Higher Leading with Jay Meyer

Hosted by Jay Meyer

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Aug 2026

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About the show

Jay has spent his life studying and practicing leadership. After leading a successful business for twenty-five years, Jay has spent the past couple of decades coaching leaders across nonprofits, businesses, and faith-driven organizations. Through all those experiences, one truth became undeniable: leadership is at its best when it’s anchored to a higher calling. That conviction fuels his Higher Leading podcast, where he helps leaders grow in character, courage, and purpose—so they can serve with impact that reaches far beyond themselves.

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60 recent

September 29, 2026Episode 6030 min

Give Up. Clean Up. Grow Up. Live Up.

Reflection As National Recovery Month comes to a close, I’ve been thinking about what nearly four decades of recovery have taught me and summarized it in this podcast. Recovery is an ever-evolving process that involves a focus on what I consider the four keys to recovery: Give Up. Clean Up. Grow Up. Live Up. Give Up. Recovery begins with surrender. I had to stop trying to run the whole show and admit that my way wasn’t working. Surrender wasn’t giving up on life—it was giving up the fight that was keeping me from life. Clean Up. Getting sober didn’t erase the wreckage. Recovery required me to take responsibility, make amends, seek forgiveness, forgive others, and allow God to clean up things inside me that drugs and alcohol had helped me avoid. Grow Up. Sobriety is more than not using. It’s learning how to live. Recovery has challenged me to become more self-aware, emotionally mature, humble, teachable, prayerful, and willing to admit when I’m wrong. Nearly forty years later, I’m still growing. Live Up. Eventually, recovery turns outward. Step Twelve calls us to carry the message to others and practice these principles in our daily lives. God can take the parts of our stories we once wanted to hide and use them to help someone else. Our mess can become our message. For me, the progression has looked something like this: Help me. Change me. Use me. That's the journey. God didn't give me a second chance simply so I could survive. He gave me another shot at life so I could use my experiences—good and bad—to serve Him and others. The scars remain, but their meaning changes. They serve as evidence that healing occurred there. So, as we close this month, maybe recovery—and life itself—comes down to four questions: What do I need to give up? What do I need to clean up? Where do I need to grow up? How is God calling me to live up? Recovery isn't perfection. It's progress. It isn't arriving. It's becoming. It isn't simply getting sober. It's getting free. And ultimately, it isn't simply about living longer. It's about living for Him.

August 12, 2026Episode 5935 min

Living Ready: What It Really Means to Optimize Your God-Given Gifts

What does it actually mean to live ready? In this episode, we unpack a simple but life-changing acrostic — R.E.A.D.Y. — that captures what it looks like to walk in daily faithfulness: R elinquish your self-will, E mbrace obedience, A ttend to others, D well on eternity, and Y ield your gifts to purpose. Drawing on Scripture and voices like C.S. Lewis, Oswald Chambers, Mother Teresa, and John Piper, we explore why dying to self comes first, why obedience flows from relationship rather than obligation, and why the gifts in your hand right now, not the ones you wish you had, are exactly what you're called to steward. This isn't about arriving at a finished state. It's about choosing, one day at a time, to live ready. Grab a quiet moment, and let's walk through it together.

July 12, 2026Episode 5855 min

Resilience and Keeping Your Nose on the Ball

Every once in a while, you sit down with someone who reminds you what resilience really looks like. That's exactly what happened when I had the privilege of talking with my former Ohio Northern University teammate, Mark Ouwerkerk. Kerk's story is extraordinary. He served our country in the Navy, survived a helicopter crash near the Strait of Hormuz, has lived with lymphoma for more than a decade, underwent open-heart surgery to repair a life-threatening aortic aneurysm, and is once again courageously battling lymphoma. Kerk is a devoted family man and closed out a successful business career a couple of years ago. Most importantly, he lives with an unwavering faith in God. As we talked, five lessons continued to surface: stay calm under pressure, never underestimate the power of community, lead with bold humility, build a resilient faith, and remember that the little things really are the big things. Kerk closed our conversation with a phrase Coach drilled into us countless times at Ohio Northern: "Keep your nose on the ball." Focus on the fundamentals. Stay faithful to what matters most. Trust that the small, consistent choices shape the person you're becoming. Kerk's life reminds us that resilience isn't built in comfort; it's forged through adversity. Storms will come to all of us. The question isn't whether we'll face them, but who we'll become because of them. Joshua 1:9, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

June 12, 2026Episode 5735 min

What's your N.E.X.T.?

In Episode 57 of the Higher Leading Podcast, Jay Meyer explores the powerful truth that God isn't finished with you yet. Using the simple yet life-changing framework of N.E.X.T.—Name your THERE, Empty your backpack, Cross out the lies, and Take the next faithful step—Jay combines Scripture, personal stories, recovery, leadership, and life's hard-earned lessons to encourage anyone who feels stuck. Whether you're facing a setback, a transition, or simply wondering what's next, this episode will challenge you to believe your best days can still be ahead. God doesn't require perfection—He simply asks us to take the next faithful step. "You were never meant to arrive. You were created to become. And God isn't finished with you yet."

