The H2 Leadership Podcast

Leader, welcome back to 2026. We're going straight at it.

Instead of starting the year with goal setting alone, we're going beneath the surface to who you are as a leader. Because here's the reality: you have way more influence than you think — and how you wield that leadership influence shapes everything around you.

This episode kicks off our new series on The Five Spheres of an H2 Leader, starting with Influence. Over the next five episodes, we'll unpack the foundational areas every Healthy + High Impact leader must pay attention to: Influence, Health, Self-Awareness, Design, and Space.

Today, we're tackling the first sphere: how to use your influence to build empowering cultures instead of toxic leadership environments.

The Tale of Two Leaders

One leader I coach lives under the shadow of an insecure boss who constantly needs attention and affirmation. This sharp, competent leader has been slowly diminished over time — beaten down by someone who doesn't comprehend their own influence.

The other leader I coach does the exact opposite. They're constantly asking, "How can I raise my team up? How can I get them to shine?" They form a protective line so their people — especially young leaders — can succeed.

Beat down or lift up. That's the question.

Do the people around you feel diminished by your presence, or empowered by it?

What You'll Learn About Leadership Influence:

• Why your mood and emotional presence change the atmosphere of every room you enter
• The difference between wielding influence to diminish vs. multiply team effectiveness
• How unexamined leadership authority wounds people (even when you don't mean to)
• Why creating empowering cultures requires regular rhythms, not one-off gestures
• Practical ways to delegate effectively and raise others up without losing organizational effectiveness
• How to prevent leadership burnout by building trust-based team dynamics
• The 70% rule for when to hand off responsibilities and empower team members

Three Steps to Healthy Leadership Influence:

1. Comprehend the power you have — Ask your team how your leadership impacts them (both positively and negatively)
2. Find tangible ways to raise others up — Give credit, take blame, empower decisions, delegate authority
3. Stay grounded with a posture of service — Regularly, not just once a year. This is how sustainable leadership works.

Signs You're Using Influence Poorly:

• Your team hesitates to bring you problems or bad news
• People wait for you to make every decision (no empowerment)
• You walk into meetings grumpy and the whole room shuts down
• Team members don't feel trusted until they've "earned it"
• High turnover or quiet quitting in your organization

How to Build an Empowering Culture:

• Start with trust instead of making people earn it (Stephen Covey's "Speed of Trust" principle)
• Use the 70% rule: If someone can do it 70% as well as you with upward momentum, hand it off
• Give credit publicly, take blame privately
• Bring others with you to high-visibility opportunities
• Create decision-making frameworks so your team can act without you

Reflection Questions for Leaders:

• Who are you actively empowering right now?
• How are you specifically doing that?
• Do people around you feel lifted up or beat down by your leadership?
• What would your team say about your emotional presence?

Memorable Quote:

"The leader who does not comprehend their influence is bound to wound the people around them."

What's Next in This Series:

Next week, we dive into Sphere 2: Health — why leaders who don't take care of themselves can't sustain impact. If you want to lead with clarity instead of chaos in 2026, this series is your foundation.

Take Your Next Right Step:

Visit h2leadership.com for leadership coaching, team consulting, and resources to help you lead as a Healthy + High Impact leader.

If this episode served you:

• Rate and review the podcast
• Share it with another leader dealing with team dynamics or leadership burnout
• Subscribe so you don't miss the rest of the series on sustainable leadership

Leadership is complex, but it doesn't have to be lonely. Let's get after it.

January is loud.

Everywhere you look, leaders are being told to set bigger goals, move faster, and start strong. But what if the reason you feel stuck, unclear, or overwhelmed right now isn’t a motivation problem or a discipline problem?

What if it’s a season problem?

In this New Year–focused episode, Alan Briggs helps leaders slow down just enough to ask a better question before setting goals for 2026:

What season of leadership am I actually in right now?

Because when goals don’t match seasons, leaders burn out, teams get frustrated, and momentum stalls.

This conversation reframes New Year goal-setting through the lens of leadership awareness, helping you name where you’ve been, where you are, and what kinds of actions actually make sense in this season of life and leadership.

