The Discerning Leader Podcast

The Discerning Leader Podcast is designed for Christian leaders seeking to integrate spiritual discernment into all facets of their lives, relationships, leadership, and service. Hosted by Steve Macchia, founder and president of Leadership Transformations, Inc. (LTI), the podcast features discussions with members of the LTI community, each focusing on different aspects of spiritual discernment as a way of life. 

Leadership Transformations

As of December 2024, the podcast has released 33 seasons, each delving into unique themes related to spiritual growth and leadership. Recent seasons include:

• Season 33: Discerning God With Us – This season invites listeners to explore the Advent season by considering the prophetic promise of Emmanuel, God with us. Episodes address topics such as finding hope in times of despair and seeking healing through faith. 

  Leadership Transformations

• Season 32: Discerning God in the Garden of the Soul – This season uses gardening as a metaphor to explore spiritual growth, discussing how tending to one's soul can lead to a deeper relationship with God. 

  Leadership Transformations

The podcast is available on multiple platforms, including 

Apple Podcasts and Spotify

Listeners have praised the podcast for its thoughtful and reflective content, noting that it provides an opportunity for leaders to pause and be reminded of the importance of spiritual discernment in their personal and professional lives. 

Apple Podcasts

For more information and access to episodes, visit the Leadership Transformations website. 

Leadership Transformations

Rising to the Call, by Os Guinness

The importance of "calling" is a timeless idea that's been central to people of faith for generations. 

In a world that often measures success by titles, promotions, and material gain, Guinness reminds us that there's a deeper, more meaningful way to live. For him, calling isn't just about finding a job or building a career; it's about understanding why you're here, who you're meant to serve, and what you're ultimately called to contribute to the world.

Guinness draws a clear line between two kinds of calling. First, there's our primary calling—to follow God, to let faith be the foundation that guides our choices and shapes our lives. 

Our secondary callings are, well, secondary — the roles we take on in our work, family, and communities. Guinness insists that the real purpose in life comes from this primary calling. Everything else, he says, should flow from that, not the other way around.

The book is full of insights that cut through the noise of modern culture, where the pace and pressure to succeed often drown out the quieter voice calling us to a life of real substance. Guinness speaks to those of us who feel that something vital has been lost in the hurry and hustle of modern life. He challenges readers to remember what really matters and to live with integrity and a sense of duty, as our parents and grandparents might have urged.

Rising to the Call is a call to action that resonates deeply with those who understand that true success isn't just about reaching the top; it's about staying true to who you are and what you're meant to do. It's a book for anyone looking to reconnect with values that last, reminding us that answering the call on our lives is about leaving a legacy of faith, service, and purpose. Guinness taps into that older, enduring wisdom—a reminder that real fulfillment comes not from what we get, but from what we give back, as we respond to a higher purpose.

Pain + Performance, by Matt Fitzgerald

The Other Talent, by Matt Fitzgerald

Finish Line Leadership, by Dave Kraft

The Life of Saint Antony, by Anthanasius of Alexandria

Book #3 in Celebration of Discipline post reading assignment. 

The Practice of the Presence of God, by Brother Lawrence

Book #2 in Celebration of Discipline post reading assignment. 

Letters by a Modern Mystic, by Frank C. Laubach

Book 1 of 12, Celebrate of Discipline's "Starter Kit"

Celebration of Discipline, by Richard J. Foster

The Lies We Believe, by Dr. Chris Thurman

Subscribe to my Substack -  https://dannylsmith.substack.com

The Gift of Thorns, by A. J. Swoboda

I heard about this book on James Bryan Smith's "Things Above podcast."

Things Above Apprentice Institute

Smith claimed he emptied a highlighter while reading the book. 

I emptied two. 

Something's changed inside me. Lots to reflect on, and a few reread to come. 

Rising to the Call, by Os Guinness

Choose Strong, by Sally McRae