The Ryan Leak Podcast — “Faith At Work”

Host: Ryan Leak
Date: October 13, 2025
Episode Theme:
How to authentically demonstrate faith in the workplace without preaching, by embodying values and behaviors that build credibility, promote excellence, and create a positive impact. Ryan Leak offers 10 practical, universally-applicable ways anyone (faith-based or not) can bring their best self to work, influence culture, and lead with integrity.

Main Theme & Purpose

Ryan Leak addresses the frequent question he receives: “How are you so openly faith-driven in corporate environments that aren’t always religious-friendly?” His answer—faith is best shown through action and excellence, not preaching. The episode dissects what it means to let faith inform professional attitude and behavior, offering actionable strategies for both people of faith and secular listeners.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Faith as an Everyday Witness (00:33)

Ryan situates faith as integral to work life: “There’s a way that you can share your faith at work without ever preaching a sermon.”
He references Colossians 3:23: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.”
The mindset: “When you have a belief system… that says, ‘I’ve got a heavenly boss,’ well, yeah, that’s going to change how you work.”

2. The 10 Ways to Share Your Faith at Work (02:08+)

1. Be on Time (02:13)

Punctuality is “one of the simplest ways to show other people respect.”
“Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do on a Tuesday morning is just be on time.”

2. Give Your Best Effort (03:00)

Excellence “is a reflection of what you believe about who you’re working for.”
“Your excellence is worship. It’s not about perfection, it’s about effort.”
Note: “Your next job is dependent on how good of an effort you give to your current job.”

3. Watch Your Body Language (04:04)

“Sometimes your posture preaches louder than your prayers before you ever say a word.”
Be warm and humble, regardless of leadership quality: “Don’t let the quality of someone else’s leadership determine your body language.”

4. Be Prepared (05:15)

“Preparation says I care… I honor the people I’m meeting with and the opportunity that I believe God gave me.”
“Excellence isn’t random. It’s rehearsed.”

5. Keep a Positive Attitude (06:08)

“Negativity is contagious, but so is joy.”
“Be the kind of person that says, ‘Hey, I don’t match the energy. I set the standard.’”

6. Follow Through (07:24)

“Integrity is built one kept promise at a time.”
“When your yes actually means yes, people start to believe your word.”

7. Be Coachable (08:09)

“You cannot grow and be defensive at the same time.”
“Teachability is one of the great witnesses you can have at work… humility is magnetic.”

8. Talk Positive About People Behind Their Backs (09:17)

“Your words create culture… you can decide if that culture is toxic or trustworthy.”

9. Check On People When You Don’t Need Anything (10:16)

“The best relationships in the world aren’t transactional.”
“Caring when it’s convenient is nice. Caring when it’s not — well, I would call that ministry.”

10. Do More Than What’s Required (11:15)

“Go the extra mile… the first mile is obligation, the second mile is opportunity.”
“Sometimes that extra mile is where God’s favor shows up because he trusts people who can be trusted with more.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

[00:33] “I try to share my faith through the way that I work… showing up with excellence.”
[02:13] “You cannot talk about serving God with excellence if you don’t respect people’s time.”
[03:20] “Most people give their best effort depending on how good their boss is… No, no, no. Give your best right where you’re at.”
[04:09] “Your body language tells a story long before your mouth ever opens.”
[05:20] “Don’t be that person… that skimmed the email but yet they got questions about the meeting that were already answered in the email.”
[06:32] “You can shift an entire atmosphere just by how you show up.”
[08:09] “You can’t grow and be defensive at the same time.”
[09:23] “Speaking well of others, even the difficult ones, is one of the most powerful ways to stand out in a cynical world.”
[11:20] “Anyone can do the minimum, but people of faith go the second mile not because they have to, but because that’s who they are.”
[12:07] “You do not need a title to be a minister or a microphone to make an impact. The way that you show up at work, your consistency, your kindness, your integrity — that’s your sermon.”
[12:37] “Preach often. Seldom use words… people are watching how you handle pressure, how you treat people who can’t do anything for you, and how you respond when life gets messy.”

Important Segment Timestamps

00:33 — Framing faith as an everyday witness; Colossians reference
02:08 — Introduction to the “10 Ways” concept
02:13–12:35 — Countdown and explanation of each of the 10 ways, with anecdotes and practical applications
12:07 — Closing challenge: “You do not need a title to be a minister or a microphone to make an impact. The way that you show up at work… that’s your sermon.”
12:37 — “Preach often. Seldom use words...”