And stay to the end — Jonathan tees up a brand new series launching next week: The Five Spheres of an H2 Leader, designed to help you lead with both health and high impact in 2026.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why January goal-setting often creates pressure instead of clarity

• How to identify the season of leadership you’re currently in

• Why the question “What time is it for you?” matters more than resolutions

• How leadership seasons show up across work, family, health, and relationships

• Why ignoring seasons is one of the fastest paths to burnout

• How to pair the right actions with the season you’re actually living in

Reflection Questions (for early January clarity)

Don’t rush these. These questions are meant to ground your New Year, not hype it.

• What season of leadership are you coming out of?

• When did (or will) that season end?

• What season are you in right now — or clearly heading into?

• What should you say yes to in this season?

• What should you say no to in this season?

• What feels uncertain, scary, or disorienting about this transition?

These are powerful to work through alone — and even more powerful with a spouse, trusted friend, or leadership team.

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What’s Coming Next

Next week, we launch a new series walking through The Five Spheres of an H2 Leader — how to identify them, strengthen them, and lead in a way that’s both sustainable and impactful.

If you’re starting this year wanting clarity instead of chaos, you’re in the right place.

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Call to Action

For more leadership resources, coaching, and tools to help you lead with health and high impact, visit www.h2leadership.com.

If this episode helped reframe your New Year:

• Follow or subscribe to the podcast

• Leave a rating and review

• Share this episode with a leader who feels pressure to “get it right” this year

Feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or like everyone needs you all the time? You're not actually stuck, you just need a way out. Alan Briggs shares 4 practical pathways to break free and lead with clarity in 2026.

Happy New Year—and welcome to Episode 500!

When we started this podcast, it was just a wild idea. 500 episodes later, we're more convinced than ever: leadership doesn't have to cost you everything. You can lead well and live well.

To kick off 2026, Alan tackles something most leaders are feeling but few are naming: leadership claustrophobia—that squeezed, stuck sensation where everyone needs you all the time and there's no way out.

Here's the truth: You feel stuck. But you're not actually stuck.

Alan walks through the four feelings that keep leaders trapped—overwhelmed, myopic, exhausted, and behind—and gives you a clear, practical pathway out of each one. This isn't theory. It's the same framework Alan uses with the leaders he coaches every day.

If you're heading into 2026 saying "everyone needs me all the time," this episode is your reset.

What You'll Learn

The 4 Leadership Traps + Their Pathways Out:

→ Overwhelmed? You're lacking creativity. The pathway out is space—build gaps into your calendar so your brain can think again.

→ Myopic (stuck in the weeds)? You're lacking perspective. The pathway out is vantage—schedule a Think Day and lift above your leadership.

→ Exhausted? You're lacking freshness. The pathway out is recovery—Sabbath and vacation aren't luxuries, they're necessities.

→ Behind? You're lacking urgency. The pathway out is constraints—small deadlines create the momentum big goals never will.

Key Takeaways

• "You feel stuck, but you are not actually stuck. You have options. You can change things."
• The shift from victim to designer: stop reacting and start creating pathways out.
• When clarity goes up, overwhelm goes down.
• Think Days: a quarterly rhythm to get above your leadership and solve the big problems you keep kicking down the road.
• Sabbath and vacation are always important, never urgent—you won't feel like you need them until you should have had them three months ago.
• Constraints create urgency. Without deadlines, we procrastinate. Without sub-goals, we drift.

Timestamps

00:00 — Welcome to 2026 + Celebrating 500 Episodes
01:30 — What is Leadership Claustrophobia?
02:45 — The lie: "Everyone needs me all the time"
03:30 — From Victim to Designer
04:15 — The 4 Feelings That Keep Leaders Stuck
04:45 — Overwhelmed → Space
07:00 — Myopic → Vantage (Think Days)
10:00 — Exhausted → Recovery (Sabbath + Vacation)
13:30 — Behind → Constraints (Deadlines + Tracking)
17:00 — Recap: Which trap are you in? What's your next step?
18:30 — What's coming in 2026

Reflection Questions

1. Which of the four traps are you most stuck in right now: overwhelmed, myopic, exhausted, or behind?
2. What's one practical change you can make this week to create space, vantage, recovery, or constraints?
3. When was the last time you took a full day just to think? What would it take to put a Think Day on your calendar this quarter?

