WEBVTT 00:00:01.410 --> 00:00:04.730 Now, welcome to another inspiring edition of 00:00:04.730 --> 00:00:11.349 Sound Insight with Dr. Tom Curran. Romans chapter 00:00:11.349 --> 00:00:16.690 12, verse 2. Do not conform yourselves to this 00:00:16.690 --> 00:00:20.309 age, but be transformed by the renewal of your 00:00:20.309 --> 00:00:23.129 mind so that you may judge what is God's will, 00:00:23.289 --> 00:00:28.420 what is good, pleasing, and perfect. Be transformed. 00:00:28.780 --> 00:00:32.000 That's what I'm so committed to in this age and 00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:35.299 stage of my life and helping you experience that 00:00:35.299 --> 00:00:38.079 transformation. We all have a stewardship of 00:00:38.079 --> 00:00:41.039 God's grace, a stewardship of the gifts and graces 00:00:41.039 --> 00:00:43.100 he's given to us that we've lived in the course 00:00:43.100 --> 00:00:46.340 of our lives. You talk about that reality of 00:00:46.340 --> 00:00:48.500 fulfilling the duties of your state and life. 00:00:48.659 --> 00:00:50.579 And in my call to lead and provide and protect 00:00:50.579 --> 00:00:52.920 my family, one of the ways that the Lord has 00:00:52.920 --> 00:00:55.880 formed and molded my life is around the theme 00:00:55.880 --> 00:00:59.259 of dialogue. And to implement that theme, the 00:00:59.259 --> 00:01:01.640 Lord has opened doors for me. And I've been able 00:01:01.640 --> 00:01:04.579 to, over the course of the last almost 30 years 00:01:04.579 --> 00:01:09.000 now, walk with folks in church settings and in 00:01:09.000 --> 00:01:12.819 corporate settings to be able to experience transformation. 00:01:14.250 --> 00:01:17.650 I've used Sound Insight over the last 20 years 00:01:17.650 --> 00:01:23.370 to walk with you, to walk with you in the hopes 00:01:23.370 --> 00:01:26.349 that you will grow in your own following of Jesus, 00:01:26.450 --> 00:01:29.150 that you will experience transformation in your 00:01:29.150 --> 00:01:32.189 life. And over the course of those years, Mondays 00:01:32.189 --> 00:01:35.510 have really been set aside for my time to dialogue 00:01:35.510 --> 00:01:39.170 with priests. Fridays have been set aside to 00:01:39.170 --> 00:01:42.849 be faith and family. Fridays. And I'm often having 00:01:42.849 --> 00:01:45.629 Carrie on those programs, my wife, because that's 00:01:45.629 --> 00:01:47.230 a beautiful opportunity to dialogue with her 00:01:47.230 --> 00:01:50.170 about how we walk together as a family. I'm now 00:01:50.170 --> 00:01:53.370 launching something new, and that is a coaching 00:01:53.370 --> 00:01:56.590 hour. This hour on Thursdays, I'm going to set 00:01:56.590 --> 00:01:59.269 aside to hand on to you insights that I've gained 00:01:59.269 --> 00:02:08.150 from my work as an executive coach. In the name 00:02:08.150 --> 00:02:09.669 of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 00:02:09.789 --> 00:02:12.969 amen. Heavenly Father, we love you. We thank 00:02:12.969 --> 00:02:17.469 you and praise you that you meet us, you reach 00:02:17.469 --> 00:02:19.430 out to us, you knock on the door of our hearts 00:02:19.430 --> 00:02:22.370 each and every day, and you invite us to open 00:02:22.370 --> 00:02:26.210 to you. And that, Lord, you speak to our hearts 00:02:26.210 --> 00:02:28.289 and you invite us to open our hearts to you in 00:02:28.289 --> 00:02:32.250 this beautiful dialogue of love. Lord, open our 00:02:32.250 --> 00:02:34.710 hearts today to receive your gifts and graces. 