May 12, 2026Episode 5629 min

The Joy Formula for Living Light

The world feels heavy right now. Anxiety is loud, joy is scarce, and most of us are carrying burdens we were never meant to hold. But what if living lightly — with deep, contagious, bone-level joy — isn't as far away as it feels? In this episode, host Jay Meyer records from the peaceful setting of Serenity Acres outside Covington, Ohio, and delivers his five-pillar Joy Formula: Pray a lot. Move a lot. Laugh a lot. Rest enough. Eat protein. Five habits. No fluff. Radical results. Drawing from his own walk through recovery, faith, family life, and playing competitive sports, Jay blends science, Scripture, and soul into something you can actually use. You'll discover why prayer builds a posture of trust that no productivity hack can touch, why movement is literal medicine for your brain, why laughter is a hard-won spiritual discipline, why rest is obedience — not laziness, and why protein belongs right alongside prayer at the top of your daily routine. Joy isn't something that happens to you. It's something you build — brick by brick, habit by habit, choice by choice. And you have everything you need to start today.

April 17, 2026Episode 5536 min

Building a Culture That Wins at Work and at Home

What if the same principles that build a thriving organization could also transform your home? In this episode of Higher Leading , we take a deep dive into what it truly means to build a great culture—at work and around your kitchen table. Culture doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built on purpose. It starts with knowing your True North —the guiding beliefs that shape decisions, behaviors, and priorities. From there, it’s about clearly naming your core values and, more importantly, bringing them to life. One of the most powerful ways to do that? Catch people in the act of living those values and celebrate it. As Peter Drucker famously said, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” You can have the best plans in the world, but if your culture is off, execution will always fall short. The truth is simple: your people create your culture, and your culture ultimately becomes your brand. In this episode, we explore how intentional leadership shapes environments where trust, accountability, and energy thrive. Whether you're leading a team or leading your family, culture is your greatest differentiator. It determines how people feel, how they perform, and how they grow. If you want your organization to stand out—and your home to be a place people love to be—this conversation will challenge and equip you to lead at a higher level. Because in the end, culture isn’t just something you talk about… it’s something you live every single day.

March 12, 2026Episode 5434 min

When Fear Knocks, Let Faith Answer

In this episode of the Higher Leading Podcast , host Jay Meyer delivers a powerful Chalk Talk on one of the most persistent obstacles in life and leadership: fear . Drawing from his 2026 Lenten writing series on EagleLaunch , Jay explores the many ways fear quietly shapes our decisions—fear of losing control, financial insecurity, the unknown, change, rejection, aging, and the future. Through personal stories, leadership insights, and biblical wisdom, he unpacks how fear often disguises itself as caution or responsibility while quietly holding us back from the life God calls us to live. Recorded at Serenity Acres near Covington, Ohio, this episode blends reflection, Faith, and practical guidance for confronting fear in everyday life. Jay shares lessons from recovery, career transitions, family challenges, and decades of leadership experience to show how courage is not found in dramatic moments, but in daily acts of Faith and obedience . If fear has been holding you back—from purpose, leadership, or peace—this conversation will help you begin loosening its grip, one day at a time. Topics Covered Fear of losing control and the power of surrender Financial insecurity and trusting God as Provider Navigating the unknown with Faith and action The courage required for change Identity beyond titles and positions Aging with purpose and finishing strong Trusting God with an uncertain future This episode is an invitation to slow down, reflect, and strengthen the daily habits of Faith that gradually replace fear with courage. Fear may knock, but when it's answered with Faith, it loses its power.

February 12, 2026Episode 5332 min

Mental Toughness: Becoming a Peaceful Warrior

Mental toughness isn’t about being hard—it’s about being faithful. In this Chalk Talk, Jay unpacks mental toughness through the lens of faith, leadership, parenting, and life’s hardest seasons. Drawing from sports, sobriety, caregiving, and real-world leadership, he shares 6 practical keys to developing a resilient, focused, God-centered mind. You’ll learn how to clarify your purpose, control the controllables, build daily disciplines, reframe pain as training, win the inner conversation, and take the next right step with God. This episode is for anyone navigating pressure, adversity, or uncertainty—and looking to stay in the game with strength and grace. Grab a journal. This one will challenge you, steady you, and help you live like a mentally tough, peaceful warrior .

January 12, 2026Episode 5234 min

Live by the CODE: The Four Keys to Leading Yourself Well

Before you can lead anyone else, you have to lead yourself. In this episode, Jay unpacks a simple but powerful framework for personal leadership: CODE — Clarity, Ownership, Discipline, and Emotional Maturity . You’ll learn why clarity gives your life focus and direction, why ownership creates a victor's mentality, why discipline beats motivation, and why emotional maturity is the difference between reacting and truly leading. Drawing from faith, life experience, and practical wisdom, this episode challenges you to stop drifting and start living on purpose. If you’re ready to raise your standard, strengthen your habits, and lead your life at a higher level, it’s time to start living by the CODE.

November 27, 2025Episode 5120 min

The Power of Gratitude

🎙️ NEW EPISODE: The Power of Gratitude In a world that pulls our attention toward chaos and comparison, gratitude brings us back to what truly matters. In this episode, I share practical ways to build your “gratitude muscle,” real-life stories that shaped my perspective, and the faith-filled principles that help anchor the heart—especially in tough seasons. We talk about: ✨ Why gratitude is a choice, not a feeling ✨ How thankfulness strengthens your spirit ✨ The link between gratitude, peace, and trust ✨ Simple daily habits that change everything If you’re looking for encouragement, perspective, or a fresh spark of hope, this episode will meet you right where you are. Give it a listen—and let’s grow stronger, steadier, and more grateful together. #Gratitude #HigherLeading #Faith #Leadership #Mindset #EagleLaunch #Perspective #DailyHabits