The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast

Hosted by Art of Leadership Network

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840

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Jun 2026

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About the show

The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast is a podcast all about leadership, change and personal growth. The goal? To help you lead like never before—in your church or in your business. Carey interviews top business and church leaders like Seth Godin, Adam Grant, Nancy Duarte, Simon Sinek, Cal Newport, Patrick Lencioni, Tim Keller, Annie F. Downs, Andy Stanley, Craig Groeschel, Rob Pelinka, Michael Hyatt, Christine Caine, John Mark Comer, Henry Cloud, Gordon MacDonald, Francis Chan, Lysa TerKeurst, Ian Morgan Cron and many more. For insightful posts on leadership, change and personal growth, episode transcripts and podcast show notes, go to https://careynieuwhof.com/.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

June 16, 2026Episode 8111 hr 22 min

CNLP 811 | The Myth of 10,000 Hours: David Epstein on How Creativity Actually Works and Why Constraints Set You Free

New York Times bestselling author David Epstein talks about why Malcolm Gladwell's 10000-hour rule isn't accurate, how he and Malcolm became friends, how creativity actually works (what you can learn from Dr. Seuss), and why constraints and limits set you free. 🔗 Show Notes 🤖 AI and the Future Church - NEW BOOK! 🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet 🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy 🎥 Watch on YouTube Follow @careynieuwhof ❗️Connect with other podcast listeners about each episode of my podcast, including me. You'll get exclusive insights by asking questions, sharing insights, and learning how others are applying the content in real life. Join for free: https://careynieuwhof.com/shownotes AI AND THE FUTURE CHURCH A world growing more artificial by the day is going to produce people starving for what's real. And the church has been answering that hunger for two thousand years. Carey's book, AI and the Future Church, walks you through three shifts every church needs to make now to be prepared for whatever change AI brings. Pre-order is open now. You can find it at careynieuwhof.com/ai or search for AI and the Future Church on Amazon. LIFESTONE MINISTRIES Adult Bible Teacher from Lifestone Ministries gives you a verse-by-verse exposition of every week's lesson, built-in discussion questions, practical points, research helps, and lesson preparation notes. Everything you need to walk into your classroom with confidence every quarter. lifestoneministries.org/carey MINISTRY BRANDS Get the 2026 Annual Church Giving Report from Ministry Brands. This free report breaks down the latest trends in church generosity, digital giving, donor behavior, and financial engagement — all designed to help church leaders make smarter decisions in a changing ministry landscape. ministrybrands.com/carey

June 11, 2026Episode 8101 hr 18 min

CNLP 810 | The End of Anxiety? Joshua Becker on Spiritual Minimalism and When Enough is Enough

Former pastor, minimalist, and New York Times bestselling author Joshua Becker returns to the podcast. He discusses why he left ministry to pursue a fresh calling, how minimalism can usher in an end to anxiety, when enough is enough, and how decluttering can be good for your soul. 🔗 Show Notes 🤖 AI and the Future Church - NEW BOOK! 🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet 🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy 🎥 Watch on YouTube Follow @careynieuwhof ❗️Connect with other podcast listeners about each episode of my podcast, including me. You'll get exclusive insights by asking questions, sharing insights, and learning how others are applying the content in real life. Join for free: https://careynieuwhof.com/shownotes AI AND THE FUTURE CHURCH A world growing more artificial by the day is going to produce people starving for what's real. And the church has been answering that hunger for two thousand years. Carey's book, AI and the Future Church, walks you through three shifts every church needs to make now to be prepared for whatever change AI brings. Pre-order is open now. You can find it at careynieuwhof.com/ai or search for AI and the Future Church on Amazon. VICTORY BEYOND THE CUP The World Cup is underway and billions of people across every culture and background are gathering together. Victory Beyond the Cup has two free kits you can access. One, for pastors to help you cast vision and equip your church, and another that your people can use to host watch parties that feel natural, not forced. Visit victorybeyondthecup.com to access these free tools. ALPHA USA If your church is ready to open a door for the people in your community who are searching, Alpha has a free 3-Step Launch Plan that shows you exactly how to get your first gathering off the ground. Download it at alphausa.org/carey.

