with a friend and with my friend Susie, who's here as well.

Andy StanleyGuest

2:58

And he said, well, because I kept telling him, well, I don't want to do this.

Andy StanleyGuest

3:00

It takes too long.

Andy StanleyGuest

3:01

It's like a giant term paper.

Andy StanleyGuest

3:02

I'm doing other stuff.

Andy StanleyGuest

3:04

And he said, well, Andy, don't write a leadership book.

Andy StanleyGuest

3:06

Just write a book to leaders.

Andy StanleyGuest

3:08

You enjoy speaking to leaders and teaching leaders.

Andy StanleyGuest

3:10

So just write a book to leaders.

Albert SpeerPersonArchitect and former Reich Minister of Armaments and War Production
94%6 mentions
Craig GroeschelPersonAmerican author
81%20 mentions
Andy StanleyPersonAmerican clergyman
69%32 mentions
Adolf HitlerPersonFormer Chancellor of the German Reich
56%7 mentions
Life.ChurchOrganizationChurch in Dallas, Texas
44%2 mentions
GodEntitySupreme being
31%1 mention
AtlantaCityCity in Georgia
19%2 mentions
NurembergCityCity in Germany
6%1 mention

Leadership PrinciplesBusiness > Leadership > Organizational Leadership
Intuition in LeadershipBusiness > Leadership > Organizational Leadership > Leadership Principles
Trusting IntuitionPersonal Development > Self-Improvement > Leadership Skills
Decision-MakingPersonal Development > Self-Improvement > Leadership Skills > Trusting Intuition
Leadership InfluenceSociety > Workplace Culture > Team Dynamics
Empowering OthersSociety > Workplace Culture > Team Dynamics > Leadership Influence
Learning from ExperienceEducation > Leadership Education > Teaching Leadership > Mentorship
Values in LeadershipReligion > Faith-Based Leadership > Christian Leadership
Ethics in LeadershipReligion > Faith-Based Leadership > Christian Leadership > Values in Leadership
Society
LeadershipBusiness
Leadership SkillsPersonal Development > Self-Improvement
Team DynamicsSociety > Workplace Culture
Workplace CultureSociety
Teaching LeadershipEducation > Leadership Education
Leadership EducationEducation
Faith-Based LeadershipReligion
Personal Development
Self-ImprovementPersonal Development
Organizational LeadershipBusiness > Leadership
Christian LeadershipReligion > Faith-Based Leadership
MentorshipEducation > Leadership Education > Teaching Leadership
Religion
Education
Business

Why Andy Wrote the Book2:19 – 4:04

C

Craig GroeschelModerator

2:19

Andy, great to have you on the Global Leadership Network podcast.

C

Craig GroeschelModerator

2:23

Thank you.

C

Craig GroeschelModerator

2:23

You've written a very important book, What

Andy StanleyGuest

2:26

Great Leaders Do.

Andy StanleyGuest

2:27

Yep.

Andy StanleyGuest

2:27

I think it's important.

C

Craig GroeschelModerator

2:28

It is important.

C

Craig GroeschelModerator

2:29

And all these years, we've talked behind the scenes.

C

Craig GroeschelModerator

2:32

And I've kind of even said, hey, you should do a leadership book.

C

Craig GroeschelModerator

2:35

And you've always kind of said, yeah, maybe one day, someday.

C

Craig GroeschelModerator

2:40

Why this book now?

Andy StanleyGuest

2:41

Well, the world needs more leaders.

Andy StanleyGuest

2:44

I don't necessarily think the world needs more leadership books.

Andy StanleyGuest

2:47

But we love leadership stuff.

Andy StanleyGuest

2:49

We read it all the time.

Andy StanleyGuest

2:51

And so I put it off, put it off, put it off.

Andy StanleyGuest

2:53

And I was having a conversation with a friend and with my friend Susie, who's here as well.

Andy StanleyGuest

2:58

And he said, well, because I kept telling him, well, I don't want to do this.

Andy StanleyGuest

3:00

It takes too long.

Andy StanleyGuest

3:01

It's like a giant term paper.

Andy StanleyGuest

3:02

I'm doing other stuff.

Andy StanleyGuest

3:04

And he said, well, Andy, don't write a leadership book.

Andy StanleyGuest

3:06

Just write a book to leaders.

Andy StanleyGuest

3:08

You enjoy speaking to leaders and teaching leaders.

Andy StanleyGuest

3:10

So just write a book to leaders.

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