Resources Mentioned

• Anti-Burnout by Alan Briggs: Amazon Link
• Right Side Up Journal: Alan's tool for weekly reflection—looking backward, inward, and forward.

Connect With H2 Leadership

Website: www.h2leadership.com
Coaching: Ready to break out of leadership claustrophobia? Book a Breakthrough Session
Podcast: www.h2leadershippodcast.com

Help Us Reach More Leaders

If this episode helped you, take 30 seconds to rate, review, and share the podcast. It's the best way to help other leaders discover H2.

Happy 2026. Let's keep climbing.

The H2 Leadership Podcast is your practical resource for becoming a healthy and high-impact leader. New episodes every Thursday.

Merry Christmas!!!!! This episode is Part 2 of our year-end series. Last week, we walked through the internal shifts our team made this year. Today, we hand that same framework to you — so you can reset, simplify, and refocus your leadership as you prepare for 2026.

This conversation is a practical guide to finishing well, regaining clarity, and building momentum without burning out or carrying unnecessary weight into the new year.

You’ll learn:

• Why real momentum begins with subtraction, pruning, and clarity — not doing more

• How to create simple decision filters so every choice doesn’t drain your energy

• The “dance floor vs. balcony” mindset — working on your leadership, not just inside the grind

• Why mature leaders practice necessary endings instead of clinging to what used to work

• How clarity leads to freedom, focus, and healthier impact

Use these reflection prompts as you reset for 2026:

• What is slowing you down right now?

• What is one change that would increase your momentum heading into 2026?

• What are you too close to that someone else should carry or share?

• When you zoom out, what becomes clear about what must stay, shift, or end?

Give yourself at least an hour (two is better) to look back honestly — and aim your energy intentionally toward the year ahead. The real currency of leadership isn’t time… it’s energy.

If this episode serves you:

• Visit h2leadership.com for more tools and resources

• Like, rate, review, and subscribe to the podcast

• Share this episode with another leader who wants to be both healthy and high impact

We practice what we preach. Here's proof.

Alan and Jonathan pull back the curtain on H2 Leadership's biggest moves of 2025: restructuring, rebranding, and the roots work nobody sees. If you've ever wondered whether we actually live out what we teach, this episode is your answer.

If you've ever wondered whether we live out what we teach, this episode is your answer. 

In This Episode:

• Why healthy organizations run toward problems, not away
• The "awkward in-between" of restructuring (and why it's worth it)
• How to build systems that elevate your team and clients
• The difference between survival questions and flourishing questions
• Why the best moves feel worse before they feel better

Timestamps:

00:00 — Year-end reflections

01:07 — Two types of organizations in uncertain times

06:51 — Restructuring and the awkward in-between

12:25 — Elevating through systematization

14:44 — Brand clarity: H2 Leadership rebrand

22:00 — Integration: aligning systems and values

24:44 — Advancement: taking new ground

Resources:

• AntiBurnout by Alan Briggs: https://a.co/d/9Xzn5mJ
• The Sabbatical Journey Field Guide: https://a.co/d/59DGahr

Connect: Website: www.h2leadership.com Sabbatical Coaching: www.sabbaticalcoachinggroup.com

As we continue our Best of series, we wanted to highlight a very timely conversation. Gordon MacDonald—author, longtime pastor, and former Chancellor of Denver Seminary—joins us to share hard-won wisdom on calling, mentoring, and spiritual friendship.

Gordon’s voice has shaped generations of leaders, and this episode captures why. Through stories, insights, and honest reflection, he gives leaders a practical roadmap for building resilient lives and ministries that last.

Whether you’re a pastor, organizational leader, or simply someone seeking deeper impact, this conversation offers clarity, perspective, and hope.

What You’ll Learn

• Why spiritual friendship is essential for healthy leadership

• How to cultivate intergenerational mentoring relationships

• The stages of a leader’s calling—and how they develop over a lifetime

• Why older leaders must invest in younger leaders

• How to build communities that encourage resilience rather than burnout

• The hidden dangers leaders face in midlife and beyond

• What Gordon wishes every leader understood about marriage, family, and calling

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About Gordon MacDonald

Gordon MacDonald is a pastor, author of more than a dozen books, and the former Chancellor of Denver Seminary. For over 40 years, he has invested in leaders across the world through writing, preaching, mentoring, and spiritual formation work. His books Ordering Your Private World and Building Below the Waterline remain foundational leadership resources.

