Last year, at the Chick-fil-A Leadercast, I had the privilege of interviewing Jim Collins, author of the mega-bestselling business book, Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap … and Others Don’t. Since he is so research-driven in his approach, I expected him to be dry and academic. However, I found him surprisingly passionate and engaging.

In this 10-minute interview, I talked to him about his most recent book, How the Mighty Fall: And Why Some Companies Never Give In. I asked him five questions:

When I first became an acquistions editor, I took a proposal for a book on leadership to our Pub Board. (This is the group in a publishing company that determines what gets published and what doesn’t.) The consensus was that the book was not commercially viable. The market was just too small.

However, in 1998 everything changed. Thomas Nelson published the The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell. I was the VP of Marketing at that time. My job was to help make the book a success.

A while ago, I wrote on Why Leader’s Can’t Afford to Be Easily Offended. It is true for leaders. It is true for creatives. It is really true for everyone.

Several weeks ago, I had the great privilege of speaking to more than 8,000 students at Liberty University on this topic. Fortunately, they recorded it and gave me permission to post it. Since many of my readers have requested video content, I thought I would post it here.

More than twenty years ago, I had an experience with two very different leaders. Those experiences have dramatically shaped my own view of leadership. In the end, they represent two very different styles, leading to two very different results.

One evening in 1988, my business partner and I had dinner with one of the most prominent pastors in America. He’s not so well known now, but at the time he was at the top of his game.

Even though we’ve lost a great coach and teacher with John Wooden’s death, he left a legacy that that is especially relevant today: his virtuous leadership style.

Last week, I did an interview at Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management. James Bradford, the dean, interviewed me for an online video program they do called “From the Corner Office.” He asked me some great questions about what it is really like to be a CEO.

Being a leader means you have followers. Having followers means you have power. Having power means you have a responsibility to be responsible. Corporate leaders, parents, preachers, teachers, community leaders, and politicians have a higher standard to live up to because of their ability to influence. And the larger your circle of influence, the larger your responsibility.

Today was another busy but amazing day at The Catalyst Conference in Atlanta. The speakers, the music, and the entire experience were incredibly inspiring. If you didn’t go this year, you absolutely must next year. I brought ten people from Thomas Nelson; next year, I will bring more. It is a great opportunity to renew your vision and connect with other leaders.

Craig Groeschel is the founding pastor of LifeChurch.tv, a multi-campus church with dozens of weekly services in thirteen locations, including an Internet campus. In his book, It: How Churches and Leaders Can Get It and Keep It [affiliate link], he describes that illusive something that some leaders and organizations have and others don’t. In a moment, I will tell you how to get a copy FREE.