Calm and Confident Leader Podcast

What if all your success still doesn't answer the deepest questions you're carrying?
Most high-performing leaders know how to solve problems, hit goals, and keep moving forward. But beneath the surface, many wrestle with questions they rarely say out loud:
What if I'm winning at the wrong game?
What if success still doesn't satisfy?
What happens when I can't control the outcome?
In this thought-provoking episode of The Calm and Confident Leader Podcast, host Jason Stonehouse sits down with renowned author, professor, and C.S. Lewis scholar Louis Markos to explore the questions that sit underneath leadership, purpose, faith, suffering, identity, and meaning.
Drawing from his new book, My Apologetics Dinner Party, Louis shares insights gained from years of hosting conversations with people from every worldview imaginable. Together, Jason and Louis discuss the relationship between confidence and authenticity, why purpose alone may not fully satisfy the human heart, how leaders can remain open without abandoning critical thinking, and what faith offers in the face of pain, loss, and uncertainty.
Whether you're a committed Christian, a curious skeptic, or simply a leader wrestling with life's bigger questions, this conversation will challenge you to think more deeply about who you are, why you're here, and what ultimately gives life meaning.
In this episode you'll discover:
• Why confidence grows from authenticity, not performance
• The connection between purpose, fulfillment, and faith
• What C.S. Lewis taught about desire and the search for meaning
• How leaders can engage difficult conversations with humility and conviction
• Why suffering raises important questions about God, purpose, and human nature
• What it truly means to follow Christ beyond cultural Christianity
Resources Mentioned:
My Apologetics Dinner Party by Louis Markos
Connect with Jason Stonehouse:
https://jasonstonehouse.com
If this episode encouraged you, challenged your thinking, or helped you see leadership and life from a fresh perspective, please share it with someone who would benefit from the conversation. And be sure to subscribe to The Calm and Confident Leader Podcast so you never miss an episode filled with practical wisdom, personal growth, and inside-out leadership transformation.

What happens when your skills outgrow your character?
In this episode of the Calm and Confident Leader podcast, host Jason Stonehouse sits down with Dr. O. Alan Noble to explore why so many capable leaders eventually collapse under the weight of success, not because they lacked talent, but because their inner foundation was never strengthened to carry it.
Together, Jason and Alan unpack the difference between competency and character, why modern culture rewards efficiency over integrity, and how leaders can rebuild the inner scaffolding needed to lead with wisdom, courage, temperance, and endurance. They discuss the dangers of image management, the pressure to always perform, the paralysis that comes from overthinking decisions, and why suffering is not always a sign that something has gone wrong.
This conversation is thoughtful, honest, and deeply practical for leaders who are tired of chasing performance while neglecting the person behind the title. If you’ve ever felt exhausted trying to keep up appearances, uncertain about difficult decisions, or stretched thin by the constant demand for more, this episode will help you slow down and rethink what it actually means to live and lead well.
Jason Stonehouse is joined by Dr. O. Alan Noble, associate professor of English at Oklahoma Baptist University, fellow at the Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics, and author of the new book To Live Well.
Links mentioned in this episode:
• Dr. Alan Noble: OAlanNoble.com
• Jason Stonehouse: JasonStonehouse.com
• Follow Dr. Alan Noble on Substack: Alan Noble on Substack
If this episode encouraged you or challenged your thinking, share it with someone else who could benefit from the conversation. And be sure to subscribe to the Calm and Confident Leader podcast so you never miss an episode filled with practical wisdom, honest conversations, and tools to help you lead from the inside out.