June 9, 2026Episode 80956 min

CNLP 809 | Get Past Broke Thinking In Your Church: The Lean Startup's Eric Reis on When To Take A Risk and Why Harder is Easier

New York Times bestselling author Eric Ries applies his startup philosophy to churches. Carey and Eric cover how to know when to take a risk, how to get past broke thinking in your church, and why the harder path is often easier. 🔗 Show Notes 🤖 AI and the Future Church - NEW BOOK! 🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet 🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy 🎥 Watch on YouTube Follow @careynieuwhof ❗️Connect with other podcast listeners about each episode of my podcast, including me. You'll get exclusive insights by asking questions, sharing insights, and learning how others are applying the content in real life. Join for free: https://careynieuwhof.com/shownotes AI AND THE FUTURE CHURCH A world growing more artificial by the day is going to produce people starving for what's real. And the church has been answering that hunger for two thousand years. Carey's book, AI and the Future Church, walks you through three shifts every church needs to make now to be prepared for whatever change AI brings. Pre-order is open now. You can find it at careynieuwhof.com/ai or search for AI and the Future Church on Amazon. JONI & FRIENDS Joni and Friends exists to bring Gospel hope and dignity to people living with disability—and they do it in a real, hands-on way. Over 250,000 wheelchairs delivered internationally, tens of thousands of special needs families served at Family Retreats every year, and Bibles put into the hands of people who've never had access to one. If you want to get involved, give, volunteer, or just learn more, head to joniandfriends.org/carey. Brought to you by The Art of Leadership Network

June 2, 2026Episode 8081 hr 11 min

CNLP 808 | Why Leadership Is Designed to Kill You: Nicole Martin on Leading Christianity Today in a Divided, Rapidly Changing World

Nicole Martin made history as Christianity Today's first Black female CEO — and took the hits that come with it. In this conversation: the backlash, Billy Graham's original vision, how the magazine is advancing and speaking into a polarized world, and why leadership is designed to kill you. 🔗 Show Notes 🤖 AI and the Future Church - NEW BOOK! 🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet 🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy 🎥 Watch on YouTube Follow @careynieuwhof ❗️Connect with other podcast listeners about each episode of my podcast, including me. You'll get exclusive insights by asking questions, sharing insights, and learning how others are applying the content in real life. Join for free: https://careynieuwhof.com/shownotes AI AND THE FUTURE CHURCH A world growing more artificial by the day is going to produce people starving for what's real. And the church has been answering that hunger for two thousand years. Carey's book, AI and the Future Church, walks you through three shifts every church needs to make now to be prepared for whatever change AI brings. Pre-order is open now. You can find it at careynieuwhof.com/ai or search for AI and the Future Church on Amazon. BELAY BELAY pairs pastors with U.S.-based Financial Experts who bring clarity and confidence to your numbers. Their support is fractional, flexible, and tailored to your church so you get exactly what you need, within your budget. Not sure where to start? Download BELAY's free resource: "The Small Business Guide to Outsourced Accounting." SPIRE CONFERENCE You're juggling a lot. And it's easy for development to get pushed to "someday." SpireConference 2026 is happening September 29 through October 1 in Indianapolis. Spire is one of those environments that helps your team step back, get clarity, and move forward together with real momentum. Learn more at spire.network Use code CAREY50 to get $50 off each ticket. Brought to you by The Art of Leadership Network