00:02:35.289 --> 00:02:38.129 as we walk with you into the Lent, into this 00:02:38.129 --> 00:02:41.710 desert that has our name on it, this Lent. And 00:02:41.710 --> 00:02:43.110 Lord, I just pray that this program would be 00:02:43.110 --> 00:02:45.409 a blessing, that as I share insights from my 00:02:45.409 --> 00:02:49.750 own journey, as in my professional life, that 00:02:49.750 --> 00:02:52.770 this would be a blessing to those who are walking 00:02:52.770 --> 00:02:55.830 with you. And we make this prayer, Jesus, in 00:02:55.830 --> 00:02:59.030 your holy name. Amen. In the name of the Father, 00:02:59.050 --> 00:03:01.599 and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. This 00:03:01.599 --> 00:03:04.900 is another way that I'm striving to be faithful 00:03:04.900 --> 00:03:07.900 as a steward. I want to hand on to you what I 00:03:07.900 --> 00:03:11.620 myself have received. That's the reality of tradition. 00:03:11.979 --> 00:03:15.020 Tradition is handing on what you've received 00:03:15.020 --> 00:03:17.860 from others in a way that the next generation 00:03:17.860 --> 00:03:20.280 can be a blessing to them. So many of the gifts 00:03:20.280 --> 00:03:23.120 and graces that have been given to us are given 00:03:23.120 --> 00:03:24.719 to us because the Lord loves us, yes, but they're 00:03:24.719 --> 00:03:26.520 not only given for us. They're given for the 00:03:26.520 --> 00:03:30.280 sake of others. And that's the goal I have for 00:03:30.280 --> 00:03:33.280 this focus on coaching. I call it a coaching 00:03:33.280 --> 00:03:36.520 hour. And it will be hopefully something that 00:03:36.520 --> 00:03:38.819 grows into an opportunity for you to share your 00:03:38.819 --> 00:03:42.080 situations with me through email, through even 00:03:42.080 --> 00:03:44.879 voicemail, through text messages about things 00:03:44.879 --> 00:03:48.419 that you're facing. that I can then bring out 00:03:48.419 --> 00:03:50.560 into the open. You know, there are many programs 00:03:50.560 --> 00:03:55.520 on Catholic Radio that have to do with themes 00:03:55.520 --> 00:03:58.460 like this. You think of programs that are involving 00:03:58.460 --> 00:04:01.199 various forms of therapy, right? So I think of 00:04:01.199 --> 00:04:04.719 the PopCax show, or I think of Dr. Ray Garendi, 00:04:04.840 --> 00:04:07.840 or even Call to Communion in some ways, Dr. David 00:04:07.840 --> 00:04:12.099 Anders. And in a different format, you have apologetics 00:04:12.099 --> 00:04:15.240 programming that have so much to do with people. 00:04:15.340 --> 00:04:17.259 who bring their situations out into the open, 00:04:17.379 --> 00:04:19.579 they talk about them, and they're trying to seek 00:04:19.579 --> 00:04:21.500 insight so that they can move forward in their 00:04:21.500 --> 00:04:28.259 lives. And it made me ponder, as I am so focused 00:04:28.259 --> 00:04:31.480 on helping folks like you be transformed to experience 00:04:31.480 --> 00:04:34.579 this awakening and this trajectory -changing 00:04:34.579 --> 00:04:37.519 encounter with Jesus, that there are insights 00:04:37.519 --> 00:04:40.000 that I have mentioned over the course of the 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:43.259 years on this program, but to be able to make 00:04:43.259 --> 00:04:46.129 it more of a point of focus. It's a theme that 00:04:46.129 --> 00:04:49.089 is really jumping out at me. And so I'm going 00:04:49.089 --> 00:04:52.050 to be sharing with you from my 25 years, almost 00:04:52.050 --> 00:04:57.149 30 years of working in church settings and in 00:04:57.149 --> 00:05:00.430 corporate America as an executive coach and a 00:05:00.430 --> 00:05:04.329 strategy consultant. And by doing that, my goal 00:05:04.329 --> 00:05:08.910 is to, once again, share with you some stories. 