What if the reason you still feel stuck isn’t your strategy, but the emotional patterns running underneath it?
In this episode of The Calm and Confident Leader, host Jason Stonehouse sits down with entrepreneur, physicist, and emotional intelligence expert Randy Lyman for a powerful conversation about the hidden emotional dynamics that shape leadership, decision-making, and fulfillment.
After building multiple eight-figure businesses and reaching financial success, Randy realized something surprising. He had achieved the goals, but still felt disconnected and unfulfilled. That discovery launched him into a deeper journey of emotional awareness, authenticity, and what he calls “The Third Element.”
Together, Jason and Randy unpack why so many leaders suppress emotions in the name of strength, how unhealed emotional wounds quietly influence our reactions, and why emotional health is not weakness, but one of the greatest leadership advantages available.
You’ll also hear practical insights on:
• Recognizing emotional patterns before they sabotage relationships
• The difference between reacting and responding
• Why teams struggle with communication and decision-making
• A simple four-step framework for making better decisions as a leader
• How emotional awareness creates calmer, more confident leadership
• Why vulnerability actually increases trust and influence
This conversation is thoughtful, practical, and deeply relatable for leaders who have ever felt successful on the outside while quietly struggling on the inside.
Learn more about Randy Lyman and his work at RandyLyman.com
You can also connect with host Jason Stonehouse and explore coaching resources at JasonStonehouse.com
If this episode encouraged you, share it with someone who could use it, and be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode of The Calm and Confident Leader.

Why is this person so difficult to work with?
You've asked it. Every leader has. And the answer probably isn't what you think.
Most of us assume difficult people are just... difficult. Wrong personality. Bad fit. Too much drama. But what if the real problem is that you're trying to fix behavior when the actual issue is motivation? Those are two completely different problems, and they require two completely different solutions.
In this episode, Jason Stonehouse sits down with Joey Schewee, management consultant, executive coach, and longtime Enneagram expert, to talk about what's actually driving the friction on your team. Joey has spent 30 years helping leaders get past surface-level personality typing and into the harder, more useful question: why do people do what they do? Her new book, When Working Together Doesn't Work, is essentially a field manual for leaders who are tired of the same team problems showing up in different people.
In this conversation, Jason and Joey dig into why self-awareness has to come before team awareness, what it means to lead from your dominant center (doing, feeling, or thinking), why those high-action "motor" types rise quickly and sometimes crash hard, and the one practical thing you can do to stop reacting to behavior and start getting curious about motivation.
If you lead people, this one is worth your time.
Connect with Joey Schewee:LinkedIn: Joey ScheweeInstagram: @EnneagramParentsWebsite: wesolutions.life
Get the book: When Working Together Doesn't Work by Joey Schewee, available on Amazon.
If this episode added value, do two things: share it with a leader who needs it, and subscribe so you don't miss what's coming next.

What if the person on your team who frustrates you the most isn’t the problem… but the clue?
In this episode of the Calm and Confident Leader Podcast, host Jason Stonehouse sits down with Dr. James Borishade, author of Connecting Across Differences, to unpack why so many leaders struggle with conflict and communication, and what they might be missing.
Dr. Borishade brings a fascinating perspective shaped by leading in high tension environments, serving as CEO of Circle Urban Ministries, becoming the first African American CEO in the challenge course and zip line industry, and helping organizations rethink how people work together.
Together, Jason and James explore a powerful idea. What if the behaviors that irritate us in others are actually rooted in their story, their experiences, and even their unique design?
In this conversation you’ll discover:
• Why many relational struggles begin with the belief that something is wrong with us
• The difference between God designed uniqueness and emotional immaturity
• How trauma and personal stories shape workplace behavior
• Why the silent tension in a team can be more dangerous than open conflict
• Practical ways leaders can create environments where people feel safe enough to be honest
• A powerful shift from employing people to deploying them into the roles where they thrive
This episode is packed with practical leadership wisdom about navigating differences, asking better questions, and building teams where diverse perspectives actually strengthen the organization instead of tearing it apart.
Links mentioned in this episode
Jason Stonehouse
https://jasonstonehouse.com
Dr. James Borishade
https://borishade.com
Circle Urban Ministries
https://circleurban.org

Book: Connecting Across Differences (available wherever books are sold, including Amazon)
If this episode encouraged you or helped you think about leadership in a new way, share it with a friend or a colleague who could benefit from the conversation. And be sure to subscribe to the Calm and Confident Leader Podcast so you don’t miss any of the great content coming your way.