May 28, 2026Episode 80732 min

CNLP 807 | How to Make Your Life Burnout-Proof: Burnout 20 Years Later, Part 2

Twenty years after burnout almost took him out, Carey is back with Part 2—the recovery playbook. You don't need to get back to normal. Normal is what burned you out. In this solo episode, Carey shares seven strategies to burnout-proof your life: stop managing time and start managing energy, move to a fixed calendar, guard your green zone, and stop letting the wrong people hijack your best hours. 🔗 Show Notes 📩 On The Rise Newsletter 🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet 🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy 🎥 Watch on YouTube Follow @careynieuwhof Follow @theartofleadershipnetwork ❗️Connect with other podcast listeners about each episode of my podcast, including me. You'll get exclusive insights by asking questions, sharing insights, and learning how others are applying the content in real life. Join for free: https://careynieuwhof.com/shownotes LIFESTONE MINISTRIES Adult Bible Teacher gives you a verse-by-verse exposition of every week's lesson, built-in discussion questions, practical points, research helps, and lesson preparation notes. Everything you and your volunteers need to lead with confidence every quarter. Available in standard and large-print editions. You were asked to teach. Let Adult Bible Teacher help you do it well. http://lifestoneministries.org/carey GLOO Gloo has built a way to reach Christians who are already engaged, already reading, listening, looking for resources that line up with what they believe—podcasts like this one, trusted publishers, quality content channels. If you're a business, ministry, or nonprofit that wants to get in front of an audience like this, that's exactly what their network is for. You're not buying a random ad placement. You're reaching people who are already leaning in. If your organization wants to be featured in spots like this one, contact Gloo by visiting gloo.com/grow. COMPASSION CANADA Compassion Canada has spent over 70 years partnering with local churches — including my own, Connexus — to release children from poverty in Jesus' name through real, on-the-ground community transformation. Head to compassion.com/carey and click the Canada link to find out how your church can get involved. Brought to you by The Art of Leadership Network

May 26, 2026Episode 80631 min

CNLP 806 | I Was Almost Ministry Road Kill: Burn Out 20 Years Later, Part 1

Twenty years ago this month, Carey almost became ministry road kill. After 11 years of 30%+ annual growth, he burned out, hard. In Part 1 of this solo episode, Carey shares 5 honest insights from two decades of reflection: why dysfunction gets rewarded in the church, how denial accelerates the crash, and why grieving your losses matters. If your passion is fading, this episode is for you. 🔗 Show Notes 📩 On The Rise Newsletter 🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet 🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy 🎥 Watch on YouTube Follow @careynieuwhof Follow @theartofleadershipnetwork ❗️Connect with other podcast listeners about each episode of my podcast, including me. You'll get exclusive insights by asking questions, sharing insights, and learning how others are applying the content in real life. Join for free: https://careynieuwhof.com/shownotes GLOBAL CHRISTIAN RELIEF Global Christian Relief supports our church family in places where following Jesus carries a cost—Nigeria, Pakistan, Syria, India, Iran, and many more. They bring Scripture where it's restricted, provide emergency relief when crisis hits, and offer long-term support so the Church can remain and grow strong. When you support the global church, you're not supporting a cause, you're standing with family. Learn more: gcrelief.org AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY It's hard to know what's really going on in people's lives. Are they growing? Are they fighting battles you can't see? That's why the American Bible Society created the Next Step for Church assessment. It shows pastors exactly where their church is growing, where it's not, and what to do next. In as few as three weeks you can get real insights about what's happening in your church, at no cost. Sign up for their upcoming Live Q&A to ask questions and see how it works. Brought to you by The Art of Leadership Network

May 21, 202649 min

Breaking Mental Strongholds: A Conversation with Louie Giglio, Jennie Allen, and Craig Groeschel

There's a battle happening in our minds: one that shapes how we see ourselves, our circumstances, and even God. In this episode, Carey moderates a conversation with Louie Giglio, Jennie Allen, and Craig Groeschel as they come together to talk honestly about mental health, the lies we believe, and how faith changes the way we fight. Download the free reflections and takeaway guide here: https://share.hsforms.com/1r7u1sOZMSgKMcVTKf1kyFg4rhq6

May 19, 2026Episode 8051 hr 1 min

CNLP 805 | The Reason Your Church Isn't Multiplying and Fresh Trends in Church Planting With Dave Ferguson

The vast majority of churches are plateaued or declining, and Exponential CEO Dave Ferguson explains why most churches never grow, let alone multiply. Plus, he shares the latest trends in church planting in this special episode recorded backstage at Exponential Global Conference in Orlando. 🔗 Show Notes 📩 On The Rise Newsletter 🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet 🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy 🎥 Watch on YouTube Follow @careynieuwhof Follow @theartofleadershipnetwork ❗️Connect with other podcast listeners about each episode of my podcast, including me. You'll get exclusive insights by asking questions, sharing insights, and learning how others are applying the content in real life. Join for free: https://careynieuwhof.com/shownotes THE ART OF LEADERSHIP ACADEMY You can get every course I've created—on preaching, leading volunteers, preventing burnout, building healthy teams, growing your church—all in one place. Plus, once a month, I jump on a live coaching call with you and our members to work through your questions together. Head to careynieuwhof.com/academy to join us inside. SUBSPLASH Church leaders are staring at AI with a mix of fascination and, let's be honest, a fair amount of fear. But at Subsplash, they don't see AI as a way to automate ministry, they see it as a way to accelerate it. The goal isn't to replace the minister; it's to remove the administrative noise that keeps ministry staff stuck behind their desks instead of being present with people. It's all about stewardship: helping church leaders lead the mission while Subsplash leads the technology. subsplash.com/carey Brought to you by The Art of Leadership Network