00:05:09.439 --> 00:05:11.779 share with you some anecdotes, share with you 00:05:11.779 --> 00:05:14.259 some principles and practices that have come 00:05:14.259 --> 00:05:17.160 from those circumstances that, guess what? They 00:05:17.160 --> 00:05:21.000 have a part to play in your life of faith. And 00:05:21.000 --> 00:05:23.600 so my hope and prayer is that as you hear these 00:05:23.600 --> 00:05:26.360 insights, as you hear these principles and practices, 00:05:26.639 --> 00:05:30.819 that you'll see that, oh, wow, that's relevant 00:05:30.819 --> 00:05:34.470 to my life. That's very striking to me. Or maybe 00:05:34.470 --> 00:05:36.569 it's something that you'll find to be a blessing 00:05:36.569 --> 00:05:39.149 in your married life. Maybe it'll be a blessing 00:05:39.149 --> 00:05:42.490 for a loved one. Maybe it's a spouse or a child. 00:05:43.189 --> 00:05:46.589 Maybe it's a parent. So this is going to be just 00:05:46.589 --> 00:05:49.509 another form of me sharing with you sound insight. 00:05:49.610 --> 00:05:54.089 Insight to help you see into your life, into 00:05:54.089 --> 00:05:56.569 your life living in this world. Because I think 00:05:56.569 --> 00:05:59.970 that as I'm sharing with you these insights that 00:05:59.970 --> 00:06:03.829 have come from my interactions with so many folks 00:06:03.829 --> 00:06:06.610 in corporate settings, but even just in one -on 00:06:06.610 --> 00:06:08.990 -one settings, a lot of folks will say to me, 00:06:09.050 --> 00:06:10.689 Tom, can we get together for coffee? Or could 00:06:10.689 --> 00:06:12.110 I just call you up? I want to pick your brain 00:06:12.110 --> 00:06:15.910 for something. I offer them insight that comes 00:06:15.910 --> 00:06:18.410 as a result of a dialogue that they then can 00:06:18.410 --> 00:06:20.269 take an action on. And that's what coaching is. 00:06:20.769 --> 00:06:23.389 And so today I'm going to sort of lay the groundwork. 00:06:23.750 --> 00:06:26.810 And by doing this, I want to help you realize 00:06:26.810 --> 00:06:30.089 that This concept of coaching, even though it 00:06:30.089 --> 00:06:33.329 might sound a bit like corporate and what does 00:06:33.329 --> 00:06:35.310 this have to do with faith, is actually traced 00:06:35.310 --> 00:06:40.180 back to fundamentally Catholic realities. therapists 00:06:40.180 --> 00:06:43.339 who are talking on Catholic radio are bringing 00:06:43.339 --> 00:06:46.439 situations that are very often secular in nature 00:06:46.439 --> 00:06:48.500 and are out in the world in secular settings. 00:06:48.660 --> 00:06:51.819 So also, coaching is one of these things that 00:06:51.819 --> 00:06:55.319 will have an application out in the secular world, 00:06:55.399 --> 00:06:59.279 but guess what? If it's done through a Catholic 00:06:59.279 --> 00:07:01.240 lens, if it's done with a Catholic worldview, 00:07:01.480 --> 00:07:04.339 if it's done in a Catholic way, you'll find that 00:07:04.339 --> 00:07:09.439 the deepest truths of our faith have incredible 00:07:09.439 --> 00:07:15.519 application for how we flourish in settings in 00:07:15.519 --> 00:07:18.939 this world. Yes, even in business settings. I 00:07:18.939 --> 00:07:23.199 see this again and again. I remember a particular, 00:07:23.439 --> 00:07:26.360 what's called an offsite. This was a gathering 00:07:26.360 --> 00:07:30.540 of senior leaders and executives at a fortune. 00:07:31.230 --> 00:07:33.470 500 company, probably a Fortune 100 company. 00:07:34.129 --> 00:07:37.850 And I was speaking to a gathering of, I don't 00:07:37.850 --> 00:07:39.930 know, between say 50 and 100 of these executives. 00:07:40.269 --> 00:07:42.509 And I was working with them over the course of 00:07:42.509 --> 00:07:45.970 the day on some crucial issues that I had helped 00:07:45.970 --> 00:07:49.350 diagnose through some assessment work, right? 