Summary & Practical Takeaways

Ryan Leak delivers a concise masterclass on faith in action, detailing how spiritual integrity and practical excellence merge to create influence in any workplace. His 10-point list, though rooted in Christian conviction, is accessible and actionable for all. At the heart of the episode is the principle that faith isn’t about sermonizing—it’s about showing up with consistency, kindness, and going beyond what’s required.

Key Takeaway:
Walk your talk. Lead with integrity. Excellence, humility, and genuine care for others are the most effective forms of witness—at work or anywhere.

Transcript

A (0:00)

What's going on, my friends? Welcome back to the Ryan League podcast, where we love to keep things short and sweet and add value to your life each and every week. Today's episode is no exception. One of the number one questions that I often get being a person of faith is, man, how are you so open and public and outspoken with your faith in a lot of corporate settings that aren't favorable to people who are, I guess, overtly religious? And the way that I answer that question is, I try to share my faith through the way that I work. I love showing up with excellence. I'm trying to give my absolute best each and every time. And I just want to encourage people of faith that, man, there's a way that you can share your faith at work without ever preaching a sermon. And so I realized that a lot of people that listen to my podcast aren't people of faith. But I'm telling you, I think today's episode is definitely going to add value to your life. I think I'm going to. As I give the 10 ways to share your faith at work, I'm just going to tell you, people without faith can do these 10 things. But when you serve a God who's been so kind to you, when you believe that you have the ultimate forgiveness, it changes how you treat people. And there is a scripture found in Colossians that says something that I think is extremely, extremely powerful. It simply says, this says, whatever you do, work at it with all your heart. As working for the Lord. As working for the Lord. And so when you have a belief system, a faith that says, you know what? My boss is not the person that I think it is, I've got a heavenly boss, a higher power, a divine boss. Well, yeah, that's going to change how you work. So I'm going to give you 10 ways to share your faith at work without preaching a sermon. And I think it's not only going to add value to your life, I think it's going to add value to the places that you work, and it's going to help you have so much more influence and respect wherever you show up in your career. All right, you ready for the 10? Number one, be on time. Yeah, you gotta be on time. Be on time. I get it. Punctuality might not seem spiritual, but it's one of the simplest ways to show other people respect. When you're on time, you're saying, your time matters to me. You're telling people, I'm dependable, I keep my word, I can be trusted. You'd be surprised how much credibility you can build just by showing up when you said you would show up. Being late every now and then happens, but when it becomes a pattern, it communicates that everything in your world is more important than the people waiting on you. You cannot talk about serving God with excellence if you don't respect people's time. Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do on a Tuesday morning is just be on time. Number two, give your best effort. Give your best effort. Excellence is a reflection of what you believe about who you're working for. Again, Colossians 3:23. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart. Is working for the Lord. That means when you show up to work, whether you're running a meeting, cleaning a floor, answering phones, or leading a company, you're not just working for a patron check. You're working for God. And that changes everything. You don't need a crowd to perform. You don't need applause to give your best, because your excellence is worship. It's not about perfection, it's about effort. When you give your best, people notice. And over time, excellence builds influence. Most people give their best effort depending on how good their boss is or if they like where they work. No, no, no. I'm going to encourage you. Give your best right where you're at, and perhaps you go, man, well, I don't really like my job. Well, you know, your next job is dependent on how good of an effort you give to your current job. And so I'm just going to encourage you if you're going to share your faith at work, give your best effort. Number three, watch your body language. Yeah, some of us just have this arms crossed posture at work. And I'll just tell you this. Sometimes your posture preaches louder than your prayers before you ever say a word. People can tell whether you care, whether you're present, whether you're approachable. Someone's going to encourage you to smile more, sit up straight, make some eye contact. Your body language tells a story long before your mouth ever opened. And if you're a person of faith, that story should be one of warmth and hope and humility. And let me add something here. Don't let the quality of someone else's leadership determine your body language. Again, here's the your boss may not be inspiring. Your manager might be disorganized. Maybe your leader doesn't deserve your best attitude. But I'm gonna tell you to give it anyways, because you're not working for them, you're working through them, for God. So if you let your effort and your body language rise and fall based on who's in charge, you'll always be inconsistent. But if your standard comes from who you serve, you'll always stand out, regardless of the environment. Number four, be prepared. Preparation says I care. Yeah. Preparation says, I honor the people I'm meeting with and the opportunity that I believe God gave me. And now we all know that person who walks into the meeting saying, wait, wait, what are we talking about again? Or the person that skimmed the email, but yet they got questions about the meeting that were already answered in the email. Yeah, don't be that person. Yeah, be prepared. When you're prepared, you're saying, I value this moment, I respect everyone's time, and I'm ready to