May 14, 2026Episode 8041 hr 0 min

CNLP 804 | How to De-escalate an Angry Church and Leading a Ministry You Didn't Start with Rich Villodas

Carey caught up with Rich Villodas backstage at Exponential to talk about the learnable skills that keep leaders and congregations non-anxious in an angry age, and the unique challenges and gifting needed to lead a church you didn't plant. 🔗 Show Notes 📩 On The Rise Newsletter 🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet 🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy 🎥 Watch on YouTube Follow @careynieuwhof Follow @theartofleadershipnetwork ❗️Connect with other podcast listeners about each episode of my podcast, including me. You'll get exclusive insights by asking questions, sharing insights, and learning how others are applying the content in real life. Join for free: https://careynieuwhof.com/shownotes THE ART OF PREACHING I've been preaching for more than 30 years and I've made just about every mistake you can make, more than once. That's why I created The Art of Preaching, a step-by-step course to help you preach with clarity, confidence, and impact, featuring insights from communicators like Faith Eury Cho, Mark Clark, and Megan Fate Marshman. Enrollment is open now—check it out at theartofpreachingcourse.com. VICTORY BEYOND THE CUP The 2026 FIFA World Cup is one of the most significant outreach opportunities of our lifetime—and Victory Beyond the Cup is equipping churches to make the most of it. They're offering free Pastor Kits and Host Kits to help you run meaningful events all summer long. Claim yours here. LIFESTONE MINISTRIES The Quarterly Bible Curriculum from LifeStone Ministries has been serving churches for over 120 years. The Adult Bible Class is a verse-by-verse, theologically sound resource that gives teachers and students everything they need with confidence. For teachers who want to go deeper, Adult Bible Teacher adds exposition, discussion questions, and lesson preparation helps. More than 10,000 churches rely on it every quarter. http://lifestoneministries.org/carey

May 12, 2026Episode 8031 hr 45 min

CNLP 803 | Mass-Marketed Sin, Political Warfare, and Why Your Best Staff Keep Leaving with Joel Muddamalle

Joel Muddamalle is a theologian who thinks harder about spiritual warfare than almost anyone in the church today. In this conversation: how sin got a mass-marketing strategy, why your devices are a primary battleground, why the best answer to political division might be subversion, and how to keep your best people long-term. 🔗 Show Notes 📩 On The Rise Newsletter 🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet 🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy 🎥 Watch on YouTube Follow @careynieuwhof Follow @theartofleadershipnetwork ❗️Connect with other podcast listeners about each episode of my podcast, including me. You'll get exclusive insights by asking questions, sharing insights, and learning how others are applying the content in real life. Join for free: https://careynieuwhof.com/shownotes THE ART OF PREACHING I've been preaching for more than 30 years and I've made just about every mistake you can make, more than once. That's why I created The Art of Preaching, a step-by-step course to help you preach with clarity, confidence, and impact, featuring insights from communicators like Faith Eury Cho, Mark Clark, and Megan Fate Marshman. Enrollment is open now—check it out at theartofpreachingcourse.com. BELAY BELAY hand-matches pastors and church leaders with highly-vetted, U.S.-based Assistants and Financial Experts who take operational work off your plate—without sacrificing the human touch your church deserves. Download BELAY's free resource, Five Traits AI Can't Replace, by texting CAREY to 55123. CHURCH GROWTH ENGINE Church Growth Engine's free guide, "Why Do Good Churches Get Stuck?", identifies ten fixable problems—like leadership exhaustion cycles and visitor retention gaps—that prevent good churches from becoming all God has called them to be. Each challenge comes with symptoms to recognize and practical steps that have helped thousands of churches move from survival mode to thriving ministry. Download it free at churchgrowthengine.com/actionplan. Brought to you by The Art of Leadership Network