The Today Counts Show

Hosted by Jim Piper Jr.

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Episodes

226

Latest episode

Aug 2026

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EN-US

About the show

The Today Counts Show is about leadership. It’s about shaping healthy leaders, relationships, and workplaces. It’s about re-imaging leadership within three dimensions: your person, your people, and your place. This triad of thought and life is informed by theology, psychology, biology, philosophy, sociology, and any discipline that contributes to the shaping of leadership character.

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60 recent

September 28, 2026Episode 23245 min

The Fatherhood Mistake Most Dads Make (And How to Fix It) | Leadership Fathers Need. Ep. 232

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to become the father your children truly need? In this episode of the Today Counts Show, Jim Piper and Winston Harris have an honest conversation about fatherhood, leadership, legacy, and the daily decisions that shape our families. Many fathers feel pressure to be perfect—to provide more, achieve more, and never make mistakes. But great fatherhood isn't about perfection. It's about presence, intentionality, growth, and becoming the man your family needs you to be. Through personal experiences, leadership insights, and biblical principles, Jim and Winston explore what it means to lead well at home and build a lasting legacy through everyday moments. In this episode, you'll discover: ✅ What truly makes a good father ✅ Why your kids need your presence more than your perfection ✅ The difference between being available and being fully present ✅ How children learn from what we model, not just what we teach ✅ Why apologizing to your children can strengthen your relationship ✅ The importance of intentional fatherhood in a distracted world ✅ How fathers can continue growing, learning, and becoming better leaders at home Whether you're a father, future father, mentor, coach, business leader, or simply someone who wants to build stronger relationships, this conversation offers practical wisdom for leading with character, purpose, and impact. Key Takeaways • Your kids don't need a perfect father. • They need a present father. • Fatherhood is as much caught as it is taught. • Leadership at home shapes every other area of leadership. • You can't change yesterday, but you can choose who you'll become today. You can't go back and be a different father yesterday. But you can decide what kind of father you're going to be today. Today Counts. Support the show

September 21, 2026Episode 23144 min

When Leaders Face Betrayal: Joseph's Story, God-Given Dreams & Leadership | Genesis 37 | EP. 231

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a God-given dream creates resistance, jealousy, and opposition? In this episode of the Today Counts Show, Jim Piper, Matt Martin, and Winston Harris unpack Genesis 36-37 and explore one of the most powerful leadership stories in Scripture: Joseph's journey from favored son to betrayed brother. Through an honest conversation about leadership, family dysfunction, purpose, vision, and character development, they examine how Joseph's dreams challenged those around him, why great leaders often face resistance, and how God uses adversity to prepare people for greater responsibility. Topics discussed include: • Joseph's coat of many colors and the leadership implications behind it • Why some people resist vision and God-given dreams • Family dysfunction, favoritism, and leadership blind spots • How opposition can become part of God's preparation process • The difference between immediate success and lasting purpose • Lessons on perseverance, character, and leadership growth • Biblical principles for business leaders, ministry leaders, and emerging leaders • How God works through setbacks to accomplish a greater purpose Whether you're leading a business, serving in ministry, building a team, or developing your leadership skills, this conversation will challenge you to view adversity through a different lens and lead with greater integrity, purpose, and impact. 📖 Key Passage: Genesis 36-37 🎙️ About The Today Counts Show: The Today Counts Show exists to equip and inspire leaders through biblical principles, practical wisdom, and authentic conversations about life, leadership, character, and purpose. Our mission is to help leaders lead with integrity at work, at home, and in their communities. 👍 Like, Subscribe, and Share if this conversation encouraged your leadership journey. Support the show