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Timestamps

00:00 — Introduction
02:45 — Gordon’s early calling and formation
07:10 — The mentors who shaped him
12:40 — Why intergenerational friendship matters
18:25 — The role of spiritual friendship in leadership
24:55 — Healthy vs unhealthy leadership communities
31:20 — Calling after 60: why most leaders miss it
38:15 — Marriage, family, and the real “Lord’s work”
45:40 — What the next generation needs from older leaders
52:10 — Gordon’s challenge to leaders today
57:55 — Final thoughts

Connect + Take Your Next Step

For coaching, resources, and tools for Healthy + High Impact leadership, visit:
www.h2leadership.com

If this episode encouraged you, please:

• Rate the podcast

• Review the show

• Share it with another leader

• Subscribe so you never miss an episode

Your engagement helps other leaders discover conversations like this.

As we close out the year, we’re highlighting several of our most listened-to conversations—episodes that continue to shape leaders long after they air. Today’s conversation between Alan Briggs and Jimmy Rollins is one of those episodes: timeless and timely.

Jimmy brings honesty, clarity, and courage as he talks about race, unity, culture, marriage, and the everyday leadership choices that build trust. This is a practical and grounded guide for leaders who want to lead with compassion, stay curious in hard conversations, and create cultures where people feel seen and valued.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to have “family conversations” around race with honesty and safety

• Why unity is not uniformity—and what real unity requires

• How to ask better questions and lead with curiosity, not fear

• Practical language that diffuses tension and builds trust

• What healthy leaders must confront in themselves to lead others well

• Jimmy’s personal story of pain, growth, marriage restoration, and calling

Healthy and High Impact leaders lead with compassion, curiosity, and courage. This conversation is a masterclass in all three.

Connect with Jimmy Rollins:
imjimmyrollins.com
www.twoequalsone.com
Instagram: @jimmyrollins

Connect with H2 Leadership:
For coaching, resources, and tools to help you grow as a Healthy and High Impact leader, visit www.h2leadership.com

If this episode helps you, like, rate, review, and subscribe. It helps more leaders discover the podcast.

If you feel frustrated, disappointed, or stuck right now, you’re not broken – you’re human. The real question isn’t “What’s wrong with me?” It’s “What needs to change, and how do I actually change it?”

In this solo episode, Alan unpacks a simple but powerful idea: only the hungry change. You can’t force your kids to change, your team to change, or your friends to change. You can barely force yourself to change. But when hunger meets a clear process, transformation becomes possible.

Alan walks through a practical framework he calls the Wheel of Transformation – moving from new awareness, to new actions, to new rhythms. He shares personal stories about getting called out on weak hamstrings, losing steam on his goals, and how small, consistent steps have led to real change over time.

If you’ve ever felt like you’ve tried to fix the same thing a hundred times and you’re still stuck, this episode will give you language, hope, and a concrete path forward.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why frustration and disappointment are usually gaps in expectation, not signs that you’re failing

• What it means that “only the hungry change” – and how to honestly assess your own hunger

• How new awareness (internal or external feedback) is the first step toward real change

• Why information alone is not enough – and what has to come after clarity

• How to move from awareness to new actions through courage and small next right steps

• Why the real transformation happens when new actions become new rhythms

• Where most leaders stumble: trying to change without community, accountability, or a clear process

• How coaching, tools, and simple calendars can help you build consistency instead of chasing quick fixes

Key ideas and phrases

• “Only the hungry change. Hunger is the currency of change.”

• “Information isn’t bad. It’s just not enough.”

• “New awareness → new actions → new rhythms.”

• “Great leaders aren’t the ones who take one big step; they’re the ones who keep taking their next right step.”

Resources and next steps

• Wheel of Transformation Tool
  Want a simple visual tool to help you walk through this process? Request the Wheel of Transformation and we’ll send it to you.
  → Visit h2leadership.com and use the contact form to ask for the Wheel of Transformation tool.

• Breakthrough Coaching Session
  If you feel stuck in one area of life or leadership and need clarity on your next right step, you can request a free 30-minute breakthrough coaching session with our team.
  → Learn more and reach out at www.h2leadership.com.