What happens when an organization is led by virtue instead of vanity? In this episode of The Leadership Telos, Dr. Maegan Winegar explores how leaders can intentionally build a culture grounded in moral character — where people thrive, teams trust, and performance follows purpose.

We’ll draw lessons from companies like Southwest Airlines and Chick-fil-A, whose leaders embedded humility, gratitude, and service into their organizational DNA — and contrast them with what happens when leadership drifts from virtue, as seen in Uber’s early culture crisis and Nokia's fall from the top.

Through the lenses of philosophy, psychology, and theology, this episode offers a roadmap for creating a virtue-driven culture that sustains excellence even under pressure.

💡 In This Episode You’ll Learn:

• Why every team has a telos — and how to define it
• How virtue-based habits shape collective behavior
• The psychological contagion of virtue vs. vice
• Practical ways to infuse virtue into values, rhythms, and rewards
• The biblical model of grace-filled, servant leadership

📖 Scripture Reflections:

• Colossians 4:6 “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt.”
  How can my leadership ‘season’ my team with grace and truth?
• Philippians 2:3–4 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition... but in humility value others above yourselves.”
  How can I embody humility in my daily leadership decisions?
• Matthew 20:26–28 “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.”
  How does virtuous leadership reshape my view of power and success?

🪞 Journal Prompts for Reflection:

1. What virtues define your current team culture? Are they explicitly or implicitly defined?
2. How do my daily habits as a leader reinforce or contradict those virtues?
3. What is my team’s telos, its ultimate purpose beyond success?
4. What one change could I make this week to align my leadership systems with that telos?

✨ Join the conversation:
Share your insights on Instagram or LinkedIn @The_Leadership_Telos and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a new virtue in action.

In this episode of The Leadership Telos Podcast, we explore Phronesis, aka practical wisdom, the crown jewel of leadership and good character.

More than just knowledge, phronesis is the ability to discern what is truly good in complex situations and act on it. Aristotle saw phronesis as the virtue that guides all other virtues, while modern psychology frames it as the integration of knowledge, ethics, and action. For leaders today, phronesis means making wise, balanced decisions that serve both truth and people.

Together we’ll look at:

• Psychological roots of phronesis in decision-making, collaboration, and wisdom.
• Philosophical insights from Aristotle and Aquinas on balancing reason and desire.
• Theological foundations of wisdom from Scripture, reminding us that true discernment begins with God.
• Practical applications for leaders who want to avoid excess or deficiency in their decision-making.

This episode will equip you to reflect, pause, and choose wisely as you lead yourself, your family, and your organization.

📖 Scripture Reflections

• Proverbs Chapters 1-4
• James 1:5
• Colossians 1:9–10

✍️ Journal Prompts

1. Where in my leadership do I need to invite others into my decision-making to practice collective wisdom?
2. What virtues do I lean on when making decisions, and which ones do I neglect?
3. Where do I need to pause and seek God’s wisdom instead of rushing forward in my own understanding?
4. How would my leadership change if I intentionally practiced phronesis in one decision this week?

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What does it mean to be a lifelong learner, and why does it matter for leaders? In this episode of The Leadership Telos, we explore how the love of learning shapes leaders into wiser, more resilient, and more fruitful people. Drawing on psychology, philosophy, and scripture, we’ll see how curiosity, humility, and continuous growth are at the heart of virtuous leadership.

Whether you’re leading yourself, your family, or an organization, this virtue invites you to step beyond comfort and embrace growth. Together, we’ll reflect on how learning transforms not only us, but also those we lead.

✨ Journal Prompts:

• Where in my life do I resist new learning because I think I “already know enough”?
• How has continued learning in one area of my life opened doors I didn’t expect?
• In what ways does my learning benefit others—not just myself?
• How can I intentionally create rhythms of reflection, study, or practice to keep growing?

📖 Scripture Prompts:

• Romans 15:4
• Colossians 1:9–12
• Proverbs 1:5

Tune in and discover how to lead with curiosity, openness, and creativity, and how lifelong learning helps us bear good fruit that lasts.

In this episode of The Leadership Telos, we explore the virtue of grace—not as a soft sentiment, but as a powerful leadership practice. Drawing on psychology, philosophy, and theology, we’ll look at how grace allows leaders to acknowledge their own imperfections, extend forgiveness, and create cultures of safety and trust.

We also unpack Colossians 4:6, which calls us to let our conversations be “full of grace, seasoned with salt.” What does it mean for leaders today to communicate with both compassion and weight? How can our words build others up while carrying wisdom, clarity, and truth?