September 14, 2026Episode 23034 min

You Failed. Now What? | The Leadership Lessons After Failure. Ep. 230

Send us Fan Mail Every leader fails. Sometimes it's a bad decision. Sometimes it's a failed initiative, a missed opportunity, a relational mistake, or a moment where your judgment simply wasn't what it needed to be. But leadership isn't proven by never failing. It's proven by what you do after you fail. In this episode of The Today Counts Show, Jim Piper, Winston Harris, and Mason Moore explore what happens after a leader gets it wrong—and how to respond without allowing failure to define your leadership. The conversation goes beyond simply “learning from your mistakes.” They unpack the practical and emotional process of owning failure, understanding what happened, repairing damaged relationships, rebuilding trust, learning from the experience, and having the courage to lead again. In this episode, they discuss: • Why leaders struggle to admit when they're wrong • The difference between taking ownership and making excuses • Why you can't change what you're unwilling to confront • How to objectively process a leadership failure • The difference between “I made a bad decision” and “I'm a bad leader” • How failure can create shame, regret, anxiety, and loss of confidence • What to do when your failure affects your team or relationships • Why an apology may start rebuilding trust, but consistency is what restores it • How to distinguish a bad decision from a good decision that simply produced a bad outcome • Why leaders need people who are willing to expose their blind spots • How to turn failure into wisdom instead of repeating the same mistake • The difference between reflection and rumination • How leaders can regain confidence after a major failure • Why one failure shouldn't turn you into a leader who is afraid to lead The episode ultimately lands on a simple five-step framework: OWN IT. Don't hide. UNDERSTAND IT. Don't waste it. REPAIR IT. Don't ignore the damage. LEARN FROM IT. Don't repeat it. MOVE FORWARD. Don't let it define you. One of the most important distinctions in the conversation is this: Reflection asks, “What can I learn?” Rumination asks, “What's wrong with me?” That difference matters for leaders. Failure can either become a source of wisdom or a source of paralysis. The goal isn't to become a leader who never makes another mistake. It's to become a leader who knows how to respond well when things go wrong. Whether you're a business owner, entrepreneur, manager, ministry leader, or emerging leader, this conversation will challenge you to rethink failure, accountability, resilience, trust, and leadership development. The goal of The Today Counts Show is to equip leaders with biblical principles and practical wisdom that help them grow in character, purpose, and impact, so they can lead with integrity at work, at home, and in their communities. What failure are you still carrying that you need to learn from—and then let go? 👉 Subscribe for more conversations on leadership development, personal growth, faith, resilience, and purposeful leadership. Support the show

September 7, 2026Episode 22944 min

The Secret to Staying Inspired: Discipline, Curiosity & Purpose. Ep 229

Send us Fan Mail When was the last time you were truly inspired? And perhaps the more important question: Are you actually living an inspired life? In this episode of The Today Counts Show, Jim Piper, Winston Harris, and Mason Moore explore what inspiration really is—and why simply feeling inspired isn't enough. A great athlete can inspire you. A great leader can inspire you. A song, a conversation, a relationship, or even a stranger working hard can inspire you. But what happens next? The conversation explores the difference between being inspired by something and allowing inspiration to change the way you live. Jim, Winston, and Mason unpack how inspiration can become fuel for discipline, preparation, personal growth, excellence, and purposeful action rather than simply becoming another piece of content we consume and forget. In this episode, they discuss: • Why inspiration is more than hype or a temporary emotional spark • The difference between being inspired and living an inspired life • Why inspiration needs action to become meaningful • How discipline turns inspiration into progress • Why preparation and excellence matter alongside faith • How athletes, leaders, artists, parents, mentors, and everyday people can inspire us • Why your mission and purpose help determine what inspires you • How to recognize the difference between consuming content and actually being moved by it • Why inspiration has a shelf life if you don't act on it • The role of curiosity, learning, new experiences, and relationships in staying inspired • How distractions and lack of discipline can prevent inspiration from becoming action One of the biggest ideas in this conversation is the distinction between a spark and fuel. A moment can spark inspiration—but discipline, purpose, preparation, and action are what keep it burning. The conversation also challenges a common assumption among Christians: that faith automatically produces competence, excellence, or success. Following Jesus doesn't eliminate the need for hard work, preparation, discipline, and stewardship of the gifts we've been given. For leaders, that matters. Because the goal isn't to constantly chase the next inspirational moment. It's to become the kind of person who responds to inspiration, pursues growth, and lives with purpose. Whether you're a business leader, entrepreneur, ministry leader, young professional, parent, or emerging leader, this episode will challenge you to ask: What is inspiring me right now—and what am I going to do about it? The Today Counts Show exists to equip leaders with biblical principles and practical wisdom that help them grow in character, purpose, and impact, so they can lead with integrity at work, at home, and in their communities. 👉 Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, faith, personal growth, discipline, and purposeful living. Support the show

