How to Change the World Without a Podcast
By Dr. Keith M. Waggoner
The Mandate to Lead
A man can transform the world without fame, followers, or a microphone. He only needs vision, discipline, and courage. The most powerful revolutions in history began with individuals who acted with conviction long before they were recognized. You do not need a platform. You need purpose.
Lance Wallnau teaches that society is shaped by seven key spheres of influence: Faith, Family, Education, Government, Media, Arts and Entertainment, and Business. Whoever stands on these mountains with conviction determines the future of nations.
When strong, moral men stay silent, others with weaker principles take their place. When good men rise, society finds order, hope, and blessing.
“The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.” – Dante Alighieri
The age we live in suffers not only from corruption but from apathy. The cure is not found in complaint or commentary but in courageous, consistent leadership.
1. Faith and Spirituality
Global Problem:
A global moral crisis has emerged as people abandon absolute truth. Nations once built on virtue and personal responsibility now elevate emotion over principle. C. S. Lewis wrote, “We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst.”
Research from the Pew Forum shows a steady decline in religious affiliation across Western nations. When faith dies, meaning fades, and when meaning fades, men lose their compass.
Action:
-
Establish a daily routine of prayer, meditation, and reflection before engaging the world.
-
Lead a small group or mentorship circle where men wrestle with truth together.
-
Live publicly by your convictions without apology.
-
Serve visibly in your community so others see faith in action.
“Excellence is a Kingdom value. One of the clearest paths of promotion is through excellence.” – Lance Wallnau
Faith is the root of all moral reform. Every revival begins when one man returns to God with his whole heart.
2. Family
Global Problem:
Fatherlessness and broken homes are at the core of social collapse. The Brookings Institution reports that children raised without fathers are twice as likely to drop out of school and four times more likely to experience poverty.
“If the family were a school, it would be the first and best of all schools.” – John Amos Comenius
Strong nations are built on strong families. A man’s leadership in the home determines how he will lead in society.
Action:
-
Lead a weekly family night focused on gratitude, planning, and prayer.
-
Write and share a family mission statement.
-
Initiate honest conversations about purpose, finances, and character.
-
Model affection and respect for your wife and children.
Every child who grows under strong fatherly guidance becomes a citizen of strength, not dependence.
3. Education
Global Problem:
Education in many nations has replaced wisdom with ideology. Students learn what to think but not how to think. Thomas Sowell wrote, “Much of the social history of the Western world over the past three decades has involved replacing what worked with what sounded good.”
The failure of education to teach critical reasoning has created generations that react emotionally and lack resilience.
Action:
-
Teach one younger person the disciplines of logic, craftsmanship, or leadership.
-
Read deeply and discuss books that challenge your thinking.
-
Support institutions and educators who promote truth over trend.
-
Introduce intellectual and spiritual literacy in your workplace or home.
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela
True education teaches a man to govern himself and lead others wisely.
4. Government
Global Problem:
Corruption thrives when righteous men withdraw from civic life. The Edelman Trust Barometer found that only one-third of people believe their families will be better off in five years. Civic apathy allows tyranny to rise quietly.
“A nation that expects to be ignorant and free expects what never was and never will be.” – Thomas Jefferson
Freedom demands stewardship. Government reflects the morality of the governed. When men of integrity stop leading, men of ambition take their place.
Action:
-
Stay informed and vote according to conscience, not convenience.
-
Attend one civic meeting each year and participate in a community cause.
-
Speak truth in public conversations with humility and courage.
-
Model servant leadership in any role of authority.
Government reform begins in households that value responsibility over entitlement.
5. Media
Global Problem:
Truth has become a casualty in a world of endless information. A Pew Research report shows that over 70 percent of adults struggle to distinguish between factual reporting and opinion. Media now profits more from outrage than accuracy.
“The press has become the greatest power within the Western world, more powerful than the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary.” – Alexis de Tocqueville
When men of truth stay silent, falsehood fills the airwaves. Influence begins with honesty and discernment.