00:07:49.410 --> 00:07:51.930 So an assessment is where I kind of parachute 00:07:51.930 --> 00:07:53.889 in and I have a chance to talk with a variety 00:07:53.889 --> 00:07:57.050 of senior leaders or executives in one -on -one 00:07:57.050 --> 00:08:00.009 settings and in settings that have a degree of 00:08:00.009 --> 00:08:02.930 confidentiality to them, and then I can bring 00:08:02.930 --> 00:08:04.670 the insights that I gained from them through 00:08:04.670 --> 00:08:07.149 those dialogues, and I shaped and molded them 00:08:07.149 --> 00:08:10.410 into a series of presentations. And the first 00:08:10.410 --> 00:08:13.050 set of insights that came out were, guess what, 00:08:13.230 --> 00:08:16.610 utterly associated with the Catholic understanding 00:08:16.610 --> 00:08:19.310 of what it means to be a person. Now, I never 00:08:19.310 --> 00:08:21.490 used the word faith, I never used the word Catholic, 00:08:21.550 --> 00:08:24.129 and I never used the word God, but I was able 00:08:24.129 --> 00:08:27.449 to develop this understanding that each person 00:08:27.449 --> 00:08:30.089 in this room And each person that they're serving 00:08:30.089 --> 00:08:32.070 and each of the customers that they're ultimately 00:08:32.070 --> 00:08:36.289 trying to reach and offer services to is a person 00:08:36.289 --> 00:08:40.250 that is a gift. So it was amazing. I was able 00:08:40.250 --> 00:08:43.649 to take John Paul II's understanding of the person 00:08:43.649 --> 00:08:48.690 as gift and weave it into a set of conversations 00:08:48.690 --> 00:08:52.350 and a set of deliverables that at the beginning 00:08:52.350 --> 00:08:54.450 of the day, there was some questions like, okay, 00:08:54.450 --> 00:08:58.100 well, Is this going to be something, is this 00:08:58.100 --> 00:08:59.960 guy going to be able to deliver insight that 00:08:59.960 --> 00:09:03.519 will have impact on our business? And at the 00:09:03.519 --> 00:09:05.559 end of the presentation, they were like, this 00:09:05.559 --> 00:09:09.200 was the most profound understanding of what it 00:09:09.200 --> 00:09:11.980 means for me to look at my coworkers, to look 00:09:11.980 --> 00:09:15.059 at the people that are reporting to me that I've 00:09:15.059 --> 00:09:19.870 ever had before. And all I did was. was able 00:09:19.870 --> 00:09:22.029 to share with them this Catholic understanding 00:09:22.029 --> 00:09:24.590 of what it means to be a person in a way that 00:09:24.590 --> 00:09:26.210 they could understand. I'll share more about 00:09:26.210 --> 00:09:30.110 that story later, but my point is that you'll 00:09:30.110 --> 00:09:34.970 find that you living your Catholic faith in your 00:09:34.970 --> 00:09:38.230 workplace, you living your Catholic faith in 00:09:38.230 --> 00:09:42.429 your workplace is more than having a rosary. 00:09:43.240 --> 00:09:46.580 in your pocket or wearing a crucifix around your 00:09:46.580 --> 00:09:49.120 neck or having a picture of the sacred heart 00:09:49.120 --> 00:09:53.200 of Jesus at your desk. Those types of things, 00:09:53.240 --> 00:09:56.299 right? I'm not talking so much about the externals. 00:09:56.299 --> 00:09:58.679 I'm talking about the spirit. I'm talking about 00:09:58.679 --> 00:10:01.759 the person. I'm talking about how you show up 00:10:01.759 --> 00:10:05.500 and how you live in the workplace, in the world. 00:10:05.820 --> 00:10:09.940 So many of you are people who are called to go 00:10:09.940 --> 00:10:13.019 forth into the world and be salt and light and 00:10:13.019 --> 00:10:16.080 leaven. And we will do that by living out the 00:10:16.080 --> 00:10:20.100 fullness of our faith in the world. Okay, so 00:10:20.100 --> 00:10:23.879 I'm going to dive into this now and just talk 00:10:23.879 --> 00:10:26.019 a little bit about, you know, you're saying, 00:10:26.120 --> 00:10:28.220 Tom, what is a coach? I'm not talking about sports, 00:10:28.480 --> 00:10:32.610 right? Coaching in terms of sports. whole profession 00:10:32.610 --> 00:10:34.990 is something that only grew up in the last, say, 00:10:35.070 --> 00:10:38.629 less than 30 years. It was in the late 1990s 00:10:38.629 --> 00:10:41.330 where folks that were involved in training