When the Missional Leader Podcast launched, it was an experiment.
Rob didn’t even want to do it.
Now—seven months later—with 1.2 million downloads and a rapidly growing global audience, this “reluctant podcast” has become a movement.
In this special reflection episode, Rob pulls back the curtain. No script. No formal interview. Just a living-room conversation with two trusted friends and next-generation leaders:
- Charlee Tchividjian — Founder of EMA (Every Mother’s Advocate), granddaughter of the Graham legacy, and a leader helping keep vulnerable families together across the U.S.
- André Ito Gonçalves — Former Netflix executive turned church planter, global marketer, and part of the Zion/Dunamis movement reaching hundreds of thousands in Brazil.
Together, they reflect on what’s working, what’s stirring in this generation, and why this podcast matters more than ever.
Why The Missional Leader Podcast Exists
It wasn’t built for numbers.
It was built for proximity.
Young leaders told Rob:
“We don’t get enough time with you. We know you’re in incredible rooms. We want to be in those rooms too.”
So that’s what this became — access to the conversations already happening between seasoned global leaders and the next generation.
And now, over half the audience listens from outside the U.S. The demographic is young. The completion rate is high. Leaders aren’t just clicking—they’re staying, learning, and applying.
This isn’t content for consumption.
It’s the formation of a mission.
What’s Resonating from Season 1
In this episode, they revisit powerful moments from Season 1:
Founder Faith & Finishing Well
A deeply personal conversation with Rob’s father, Bob Hoskins — now in hospice — about courageous beginnings, Spirit-led leadership, and finishing strong. (And yes, Rob cried.)
Risk, Failure & Innovation
A raw discussion with Bobby Gruenewald about the early failure of YouVersion and how to balance bold innovation with sacred stewardship.
For leaders stewarding donor dollars and people’s lives, this conversation reframed risk:
Take meaningful risks. Not reckless ones.
Parenting & Leadership
An unexpected angle with Craig Groeschel — not about megachurch growth, but fatherhood. Because sometimes the most important leadership fruit isn’t your platform… it’s your kids.
Catalytic Movements & Deep Discipleship
A conversation with Teo Hayashi of Zion Church/Dunamis on moving people from encounter to transformation — from stadium moments to sustainable discipleship.
The Ikigai Framework: Finding Your Purpose
One highlight from the episode is Rob unpacking the Japanese concept of Ikigai — a framework he’s used for decades in mentoring leaders.
True calling lives at the intersection of:
- What you love
- What you’re good at
- What breaks your heart (the world’s need)
- What’s sustainable & scalable
This generation is searching for purpose.
But purpose isn’t found on social media.
It’s discovered in:
- Quiet intimacy with the Holy Spirit
- Serving faithfully under vision
- Being shaped before being platformed
- Allowing generous leaders to release—not control—you
You can read more about this framework in a blog post from Rob here.
A Word to Both Generations
To younger leaders: Don’t freeze in analysis. Move. Serve. Explore. God clarifies calling in motion.
To older leaders: Be generous. Release the next generation. Don’t confine their calling to your organization’s needs.
This podcast isn’t a broadcast.
It’s a conversation.
If you’re a missional leader — in any sphere — this is your community.
- What topics should we tackle next?
- What questions are you wrestling with?
- Which leaders should we bring into the room?
Your voice shapes what comes next.