September 2, 2026Episode 22843 min

What Are You Tolerating? | Genesis 35 & the Responsibility of Leadership. Episode 228

Send us Fan Mail What have you tolerated in your home, your team, or your life that you have never directly named or removed? In Genesis 35, Jacob is told to return to Bethel—the place where he first encountered God. But before he can move forward, his household has to confront what has accumulated along the way. In this episode of The Genesis Project, Jim Piper and Winston Harris explore what this chapter reveals about spiritual renewal, leadership responsibility, family dysfunction, obedience, and God's faithfulness in the middle of imperfect circumstances. One of the biggest ideas from the conversation is that good leadership sometimes starts with an inventory, not a strategy. Jacob responds to God's direction by looking around his household, identifying what needs to change, and preparing his family for the next season. That raises an uncomfortable question for every leader: What have I allowed to become normal that should have been addressed? In this episode, they discuss: • Why God tells Jacob to return to Bethel • The significance of returning to a place where God has previously spoken • How Jacob responds by removing the household's idols • Why preparation for a new season sometimes begins with cleaning up the current one • How leaders can accidentally carry dysfunction from one season into the next • Why Jacob's spiritual renewal does not automatically produce integrity in his children • The tension between God's faithfulness and human disobedience • Why obedience does not mean life will suddenly become easy • How grief and worship can exist in the same season • What Jacob's family teaches us about leadership, responsibility, and legacy The conversation also wrestles with a difficult but encouraging truth: God does not require a perfect household before He works through it. Jacob's family is filled with dysfunction, mistakes, grief, and consequences. And yet God continues to speak, lead, correct, and fulfill His purposes. For leaders, that distinction matters. Your failures do not automatically disqualify you. But they do require you to be honest about what needs to change. This episode challenges leaders to stop simply asking, “What's my strategy for the next season?” and start asking: “What needs to be removed before I move forward?” Whether you're a business leader, entrepreneur, pastor, ministry leader, parent, or emerging leader, this conversation offers biblical wisdom for navigating growth, responsibility, leadership, and difficult seasons with integrity. The goal of The Today Counts Show and The Genesis Project is to equip leaders with biblical principles and practical wisdom to grow in character, purpose, and impact—and to lead with integrity at work, at home, and in their communities. 👉 Subscribe for more conversations on biblical leadership, faith, personal growth, discipleship, and purposeful living. Support the show

August 28, 2026Episode 22741 min

Your Most Important Leadership Assignment Is at Home | Episode 227

Send us Fan Mail Your most important leadership assignment may be waiting for you at home. In this episode of The Today Counts Show, Jim Piper and Winston Harris explore what happens when leadership moves beyond the workplace and into the home, marriage, and family. Most leadership books teach us about strategy, vision, and success—but often send us home with little preparation for the hardest leadership assignment of our lives. Jim and Winston unpack why the way we lead at home matters just as much as the way we lead everywhere else, and how our leadership in one area of life inevitably affects the others. In this episode, they discuss: • Why leadership at home should come before leadership everywhere else • The “golden goose” and why leaders must protect what matters most • How leadership can leak from one area of life into another • Why change starts with me instead of waiting for someone else to change • What it means to keep choosing your spouse as both people grow and change • How prayer, affirmation, and fun can strengthen a marriage • Why presence—not perfection—is what children need most • How perfectionism can become a threat to a healthy home • Why parents don't have to be perfect to model faith, humility, and growth • How to keep going when you fall short instead of believing you've failed One of the most important challenges in this episode is simple: What are you intentionally bringing home, and what are you leaving behind? The goal isn't to become a perfect spouse, parent, or leader. It's to become more intentional with the people who matter most, to keep choosing them, and to keep getting back up when we fall short. Whether you're a business leader, entrepreneur, pastor, ministry leader, manager, spouse, parent, or young leader trying to build something meaningful, this conversation will challenge you to think differently about where your leadership begins. Your most important team isn't the one at work. It's the one at home. The Today Counts Show exists to equip leaders with biblical principles and practical wisdom for life and leadership—helping you grow in character, purpose, and impact so you can lead with integrity at work, at home, and in your community. 👉 Subscribe for more conversations on leadership development, relationships, marriage, parenting, personal growth, faith, and purposeful living. Support the show