and 00:10:41.330 --> 00:10:45.730 consulting kind of blended these together and 00:10:45.730 --> 00:10:47.929 realized that, wait a minute, instead of me coming 00:10:47.929 --> 00:10:49.990 in and giving a talk to a bunch of people about 00:10:49.990 --> 00:10:52.129 things they ought to be doing, and then I get 00:10:52.129 --> 00:10:54.370 to leave, I was the expert who shared some insights 00:10:54.370 --> 00:10:56.610 and some practices, and then I leave, and then 00:10:56.610 --> 00:10:59.470 they're left to sort of figure them out. Maybe 00:10:59.470 --> 00:11:01.190 it would be better to have someone who could 00:11:01.190 --> 00:11:03.669 walk with them, who could be with them and accompany 00:11:03.669 --> 00:11:06.330 them over the course of an extended period of 00:11:06.330 --> 00:11:09.190 time to be able to help them implement the insights 00:11:09.190 --> 00:11:12.210 and apply the insights in their own settings. 00:11:12.409 --> 00:11:16.250 And so coaching emerged in the late 1990s as 00:11:16.250 --> 00:11:18.830 a profession, as something that people would 00:11:18.830 --> 00:11:22.870 offer in professional settings. And what's interesting 00:11:22.870 --> 00:11:26.250 is that when I got into this, it was because 00:11:26.250 --> 00:11:28.750 I was doing a lot of training and consulting 00:11:28.750 --> 00:11:33.309 and speaking in Catholic settings. I would do 00:11:33.309 --> 00:11:34.970 a lot of work speaking with Catholic leaders. 00:11:35.110 --> 00:11:39.169 I was speaking either to bishops or priests, 00:11:39.450 --> 00:11:42.750 sometimes to deacons. I was speaking to what 00:11:42.750 --> 00:11:45.850 are called curia, so the leadership at the diocesan 00:11:45.850 --> 00:11:50.100 level. And I would even offer, interesting, I 00:11:50.100 --> 00:11:53.840 would offer formation by phone classes. And so 00:11:53.840 --> 00:11:56.379 you'd have people gathered around a speakerphone 00:11:56.379 --> 00:11:59.720 in another state. Maybe it was like a leadership 00:11:59.720 --> 00:12:03.490 group of a prayer group. prayer group leaders. 00:12:03.769 --> 00:12:05.610 And they would gather together and I would send 00:12:05.610 --> 00:12:07.429 them outlines and we would work through the outlines 00:12:07.429 --> 00:12:10.970 together. And I had never met the people, but 00:12:10.970 --> 00:12:13.429 they'd be on the phone and we would walk through 00:12:13.429 --> 00:12:15.009 these outlines and I would talk with them by 00:12:15.009 --> 00:12:19.409 phone. It was formation by phone. And eventually 00:12:19.409 --> 00:12:22.549 when this theme of coaching came up, it was like, 00:12:22.549 --> 00:12:26.460 this would be so much more impactful. if I would 00:12:26.460 --> 00:12:29.399 be able to incorporate something like that, right? 00:12:29.460 --> 00:12:32.299 So the sort of the throwaway line was, oh, Tiger 00:12:32.299 --> 00:12:35.159 Woods has a swing coach. So at that point, Tiger 00:12:35.159 --> 00:12:37.159 Woods, right, the leading golfer in the world. 00:12:37.179 --> 00:12:40.440 And even he had somebody who was attempting to 00:12:40.440 --> 00:12:43.440 see what he was doing and give him insight that 00:12:43.440 --> 00:12:46.730 he could benefit from as well. And I mentioned 00:12:46.730 --> 00:12:49.450 to you that the people that were initially attracted 00:12:49.450 --> 00:12:52.929 to this profession of coaching, they really came 00:12:52.929 --> 00:12:56.090 from three different directions. There were those 00:12:56.090 --> 00:12:59.929 that were sort of the consultant mentors. So 00:12:59.929 --> 00:13:03.289 the consultant slash mentor who moved into coaching 00:13:03.289 --> 00:13:05.690 were those who basically said, the answers lie 00:13:05.690 --> 00:13:08.470 within me. I've been there and done that. And 00:13:08.470 --> 00:13:10.830 if you bring me in, I'm going