SHOW NOTES
In this episode of the R7 Podcast, Dave sits down with John Gallagher — founder of Growing Champions and host of The Uncommon Leader Podcast — to talk about faith-driven leadership, living with intention, and building a legacy that lasts for generations. John shares his powerful Six Fs framework (Faith, Fitness, Finances, Friendships, Fun, and Future), personal stories of overcoming fear, and how servant leadership is the key to real transformation — both in the workplace and at home. If you’re a Christian leader or entrepreneur looking to live with purpose and make Kingdom impact, this conversation will challenge and inspire you.
Topics covered:
- The Six Fs of a balanced and fruitful life Servant leadership in a self-centered world
- Building a family vision that lasts ten generations
- The power of small wins and daily disciplines
Turning your business into a tool for Kingdom impact Sponsored by M is Good — helping faith-driven leaders grow with purpose.
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I had the fortunate opportunity to interview John Gallagher, founder of Growing Champions and host of The Uncommon Leader podcast, on The r7 Podcast, and what I learned challenged everything I thought I knew about peak performance and leadership development.
As a lifelong student of peak performance and development, I’ve studied countless frameworks and methodologies over the years. But John’s theory stands out for two crucial reasons:
It’s simple, easy to understand, and simple to implement.
What separates a true champion from someone who simply achieves success in one area of life?
According to John Gallagher, it’s the intentional pursuit of excellence across six critical areas, what he calls the “Six Fs“.
After spending over two decades in manufacturing leadership and 15 years in healthcare consulting, John discovered that sustainable success isn’t about dominating one arena.
It’s about becoming a champion who bears fruit in every season of life.
The Six Fs: A Holistic Framework for Championship Living
John’s framework centers on six interconnected areas:
- Faith – The foundation that provides eternal perspective and Kingdom purpose
- Fitness – Physical health that sustains energy for the long journey
- Finances – Stewardship of resources that enables generosity and impact
- Friendships – Deep relationships that provide accountability and support
- Fun – Joy and rest that prevent burnout and maintain perspective
- Future – Your vocation and calling where you bear lasting fruit
“A champion is ultimately committed and intentional about being successful, regardless of where they get started on their journey,” John explains. “They make a tough choice—that they want to do something difficult, and they do what they have to do to make that work.”
The Glass Ball You Cannot Drop
While John emphasizes that we go through seasons where some areas require more attention, he’s adamant about one thing:
- Relationships are the glass ball you cannot drop.
“There’s something inside of many leaders who have not chosen to look at this balanced approach, where they’ll lean more heavily on their future [career] at this point in time, allowing one of those other balls to drop,” he observes. “That family ball is a glass ball that you can’t drop—it’s going to break.”
The challenge with relationships is that the fruit takes time to manifest. Unlike fitness, where you can see quick results, investments in family and friendship may not yield returns for years or even decades.
From Fear to Faith: The Transformation Journey
John’s journey illustrates the power of facing fear head-on. He shares a vulnerable story about strategically working his way to the back of a line during a team-building rock wall exercise, hoping time would run out before his turn. That moment of “holding himself small” haunted him for years.
The breakthrough came when friends challenged him to do something hard—a Spartan Race. The very obstacle he most feared? The rope climb.
“I remember the first day in the gym that I was able to do that J-hook with my feet and just pull myself up,” John recalls. “I was in our local gym, and tears came down my eyes… It’s recognizing that small win inside of that space.”
The lesson:
- What we fear most often becomes the gateway to our greatest growth.
Servant Leadership in an Upside-Down World
As we all know, social media fundamentally changed leadership dynamics, flipping the traditional top-down hierarchy. In this new landscape, servant leadership isn’t just preferred—it’s essential.
“Servant leadership is the leader saying, ‘How can I serve you? How can I help you become the best version of yourself?'” he explains. “It’s not what I need you to do. How do we pull out your gifts to glorify the Lord with your talents and abilities?”
This approach requires leaders to develop themselves before they can effectively develop others. As John puts it:
“If they don’t take care of themselves, they don’t develop themselves as leaders, they can try to develop others inside of the team [but they’ll fail].”
The Kingdom Impact Opportunity
Perhaps John’s most challenging insight concerns the workplace as a mission field. He calculates that while churches can influence about 1% of the population, the workplace gives us access to impact 99 times more people for Christ.
“The impact in millions of people for Christ is inside the workplace and can be more impactful than the church,” John boldly states.
This doesn’t mean only hiring Christians or constant evangelizing. Instead, it means:
- Loving others measurably at work
- Showing hospitality (How many people do you invite to your home?)
- Using your gifts to make a bigger impact in your organization
Three Essential Champion Attributes
When pressed for the core qualities of a champion, John identifies:
- Intentionality – Champions are deliberate about how they invest time, talent, and resources
- Spirit of Continuous Growth – They never stop developing themselves
- Development of Others – They inspire, encourage, and equip others to become champions
“Whatever I’m learning, it’s not for me to keep,” John emphasizes. “It’s for me to give away so that others can bear fruit.”
Starting Small: The Power of Incremental Change
The beauty of John’s approach is its accessibility. Want to become a reader? Start with 10 pages a day—that’s 14 books a year. Struggling with fitness? Try 10 bodyweight squats, five times daily.
His personal breakthrough came when his trainer told him to simply “stop eating French fries.” That became his hashtag and metaphor for eliminating the small habits that derail progress.
“The easy barrier to entry is just pick something small that you want to move to,” John advises. “Change the horizon. Don’t worry about the bell at the top. Just take the first step.”
Your Champion Journey Starts Now…
John’s framework challenges us to stop “holding ourselves small” and start thinking with a Kingdom perspective.
The question isn’t whether you’re capable of championship living. The question is whether you’re intentional enough to pursue it across all six areas of your life.
Champions aren’t born—they’re grown. And growth begins with the decision to do something difficult, supported by the right framework, community, and faith.
What’s your next small step toward championship living?
Assess your own Six Fs:
Consider rating yourself 1-10 in each area and identifying which one deserves your immediate attention.
Faith: __________
Fitness: __________
Finances: __________
Friendships: __________
Fun: __________
Future: __________
Remember: champions are made in the margins, one intentional choice at a time.
If you want to learn more about developing leaders for lasting impact, you can find John at https://coachjohngallagher.com/.
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