August 17, 2026Episode 22639 min

Lebron James to the 76ers' - A Leadership Lesson. Ep. 226

Send us Fan Mail The health of your relationships is the truest measure of your leadership. In this episode of The Today Counts Show, Jim Piper and Winston Harris explore what happens when leadership moves beyond self-development and into the relationships that shape our teams, families, churches, businesses, and communities. Great leadership isn't simply about managing people. It's about learning to connect with people, understand people, collaborate with people, and intentionally choose the people who shape your life and leadership. Jim and Winston unpack the difference between being able to lead from a stage and actually being able to connect with someone one-on-one. They explore how temperament, conditioning, and character influence the way we relate to others—and why leaders need to understand their own emotional tank if they want to lead people well. In this episode, they discuss: • Why strong leaders must learn to connect up close, not just communicate from a distance • How temperament, conditioning, and character shape our relationships • The emotional tank and how relationships can either fill or drain a leader • The difference between relationships that are filling, neutral, and draining • Why compliance is only the floor—and ownership is where healthy leadership begins • How great leaders choose their people with intention • The role of an inner circle, team, family, and friendships • Why collaboration requires believing people are capable of more • How to deal with difficult relationships and the people you didn't necessarily choose • Why leaders need to replace the monologue with a meeting of minds • How our relationships can become part of our Wall of Gratitude—even when they were difficult seasons One of the most important challenges in this episode is simple: Who are the people in your life by intention—and who is there simply because you've drifted into the relationship? The goal isn't to build a larger network. It's to build healthier relationships, stronger teams, and deeper trust. Whether you're a business leader, entrepreneur, pastor, ministry leader, manager, or young leader trying to build something meaningful, this conversation will challenge you to think differently about the people you lead and the people you allow to influence you. Because your leadership isn't measured only by what you accomplish. It's also measured by who you help become stronger because you were in their life. The Today Counts Show exists to equip leaders with biblical principles and practical wisdom for life and leadership—helping you grow in character, purpose, and impact so you can lead with integrity at work, at home, and in your community. 👉 Subscribe for more conversations on leadership development, relationships, personal growth, faith, and purposeful living. Support the show

August 10, 2026Episode 22548 min

The Darkest Leadership Lesson in Genesis? | Genesis 34 | The Genesis Project| Episode 225

Send us Fan Mail Genesis 34 is one of the most difficult and emotionally complex chapters in the entire Bible. In this episode of The Genesis Project, Jim Piper, Matt Martin, and Winston Harris walk through the story of Dinah, Shechem, Jacob, Simeon, and Levi to uncover powerful lessons about leadership, responsibility, justice, passivity, and the devastating ripple effects of sin. Why does Jacob remain silent when his daughter is violated? Were Simeon and Levi justified in their response? What happens when leaders fail to act? And what can modern leaders learn from one of the darkest chapters in Scripture? Throughout this conversation, the team explores the dangers of passive leadership, the consequences of revenge, the misuse of sacred things for personal agendas, and the importance of standing for what is right. Most importantly, they discuss how God continues to work through broken people and broken situations to accomplish His purposes. Whether you're a business leader, ministry leader, parent, mentor, or someone seeking to grow in faith and character, this episode offers timeless biblical wisdom for navigating difficult decisions and leading with courage, integrity, and conviction. In This Episode: ✅ Genesis 34 explained verse-by-verse ✅ Leadership lessons from Jacob's silence ✅ Dinah, Shechem, Simeon, and Levi analyzed ✅ The dangers of passivity and poor leadership ✅ How sin impacts families, communities, and future generations ✅ Biblical leadership principles for today's leaders ✅ Why character matters more than strategy Key Takeaway: "A leader's greatest failures often come not from what they do—but from what they refuse to do." If this episode challenges or encourages you, be sure to like, subscribe, and share it with a friend. New episodes of The Genesis Project are released regularly as we journey through the book of Genesis and discover leadership, faith, and life lessons that still apply today. Support the show