to help your folks 00:13:10.830 --> 00:13:13.149 or the people that I work with in one -on -one 00:13:13.149 --> 00:13:15.950 settings to be able to get the insights that 00:13:15.950 --> 00:13:18.730 I have. And I'm going to help them be able to 00:13:18.730 --> 00:13:21.710 apply those insights into their settings. So 00:13:21.710 --> 00:13:24.950 a mentor or a consultant. Then there were those 00:13:24.950 --> 00:13:27.490 that were the therapists. And so those that came 00:13:27.490 --> 00:13:30.129 from organizational psychology or individual 00:13:30.129 --> 00:13:34.429 therapy, they had a desire to, once again, maybe 00:13:34.429 --> 00:13:36.750 take on more of a coaching role rather than a 00:13:36.750 --> 00:13:39.710 therapeutic role. But their general approach 00:13:39.710 --> 00:13:43.169 was the answers lie within you. And so those 00:13:43.169 --> 00:13:46.029 that came from more of a therapist -type background 00:13:46.029 --> 00:13:49.269 and model of coaching were those who would say, 00:13:49.389 --> 00:13:53.240 let me learn how to ask. interesting questions. 00:13:53.279 --> 00:13:57.299 Let me learn how to ask the questions that will 00:13:57.299 --> 00:14:01.639 help to surface the insights that are in you 00:14:01.639 --> 00:14:05.860 that you're not aware of yet. And so the answers 00:14:05.860 --> 00:14:09.419 really do lie within you. And so through my appreciative 00:14:09.419 --> 00:14:11.960 inquiry, through the way that I'm talking with 00:14:11.960 --> 00:14:15.480 you, you're going to gain new insight into your 00:14:15.480 --> 00:14:20.120 own situation. And so that was the second model. 00:14:20.879 --> 00:14:25.100 And the third was those that gathered around, 00:14:25.379 --> 00:14:28.539 let's call that person a guru, someone who came 00:14:28.539 --> 00:14:31.139 into visibility and had a bit of fame, maybe 00:14:31.139 --> 00:14:32.980 because of some successes they've had in their 00:14:32.980 --> 00:14:37.740 own lives. generated a program that encapsulated 00:14:37.740 --> 00:14:41.159 their insights. And they then offered that program 00:14:41.159 --> 00:14:45.840 for people to be certified in utilizing handouts 00:14:45.840 --> 00:14:50.399 and other materials and assets to apply the guru's 00:14:50.399 --> 00:14:53.039 insights through this program. And those coaches 00:14:53.039 --> 00:14:55.399 were those who were certified to be able to do 00:14:55.399 --> 00:14:58.600 that. So the therapist, the mentor, and the program 00:14:58.600 --> 00:15:02.059 coach. There was a fourth model though. And this 00:15:02.059 --> 00:15:09.690 is one that I brought to the table. Did you seek 00:15:09.690 --> 00:15:13.009 mentors for your life? Absolutely. Look to people 00:15:13.009 --> 00:15:15.649 who can help you gain insight because they've 00:15:15.649 --> 00:15:19.649 been there and done that. They will help shorten 00:15:19.649 --> 00:15:22.769 the process of you advancing in your life. So 00:15:22.769 --> 00:15:25.070 coaches that came from a mentor background certainly 00:15:25.070 --> 00:15:27.990 had a place and were valuable. Is it important 00:15:27.990 --> 00:15:30.490 to be able to talk with people in such a way 00:15:30.490 --> 00:15:33.750 that they're asking you the right questions and 00:15:33.750 --> 00:15:36.169 helping you come to see things that you don't 00:15:36.169 --> 00:15:37.889 see within yourself? So those that have more 00:15:37.889 --> 00:15:41.409 therapeutic background, yeah, incredibly valuable. 00:15:41.789 --> 00:15:44.649 And so a therapeutic background and approach 00:15:44.649 --> 00:15:46.889 to coaching also had its place and was valuable. 00:15:47.389 --> 00:15:51.009 How about learning from those who were able to 00:15:51.009 --> 00:15:53.809 encapsulate those insights that they had, sort 00:15:53.809 --> 00:15:56.210 of the guru again, and put it into a program 00:15:56.210 --> 00:15:58.250 and said, you know what? I don't want to have 00:15:58.250 --> 00:16:01.389 to guess how to figure out how to get insights. 