Action:
-
Limit your exposure to divisive media. Replace consumption with creation.
-
Share content that uplifts, educates, or redeems.
-
Refuse to spread gossip or partial truths.
-
Host small discussions where truth and moral clarity are valued.
Every truthful voice weakens the grip of propaganda.
6. Arts and Entertainment
Global Problem:
Culture mirrors what it worships. Much of modern art celebrates rebellion and emptiness. The stories we tell shape the souls of our children. When beauty and virtue disappear, people stop aspiring to greatness.
“Art, freedom, and creativity will change society faster than politics.” – Victor Pinchuk
Action:
-
Support films, music, and stories that reveal truth and excellence.
-
Create art in your sphere, whether in craftsmanship, writing, or leadership, that honors beauty and meaning.
-
Discuss culture intentionally with others to develop moral discernment.
-
Host creative gatherings that connect art to virtue.
Culture begins to heal when truth and beauty are rejoined.
7. Business and Economics
Global Problem:
The love of profit over purpose has corrupted economies. Economic disparity is widening, and many businesses operate without moral compass. Yet small businesses, more than thirty million in the United States, employ over one hundred fifty million people. Leadership in this sphere can transform entire communities.
“There are no solutions. There are only trade-offs.” – Thomas Sowell
Business is the mountain of stewardship. It is where purpose meets provision.
Action:
-
Lead your business by values, not by trends.
-
Reward integrity as much as performance.
-
Invest in ethical ventures that strengthen families and communities.
-
Use wealth as a tool for empowerment, not indulgence.
When men of conscience succeed economically, they prove that prosperity and morality can coexist.
The Mathematics of Influence
The average person directly impacts about one thousand lives through family, work, social circles, and community interactions. Each of those one thousand influences another thousand, creating one million points of contact. Within three generations of compounded influence, that number reaches a billion.
Psychologist Albert Bandura’s social learning theory confirms that people change more through modeled behavior than through instruction. Your example has exponential power.
One man with integrity in business affects hundreds of employees and customers. One father who leads with love shapes generations. One teacher who tells the truth sparks reform.
Influence is not achieved through fame but through faithfulness. The quiet man who walks in truth does more to change the world than the loud man who preaches what he will not live.
The Path of Leadership
-
Lead Yourself
-
Practice daily disciplines of fitness, prayer, study, and gratitude.
-
Eliminate habits that dull your mind or divide your focus.
-
-
Lead Your Circle
-
Build a brotherhood of accountability.
-
Challenge mediocrity and call out potential in others.
-
-
Lead in Enterprise
-
Create cultures of excellence, fairness, and growth.
-
Develop people, not just profits.
-
-
Lead with Purpose
-
Make decisions that echo in eternity, not just convenience.
-
Live so your sons and grandsons remember your courage more than your comfort.
-
“Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more. You should never wish to do less.” – Robert E. Lee
The Final Charge
You were not born to spectate. You were born to shape.
The world does not need more commentators. It needs more craftsmen of culture.
Lead yourself with integrity. Lead your family with love. Lead your work with excellence. Lead your world with vision.
You do not need a podcast to change the world.
You need to climb your mountain, stand firm, and shine light where darkness has reigned too long.
References
-
Lance Wallnau, 7 Mountain Strategy, lancewallnau.com
-
Pew Research Center, Views of Social Media and Its Impacts on Society, 2022
-
Edelman Trust Barometer, Global Report 2024
-
Brookings Institution, The Impact of Family Structure on Children’s Outcomes, 2023
-
C. S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man
-
Thomas Sowell, A Conflict of Visions
-
Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
-
Thomas Jefferson, Letters on Liberty and Government
-
Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America
-
Victor Pinchuk, World Economic Forum Remarks on Art and Change
-
Robert E. Lee, Letters and Addresses
-
Albert Bandura, Social Learning Theory
-
Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy
-
John Amos Comenius, The Great Didactic