August 3, 2026Episode 22439 min

What Does Masculinity Look Like in 2026? | Biblical Manhood, Leadership & Purpose Ep. 224

Send us Fan Mail What does it mean to be a man in 2026? In a culture filled with competing definitions of masculinity, many men are searching for clarity, purpose, and direction. Some voices equate manhood with power and dominance. Others encourage passivity and the avoidance of responsibility. But what does healthy, biblical masculinity actually look like? In this episode, host Jim Piper and co-host Winston Harris explore one of the most important leadership conversations of our time: manhood, character, and purpose. Together they discuss: • Why masculinity has become such a debated topic in modern culture • The growing challenges of loneliness, identity, and purpose among men • How the decline of mentorship has impacted younger generations • The influence of social media on expectations of masculinity • Why healthy masculinity isn't found in aggression or passivity • The difference between strength and intimidation • The role of courage, integrity, and emotional maturity in leadership • What servant leadership teaches us about becoming a trustworthy man • Practical advice for young men, husbands, fathers, and older mentors The conversation centers around five key characteristics of healthy masculinity: ✅ Responsibility ✅ Courage ✅ Integrity ✅ Emotional Maturity ✅ Servant Leadership One of the most powerful insights from this episode: "Masculinity isn't about proving you're a man. It's about becoming the kind of man others can trust." Whether you're a young leader trying to find your footing, a husband seeking to lead your family well, a father shaping the next generation, or a mentor investing in others, this conversation offers practical wisdom rooted in biblical principles and real-world leadership. The goal of this podcast is to equip leaders to grow in character, purpose, and impact while leading with integrity at work, at home, and in their communities. Key Question: When people experience your life, do they feel safer, stronger, and more encouraged because you were there? 👉 Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, faith, personal growth, discipleship, and purpose-driven living. Support the show

August 3, 2026Episode 22341 min

Could Islam Overtake America? Separating Fear from Reality | Ep. 223

Send us Fan Mail Could Islam overtake America? It's a question that's increasingly discussed in the media, on social platforms, and in conversations about culture, religion, and the future of the United States. But is the concern rooted in reality—or in fear? In this episode, host Jim Piper and co-host Winston Harris, explore the differences between Christianity and Islam, and discuss how Christians should respond with wisdom rather than panic. Together they discuss: • Why so many people are asking this question today • Immigration, global conflicts, and changing religious landscapes • What the demographic data actually says about Islam in America • The rise of secularism, individualism, and spiritual apathy • Why Christianity's greatest challenge may not be another religion • Key worldview differences between Christianity and Islam • The role of Jesus in Christianity and Islam• Salvation, Scripture, and foundational beliefs • How Christians can engage people of other faiths with truth and love • Why fear is a poor substitute for faithful discipleship One of the most powerful insights from this conversation is that the future of Christianity in America may depend less on what other groups are doing and more on whether Christians remain committed to living out their faith. As Jesus taught in Matthew 5, believers are called to be salt and light—preserving truth, demonstrating love, and influencing culture through faithful living. Whether you're a business leader, ministry leader, student, or someone trying to understand the cultural and spiritual shifts happening around us, this episode offers a thoughtful and biblical framework for navigating these important questions. Key Takeaway:The greatest threat to Christianity isn't necessarily opposition from the outside—it's apathy from within. The goal of this podcast is to equip leaders with biblical principles, practical wisdom, and thoughtful conversations that help them grow in character, purpose, and impact while leading with integrity at work, at home, and in their communities. 👉 Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, faith, culture, discipleship, and personal growth. #ChristianLeadership #ChristianPodcast #FaithAndCulture #BiblicalWorldview #Discipleship Support the show