00:16:01.690 --> 00:16:03.830 I can just follow these questions. I can follow 00:16:03.830 --> 00:16:07.289 this program. And if I trust the program and 00:16:07.289 --> 00:16:09.490 what's been put together, I'll be able to reach 00:16:09.490 --> 00:16:13.000 the goal line. And so these three approaches, 00:16:13.259 --> 00:16:16.120 coaches that would be certified in executing 00:16:16.120 --> 00:16:19.860 a program, these were all valuable ways of coaching. 00:16:20.340 --> 00:16:24.019 However, my background was in Catholic theology. 00:16:24.220 --> 00:16:26.379 I was a Catholic theologian. And my background 00:16:26.379 --> 00:16:30.279 was in working in a parish setting and then eventually 00:16:30.279 --> 00:16:33.600 moving up to a national and international level 00:16:33.600 --> 00:16:36.059 where I would be interacting with Catholic leaders 00:16:36.059 --> 00:16:38.539 around the world and the Catholic bishops in 00:16:38.539 --> 00:16:41.480 the United States. And I realized that there 00:16:41.480 --> 00:16:45.419 was a very rich tradition that involved the kind 00:16:45.419 --> 00:16:49.440 of work that coaches do. And it was the tradition 00:16:49.440 --> 00:16:53.340 of spiritual direction. Because a spiritual director 00:16:53.340 --> 00:16:59.360 is someone who blends all three of these other 00:16:59.360 --> 00:17:02.360 models. You see, a spiritual director, on the 00:17:02.360 --> 00:17:06.400 one hand, himself or herself, is called upon 00:17:06.400 --> 00:17:09.400 to have walked the path. They're called to be... 00:17:09.589 --> 00:17:13.109 holy. They're called to be someone who is walking 00:17:13.109 --> 00:17:17.650 in a way of integrity. And so they're kind of 00:17:17.650 --> 00:17:20.529 like a mentor. So if you have a spiritual director, 00:17:20.809 --> 00:17:22.950 some of the answers lie within that spiritual 00:17:22.950 --> 00:17:27.630 director. And at the same time, a spiritual director 00:17:27.630 --> 00:17:32.470 is wise enough to say, the Holy Spirit is not 00:17:32.470 --> 00:17:35.430 simply at my command, but the Holy Spirit's at 00:17:35.430 --> 00:17:40.359 work in you. And you may not be aware of how 00:17:40.359 --> 00:17:43.980 the Holy Spirit is at work in you. And so I realized 00:17:43.980 --> 00:17:47.819 that if I can ask you the right questions, some 00:17:47.819 --> 00:17:51.200 of those insights will come out of you. And so 00:17:51.200 --> 00:17:53.480 this good spiritual director is going to also 00:17:53.480 --> 00:17:56.519 have and draw from some of the therapeutic approach 00:17:56.519 --> 00:18:00.450 to coaching. At the same time, the spiritual 00:18:00.450 --> 00:18:03.329 director is going to be trained and formed in 00:18:03.329 --> 00:18:05.730 the collective wisdom, in the whole tradition 00:18:05.730 --> 00:18:08.410 of spiritual direction that has been handed down. 00:18:08.869 --> 00:18:11.849 And that's that program approach, right? Not 00:18:11.849 --> 00:18:13.950 from one guru, but from the entire tradition 00:18:13.950 --> 00:18:18.079 of the church. And so a wise spiritual director 00:18:18.079 --> 00:18:20.660 is someone who's going to, if you will, follow 00:18:20.660 --> 00:18:22.859 the program, is someone who's going to understand 00:18:22.859 --> 00:18:26.619 that there are some really key things, insights 00:18:26.619 --> 00:18:29.460 and principles and practices that ought to be 00:18:29.460 --> 00:18:32.099 implemented in a healthy spiritual direction 00:18:32.099 --> 00:18:36.359 situation so that their directee can benefit. 00:18:37.220 --> 00:18:40.799 And for me, it became very natural to say, oh, 00:18:41.019 --> 00:18:45.230 my approach to coaching in professional settings 00:18:45.230 --> 00:18:48.990 was drawn from the tradition of spiritual direction. 