Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast

Episode Title: Leaders Don't Wait Until January
Host: Craig Groeschel (Life.Church)
Release Date: December 4, 2025

Overview

In this high-energy year-end episode, Craig Groeschel challenges leaders not to fall into the trap of waiting until January to institute change or set new goals. Using a blend of practical leadership wisdom and personal insight, he outlines six critical areas every leader should evaluate as the year ends. The core theme is proactive leadership: “Don’t wait till January. Start early, start strong, and lead the way.”

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Don’t Wait for January: The Power of Starting Early

• Craig’s Mindset:
  • Leaders shouldn't see January 1st as the only time for change ("There's nothing magical about that day." [01:19]).
  • Adopting discipline before the year-end frame’s one’s mindset for consistent progress.
  • Quote:
    • “Why am I gonna wait to get better when I can begin now?” (01:42)
  • Example: Craig dials in his diet before Christmas to start strong.

2. Year-End Reflection: Looking Back to Move Forward

• Leaders Must Evaluate:
  • Successes
  • Misses
  • Patterns
  • People
  • Priorities
  • Yourself ([03:34])

3. Six Things Every Leader Should Evaluate

1. Evaluate Successes ([03:41])

• Why analyze what went well?
  • Andy Stanley Quote: “If you don’t know why something is working when it is, you won’t know how to fix it when it’s not.” (03:44)
  • Don’t take wins for granted; dig into the reasons behind success.
• Craig’s Church Example:
  • Multiple campuses, same systems, but varying results; factors include leadership, team pairing, campus age, demographics, even parking logistics ([05:02]).
  • Quote:
    • “Success leaves clues if you’re wise enough to look for them.” (07:57)
• Key Takeaway:
  • Study not only failures but also what ingredients made something work.

2. Evaluate Misses ([08:13])

• The value of learning from mistakes:
  • Quote:
    • “A mistake you don’t learn from is a mistake you’ll likely repeat.” (08:18)
  • Failing isn’t dangerous; failing to learn from it is.
• Craig’s Phoenix Story:
  • Launching two locations out of state failed, but 30+ lessons were learned ([09:55]).
  • Quote:
    • “Don’t waste a failure that we already paid for.” (10:41)

3. Evaluate Patterns ([10:59])

• Culture is What Happens Repeatedly
  • Single incident = circumstance; recurring = culture.
  • Example: Local pastors consistently running over their speaking time after the shift to flexible schedules; led to cultural drift ([11:47]).
  • Quotes:
    • “What you allow, you endorse. Or... what you permit, you promote.” (13:27)
    • “Your culture doesn’t just naturally become what you want. It starts with what you allow.” (13:45)
• Action:
  • Identify where you’re drifting from core values.

4. Evaluate People ([13:55])

• The Future Rests on Team Strength
  • Even perfect plans fail with wrong people; great leaders can elevate average strategies.
  • Commit to growing leaders, not just finding them.
  • Episodes Referenced:
    • Episode 44: How to Recognize Leaders with High Potential
    • Episode 166: Winning as a Rising Leader
• Questions to Ask:
  • Who’s thriving, coasting, disengaging?
  • Who needs a challenge or a tough conversation?
• Quote:
  • “You don’t find great leaders. You build them.” (15:50)

5. Evaluate Priorities ([16:20])

• Attention Shapes Direction
  • Quote:
    • “What gets your attention will always determine your direction.” (16:25)
  • Most leaders lack focus, not passion; busyness isn’t effectiveness.
  • Resource allocation is a key (but rarely discussed) skill.
• Craig’s Principle:
  • “Your focus determines your future, so give your best energy toward what drives your greatest impact.” (17:25)

6. Evaluate Yourself ([18:05])

• The Hardest Person to Lead is Yourself
  • Growth starts with ruthless honesty and confronting—not defending—weaknesses.
  • Quote:
    • “You cannot correct what you won’t confront.” (18:45)
  • Don’t hide behind last year’s success; what you ignore privately will hurt you publicly.
• Key Self-Reflection Questions:
  • Where am I making excuses?
  • What am I avoiding because it’s uncomfortable?
  • What’s the one thing I need to fix, but haven’t?
  • Quote:
    • “The most dangerous lies are the ones that we tell ourselves. Growth doesn’t start with excuses. It starts with honesty.” (20:36)
• Craig’s Encouragement:
  • Personal discipline in small things (diet, time keeping) signals to oneself a readiness for bigger growth and stronger leadership.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Don’t wait till January… Start early, start strong, and lead the way. Because that’s what great leaders do.” (21:57)
• “If everything is important to you, nothing is important to you.” (16:55)
• “The areas you ignore privately will eventually hurt you publicly.” (19:26)
• “With God’s help, you can change whatever holds you back.” (21:27)
• “Everyone wins when the leader gets better.” (22:11)
• “Sometimes the best way to grow as a leader isn’t having all the answers. It’s asking the right questions.” (23:22)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Intro & Core Theme: 00:06–02:15
• Why Not Wait for January: 01:15–02:21
• Six Evaluation Areas Overview: 03:34–03:56
• Evaluate Successes: 03:41–08:06
• Evaluate Misses (Failures): 08:13–10:55
• Evaluate Patterns: 10:59–13:55
• Evaluate People: 13:55–16:20
• Evaluate Priorities: 16:20–18:05
• Evaluate Yourself: 18:05–22:11
• Closing Challenge: 21:57–22:11

Tone & Language

Craig’s delivery is energetic, direct, and motivational—combining practical advice, personal stories, and spiritual encouragement. He speaks to both business and faith-based audiences, always circling back to themes of honesty, discipline, and proactive leadership.

Final Encouragement

Craig concludes by urging leaders to reflect, learn, apply, and step confidently into their calling—without waiting for January. “Look back, plan forward, don’t wait till January. Start early, start strong, lead the way. Because that’s what great leaders do.” (21:58)

Leader Guide and Additional Resources:
Craig offers a guide with each episode and a "27 Questions Every Leader Should Ask" tool at cglp.com for further growth ([23:22]).

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