Tune in to discover how grace under pressure can transform both your leadership and your relationships.

📖 Scripture Prompt

"Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." — Colossians 4:6

📝 Journal Prompts

1. When have I experienced the power of someone extending grace to me in a high-pressure moment? How did it impact me?
2. How do I typically respond when I’m under pressure—do I lead with grace, or with frustration?
3. What would it look like for my words this week to be “seasoned with salt”—both gracious and wise?
4. In what areas of my leadership do I need to receive grace myself, so I can extend it to others?

🌱 Reflection Prompts

How do I ensure my words carry both kindness and substance in difficult situations?

Think of a conversation you need to have this week. How might you reframe it so your words are both gracious and seasoned with wisdom, creating space for growth instead of defensiveness?

Love is often misunderstood in leadership—seen as soft, sentimental, or secondary to strategy. But true love in leadership is foundational, shaping cultures of trust, resilience, and eudaimonia. In this episode of The Leadership Telos, we explore love as more than emotion: love as action, commitment, and virtue. Drawing on psychology, philosophy, and theology, we’ll uncover how agape love forms the root of all virtues, from courage to justice, and why leadership without love ultimately falls short of its telos.

Discover how to embody love as a leader: giving without expectation of return, cultivating compassion, and creating communities marked by grace and flourishing.

Journal Reflection Prompts:

1. When has love—whether compassion, patience, or empathy—most impacted your leadership?
2. In what ways can you practice agape love, giving without expectation of return, in your current leadership role?
3. Which of the virtues (temperance, courage, justice, wisdom) do you feel most transformed when practiced in love?
4. How can your leadership create a “grammar of love” that shapes your organization’s culture and mission?

Scripture Prompts:

• “God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.” — 1 John 4:17
• “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind… and love your neighbor as yourself.” — Matthew 22:37–40
• “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” — 1 Corinthians 13:13

Faithfulness is more than consistency—it is leadership anchored in transcendence. From psychology and philosophy to theology and organizational research, this episode explores how faithfulness shapes meaning, relationships, and purpose. Aristotle wrestled with the eternal mover, Aquinas called faith a divine light, and today’s faith-led organizations describe themselves as families of God, balancing purpose and profit. Discover how faithfulness transforms leaders from the inside out and guides communities toward resilience and flourishing.

Reflection & Journal Prompts:

• How has faith—or the absence of it—shaped your leadership decisions in the past year?
• In what ways can you bring faithfulness into your daily leadership practices?
• Where do you currently anchor your leadership: in ambition, circumstances, or something transcendent?
• Write about a time when faithfulness to your values guided a difficult decision.
• Reflect on an area where you feel called to exercise more faithfulness in your leadership.

Scripture Prompts:

• Proverbs 3:3 – “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.”
• 1 Corinthians 4:2 – “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.”
• 1 Thessalonians 5:24 – “The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.”

Forgiveness is often misunderstood as weakness—but in leadership, it is a profound strength. In this episode of The Leadership Telos, we explore forgiveness through psychology, philosophy, and theology. We’ll unpack the research on how forgiving leaders foster innovation and trust, Aristotle’s warning about deficient or excessive anger, and Scripture’s call to radical forgiveness modeled by Christ.

Leaders are not only called to forgive but also to seek forgiveness when they cause harm. This practice builds resilient, grace-filled communities where both people and organizations flourish.

💡 Reflection Prompt: Who in your leadership journey do you need to forgive—and where might you need to seek forgiveness?
📖 Scripture Prompt: “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” — Romans 15:7

🎧 Listen now to discover how forgiveness transforms not just individuals, but entire teams and organizations.

In a world that prizes speed, patience often gets overlooked. Yet in leadership, patience can be the catalyst for growth, resilience, and purpose-driven success. In this episode of The Leadership Telos, we explore patience through three lenses:

• Psychological: How patience sustains goals, fosters mentorship, and meets generational expectations.
• Philosophical: Patience as endurance and forbearance in pursuit of a higher telos.
• Theological: Biblical insights on endurance during hardship and steadfast perseverance.

You’ll hear real-world examples and walk away with practical tools to embody patience without losing momentum.

Scripture References:

• James 5:7–8
• 2 Timothy 2:22–26
• Colossians 3:12

Journal Reflection Questions:

1. When was the last time my impatience hindered a relationship or decision?
2. How do I respond when processes or people move slower than I’d like?
3. Where is God asking me to “wait well” right now?

Journal Prompts:

• Identify one situation in your leadership where patience could change the outcome.
• Write about a time when waiting produced a better result than rushing.
• Meditate on James 5:7–8 and apply it to your current leadership context.