contribute. Preparation is one of the most underrated ways to worship. It's a way of saying, God, you've opened this door, and I'm going to honor you by being ready when I walk through it. Excellence isn't random. It's rehearsed. Number five. Keep a positive attitude. Yeah. Keep a positive attitude. Listen, negativity is contagious, but so is joy. Yeah. And one of the best ways to show your faith is by bringing a good spirit into hard places. When everyone else is venting or complaining, you can be the one who chooses optimism. A positive attitude doesn't mean you ignore problems. It means you see possibilities. It's not pretending everything's perfect. It's believing that even when it's not, God's still working. So you got a little bit of faith at your job. You got a little bit of hope. Like, you can shift an entire atmosphere just by how you show up. And sometimes that is the shift that can open the door for someone to ask, why are you so calm when everything's so chaotic? Like, that's your moment where you can point back to where your peace really comes from. Be the kind of person that says, hey, I don't match the energy. I set the standard. People can come into a meeting with their little funky attitude. Let them. You walk in with your positive attitude. Keep a positive attitude. Number six, follow through. Yeah, just do what you said you was going to do. Integrity is built one kept promise at a time. If you say you're going to do something, do it. People will forgive a lot of things, but they rarely forget. When you drop the ball on a commitment every time you follow through, you're reinforcing your credibility. Every time you ghost someone or leave a task cap done, you chip away at it. When your yes, actually means yes, people start to believe your word. And when they believe your word, they're more likely to believe your faith is real, too. Number seven, Be coachable. You can't grow and be defensive at the same time. I'm going to say it again. You cannot grow and be defensive at the same time. Teachability is one of the great witnesses you can have at work. When you can receive feedback without getting offended, it shows maturity and humility. You're telling people, I don't have it all figured out, but I'm here to learn that humility is magnetic. It earns trust. It opens doors even when feedback stings. Remember, people aren't just criticizing you. They're giving you a chance to grow. You don't have to agree with everything someone says, but you can always extract something useful. The people who grow the most are the ones who stay coachable the longest. Number eight, Talk positive about people behind their backs. Yes, talk positive about people behind their backs. Your co workers will hear about it and so will your reputation. When everyone else is gossiping, you can be the one who says something kind. The goal isn't to be fake nice. No, it's to be genuinely grateful. When you honor people who aren't in the room, people start to feel safe around you. But when you gossip about other people in the room behind their backs, you know what the people who are in that room are thinking? They're thinking, I wonder what they say about me when I'm not in the room. They realize you're not the kind of person who is actually somebody that they can trust. And so just know this, your words create culture. And you can decide if that culture is toxic or trustworthy. Speaking well of others, even the difficult ones, is one of the most powerful ways to stand out in a cynical world. Number nine. Honestly, number nine is probably my favorite. I mean, obviously I got ten here, but I really like number nine. Number nine, check on people when you don't need anything. Yeah, check on people when you don't need anything. The best relationships in the world aren't transactional. You know how it feels when people only reach out when they need a favor. Yeah, we all got those people, but I'm just encourage you. Don't be that person. No. Send the text, make the call, stop by someone's desk just to say, hey, how are you really doing? No agenda, no request, just care. You'd be surprised how far that goes because everybody's going through something. And sometimes your kindness is the reminder someone needs that they're seen, that they're valued that they're not alone. Caring when it's convenient is nice. Caring when it's not. Well, I would call that ministry number 10. Last but not least, do more than what's required. Yeah, I'm going to encourage you to go the extra mile because going the extra mile might not show up on your paycheck, but it always shows up in your witness. Anyone can do the minimum, but people of faith go the second mile not because they have to, but because that's who they are. Jesus said, if someone forces you to go one mile, go with them too. The first mile is obligation. The second mile is opportunity. The first mile is duty. Second mile is distinction. That's where people start to notice something different about you. And sometimes that extra mile is where God's favor shows up because he trusts people who can be trusted with more. That's, my friends, how I think you can share your faith at work without ever having to preach a sermon. You do not need a title to be a minister or a microphone to make an impact. The way that you show up at work, your consistency, your kindness, your integrity, that's your sermon. So I'll say it again. Preach often. Seldom use words because the truth is people are watching how you handle pressure, how you treat people who can't do anything for you, and how you respond when life gets messy. You don't have to be perfect to represent your faith. I think you just have to be present, intentional and faithful. Remember, whatever you do, work at it with all your heart. Is working for the Lord. That's the call. That's the assignment. That's the witness. Thanks again my friends for listening to the Ryan Leak podcast. If today's episode inspired you added value to your life, I'd encourage you to share with a friend. And hey, it would mean the world to me if you take a moment to rate, review and subscribe. Your support helps us reach even more people with these short and sweet nuggets of inspiration. Thanks for being a part of the journey and we'll see you next time.