Todd Isberner “Leadership That Lasts… Part 1”

Leadership That Lasts: A Conversation with Former International President/CEO of TWR Lauren Libby  (Part One)

In Part One of our conversation, Lauren reflected on the foundations of leadership—whether leaders are born or made, how to stay spiritually aligned, and the central role of faith and prayer in decision-making.

For more than 16 years, Lauren served as International President and CEO of TWR, one of the largest Christian media ministries in the world. His leadership journey has impacted countless people across cultures, continents, and generations.

Lauren has also been one of my best friends for more than 30 years. We’ve shared life, ministry, and leadership lessons side by side. For me, he has been the model of “servant leadership.” Today, he is recovering from a major stroke that left him partially paralyzed. Yet his voice of wisdom and encouragement remains as strong as ever.

In this first part of our conversation, Lauren reflects on the foundation of leadership, how leaders are shaped, and how faith anchors every decision.

Q: Do you believe leaders are born or made?

Lauren: Both. Some people are born with leadership gifts, but that doesn’t automatically make them good leaders. Leadership gifts need to be developed. Without development, a gifted person can actually become dangerous, because they rely on raw ability and end up hurting others.

“A leader’s gifting alone doesn’t make them effective—development does.”

When I think back, I’ve seen many leaders who had charisma and natural ability but caused harm because no one helped them grow in character or perspective. That’s why development is so critical. God often uses organizations, mentors, and even failures to shape leaders. I had mentors in my own life who provided what I call a “covering,” helping me grow without falling apart under the weight of leadership.

Q: How would you define a leader?

Lauren: A leader is someone gifted and called who can recruit and focus resources—people and money—to accomplish a mission in a way that others want to follow.

I’ve often disagreed with Eisenhower’s definition of leadership as “getting people to do what they don’t want to do.” To me, real leadership isn’t coercion. It’s about inviting people to buy in both intellectually and with their hearts.

Q: You led a truly global organization. How do you bring people from different cultures and backgrounds onto the same page?

Lauren: Prayer is where it starts. Only God can change hearts.

I also spent a lot of time with people, listening to their stories of how God was at work. When I first came to TWR, I took the team on a retreat. We each spent an hour alone with God, asking Him what He wanted our mission to be. Then we came back together, shared what we heard, and wrote it down. Those notes became our guiding framework for years.

“Only God can change hearts—so start with prayer, not strategy.”

Q: What about keeping yourself spiritually aligned as a leader?

Lauren: For me, it was simple: talk to Jesus—a lot.

Leaders have a unique responsibility. They discern in the unseen world what God wants and translate that into the seen world. That can’t happen unless you’re walking with Him daily.

I’d often remind myself of three things:

1. Be honest with people, but don’t crush their spirit.
2. Walk with Jesus, talk to Jesus, and listen to Jesus.
3. When things go down—and they will—you must especially listen and ask the Holy Spirit, “What do You want me to do? What else should I know?”

That posture of listening shaped not just my personal life but the culture of the organizations I led.

Q: Leaders often face tough decisions, even painful ones. How did you approach those moments?

Lauren: First, I prayed. Then I searched the Scriptures to see if God’s Word spoke to the situation. Sometimes you have to act, even if you don’t know the outcome. And finally, you must be willing for the chips to fall where they may—because they will fall.

I remember years ago when I was told to fire a staff member. I didn’t feel peace about it, so I prayed and asked God to intervene. That very day, over lunch, the man told me he’d been offered a position as a vice president in another ministry. It was a perfect fit. God had solved the problem before I had to act.

That experience reinforced for me that leaders don’t have to force everything. If you invite God into the process, He has ways of working things out.

Q: What role does faith play in leading during difficult seasons?

Lauren: Leaders who walk by faith think long-term. Those who rely only on gut instinct tend to react short-term, and they often miss God’s bigger picture.

I’ve always believed faith is a gift God gave me—not something I manufactured. Many times I challenged my teams to take steps of faith that stretched them. Some resisted because it felt uncomfortable, but in the long run, faith made us more effective.

“People who lead only by gut feeling don’t necessarily hear the Holy Spirit. Faith opens you to God’s perspective.”

Q: Leadership isn’t easy. How did you handle seasons of pressure and opposition?

Lauren: I spent a lot of nights at 3 a.m. talking to the Lord about situations I had no idea how to solve. The attacks come from all directions—criticism, setbacks, misunderstandings.

But those 3 a.m. conversations with Jesus kept me steady. Prayer isn’t just a discipline; it’s the lifeline of leadership. I would bring my questions, my fears, and my frustrations, and often God would give clarity in ways I never could have reached on my own.

Closing Thoughts (Part One)

The foundation of leadership isn’t skill or charisma—it’s prayerful dependence on Christ. As Lauren reminds us, leadership flows from alignment with God, faith in His direction, and the courage to let Him shape decisions.

Even as he recovers during these physical challenges, Lauren continues to model what he’s always taught: that leaders are at their best when they listen to Jesus, walk in faith, and trust God to shape both their lives and their legacy.

“Leadership is discerning in the unseen world what God wants—and translating that into the seen world.”

Now retired from fundraising, Todd draws from his years of experience in training, consulting and coaching, and devotes his time to mentoring men along their journey of faith. He is author of the book, “What Every Man Needs to Know.”   Todd and wife, Wendie also co-host their podcast: Your Biggest Breakthrough.

More at ToddIsberner.com  and https://yourbiggestbreakthrough.com/podcast/    Email: todd@toddisberner.com