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Meditations on Leadership with Don Carpenter
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Meditations on Leadership with Don Carpenter

Author: Don Carpenter

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© 2025 Meditations on Leadership with Don Carpenter

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Leadership begins within.


 In Meditations on Leadership with Don Carpenter, author, youth development pioneer, and relational leadership coach Don Carpenter invites you into a weekly practice of deeper reflection, personal clarity, and meaningful connection.


Each episode begins with a short meditation from Don’s soon to be released book, The Inner Work of Leadership: 52 Meditations for a Life of Meaning, Courage, and Growth. From there, Don offers personal commentary and lived insights before welcoming a guest, leaders from all walks of life, to explore how that week’s theme plays out in their own professional journey. The episode closes with two powerful questions to help you pause, reflect, and grow as a leader from the inside out.


Whether you’re leading a team, a classroom, a nonprofit, or your own life, this podcast is a companion for those committed to doing the inner work that sustains courageous outer change.

7 Episodes
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Leading Without Hidden Agendas

Leading Without Hidden Agendas

2025-10-1458:30

Send us a text Episode 7 — Leading Without Hidden Agendas In this episode of Meditations on Leadership, Don Carpenter sits down with Dr. Jacqueline “Jackie” Edmondson, President of the University of Southern Maine. A first-generation college student who grew up in rural America, Jackie’s journey from the piano bench to the presidency of one of Maine’s largest public universities is a story of courage, curiosity, and purpose. Together, Don and Jackie explore what it means to lead from wh...
The Broker, Not the Keeper

The Broker, Not the Keeper

2025-10-0701:20:00

Send us a text This episode of Meditations on Leadership begins with Meditation #17: The Broker, Not the Keeper, a reflection on collaboration—why it’s harder than we often admit, and how real partnership requires trust, belonging, and agency. Don is then joined by Molly Feeney, Executive Director of Homeworthy, the only dedicated homeless service agency serving Knox, Waldo, and parts of Lincoln County, Maine. With a background that spans teaching in a youth detention facility, leading a resi...
The Message Is You

The Message Is You

2025-09-3054:24

Send us a text This episode of Meditations on Leadership opens with Meditation #9: The Message Is You, a reflection on how true leadership is remembered less for eloquent words and more for authentic presence—the way a leader makes others feel seen, safe, and valued. Don is then joined by Owen McCarthy, co-founder of MedRhythms, former trustee of the University of Maine System, and now board chair of the Rural Futures Fund. Raised in Patten, Maine, Owen’s journey has taken him from UMaine to ...
The Art of Letting Go

The Art of Letting Go

2025-09-2301:04:26

Send us a text This episode of Meditations on Leadership opens with Meditation #1: The Art of Letting Go, reflecting on the challenge of knowing when to hold on and when to release. Don is then joined by Megan Taft, the first Executive Director of the Rural Youth Institute, a new nonprofit dedicated to advancing rural youth development. Together they talk about Meg’s journey as a relationship-centered leader, the future of rural youth work, and the transition now underway as Don steps back fr...
The Ripple of Influence

The Ripple of Influence

2025-09-1601:09:14

Send us a text Episode 3: Ripple of Influence Every leader carries an energy that ripples outward — shaping culture, relationships, and the sustainability of the work long after they leave the room. In this episode, Don reads his meditation Ripple of Influence, reflecting on the unseen ways our presence becomes the real ROI of leadership. Joining Don is longtime friend and colleague Joseph Hufnagel, Director of The Landing Place at Homeworthy. Their conversation explores how leaders feed the ...
Let Them See You

Let Them See You

2025-09-0901:03:06

Send us a text Episode #2 – Let Them See You In this episode, Don reflects on the courage it takes to let others truly see us, not just as leaders who have answers, but as people still learning, growing, and wrestling with our own doubts. He shares how authenticity deepens trust and creates space for real connection. Joining Don for this conversation is Professor Dean Borgman - mentor, theologian, and longtime leader in youth work. Together, they explore how transparency shapes leadersh...
The Stillness That Leads

The Stillness That Leads

2025-08-2748:48

Send us a text In today’s episode, “The Stillness That Leads,” Don reflects on the power of contemplation and silence as essential foundations for grounded, authentic leadership. Joining him is Jack Carpenter — a lifelong mentor, spiritual guide, and Don’s uncle. Jack served with Young Life from 1961 to 2015, including over 20 years as a regional director. He and his wife Judith raised four children, spent twelve years living and working on the campus of Dana Hall School, and later moved to M...
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