Ep 169: Joni Eareckson Tada’s Inspiring Story of Hope and Perseverance

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SUMMARY 

At the 2025 Global Leadership Summit GLN President and CEO, David Ashcraft interviewed Joni Eareckson Tada—an internationally recognized speaker, author, and advocate who has spent decades leading with grace, resilience, and faith. After a diving accident left her quadriplegic at 17, Joni turned her pain into purpose, founding Joni and Friends, a global ministry serving people with disabilities. Her journey is a powerful testament to the kind of leadership that transcends circumstances—one marked by courage, service, and unwavering hope. 

In this episode, we’ll dive into Joni’s journey to become the leader she is today, how leaders can better steward suffering, and other priceless pieces of wisdom from her life. Whether you’re leading in business, ministry, or everyday life, Joni’s wisdom will challenge and encourage you. 

 

IN THIS EPISODE 

0:00 Intro 

2:00 Appreciating Joni’s long-term leadership 

3:00 Surprises from Joni’s life 

5:15 The pain and challenge of her life after her accident 

9:00 The role of family in her life 

10:30 Where her experience with leadership began 

12:30 How her faith evolved 

14:00 Wrestling through when you feel like it’s too much 

18:00 Her relationship with her husband, Ken 

21:45 Responsibilities of leadership 

27:15 Her hopes for the future 

28:15 Some frustrations 

30:30 How to lead through your weakness 

32:30 A closing challenge 

33:30 The desire for trying new things 

36:30 Outro 

  

LISTEN 

 Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube 

 

STANDOUTS AND TAKEAWAYS 

  •  There’s a difference between feeling thankful and giving thanks.
  • You can make a choice to move forward in life, and not let it suffocate you.
  • Suffering has the way of making faith more visceral, robust and sturdy; it forges iron into your faith.
  • Suffering is a textbook that lets you know who you really are and what you really believe.
  • Joni’s hope is that every person with a disability finds hope, dignity and their place in the body of Christ.
  • People of faith do not really buy into the idea of “boasting in our afflictions.” 
  • The gospel is never given from points of power; it’s always given from points of weakness.
  • Leaders tend to rely on our natural gifts, rather than our weaknesses.
  • Everyone suffers in some way; the question is whether we steward that suffering.
  • It’s a glorious thing for leaders to be able to share their weaknesses with trusted friends. 

 

LINKS MENTIONED 

The post Ep 169: Joni Eareckson Tada’s Inspiring Story of Hope and Perseverance appeared first on Global Leadership Network.

 

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