00:18:49.589 --> 00:18:52.589 Some of the answers lie within you. And my goal 00:18:52.589 --> 00:18:56.990 will be to help you surface those insights. Some 00:18:56.990 --> 00:18:59.950 of the answers lie within me because I have my 00:18:59.950 --> 00:19:02.250 own fund of experience. I've been there and done 00:19:02.250 --> 00:19:05.150 that. And I want to be able to bring that to 00:19:05.150 --> 00:19:08.400 the table when the situation calls for it. At 00:19:08.400 --> 00:19:10.420 the same time, I also realize that some of the 00:19:10.420 --> 00:19:13.299 answers are beyond us. Some of the answers are 00:19:13.299 --> 00:19:16.799 not in either of us, but if we are open to it 00:19:16.799 --> 00:19:19.839 and we're wise in our own searching, we're going 00:19:19.839 --> 00:19:23.519 to be able to lean into the wonderful tradition 00:19:23.519 --> 00:19:26.299 of faith, or in this instance, the wonderful 00:19:26.299 --> 00:19:28.880 sources of insight that are available beyond 00:19:28.880 --> 00:19:31.660 us in the world, and let's go and let's allow 00:19:31.660 --> 00:19:36.059 those to come to the table as well. And so as 00:19:36.059 --> 00:19:40.190 a coach, in these corporate settings, I have 00:19:40.190 --> 00:19:45.410 been living this model of spiritual direction. 00:19:45.529 --> 00:19:48.470 I've never called it that, but I utilize the 00:19:48.470 --> 00:19:52.390 very same principles that are drawn from a very 00:19:52.390 --> 00:19:54.710 healthy Catholic understanding of spiritual direction. 00:19:55.250 --> 00:19:58.829 Now, there's an insight that shows up in St. 00:19:58.890 --> 00:20:02.160 John of the Cross. in St. Francis de Sales, in 00:20:02.160 --> 00:20:05.859 Introduction to the Devout Life, and in many 00:20:05.859 --> 00:20:08.279 writings in our Catholic tradition. And it's 00:20:08.279 --> 00:20:12.539 this. Finding a good spiritual director is incredibly 00:20:12.539 --> 00:20:18.000 rare. Having a spiritual director who is going 00:20:18.000 --> 00:20:22.819 to fulfill that call is very rare. And so... 00:20:23.200 --> 00:20:26.480 Finding a wonderful spiritual director who is 00:20:26.480 --> 00:20:29.779 going to live out all those different aspects 00:20:29.779 --> 00:20:34.299 of that call is a great challenge. And there's 00:20:34.299 --> 00:20:37.779 a book called The Book of All Saints, written 00:20:37.779 --> 00:20:41.619 by Adrienne Von Speyer. And in it, she talks 00:20:41.619 --> 00:20:45.720 about and gives insight into the prayer lives 00:20:45.720 --> 00:20:49.000 and spiritual lives of great saints throughout 00:20:49.000 --> 00:20:51.980 our tradition. And one of the themes that shows 00:20:51.980 --> 00:20:56.599 up again and again is that the particular call 00:20:56.599 --> 00:21:01.319 and mission of this particular saint, this particular 00:21:01.319 --> 00:21:04.400 blessed, this very holy man or woman in our tradition 00:21:04.400 --> 00:21:11.279 wasn't fully realized because they weren't accompanied 00:21:11.279 --> 00:21:17.299 by a holy spiritual director. It was the lack 00:21:17.299 --> 00:21:22.609 of a wise... spiritual director that held back 00:21:22.609 --> 00:21:26.250 the full flourishing and the full realization 00:21:26.250 --> 00:21:31.690 of someone's mission. Even a saint, they could 00:21:31.690 --> 00:21:35.789 have been even more fruitful had they been better 00:21:35.789 --> 00:21:40.890 directed. I found that so striking when I read 00:21:40.890 --> 00:21:44.250 that in the Book of All Saints, but I also found 00:21:44.250 --> 00:21:49.829 it so confirming of what I've experienced. in 00:21:49.829 --> 00:21:52.450 my own work, moving into the world to be Salt, 00:21:52.470 --> 00:21:55.769 Light, and Leaven as a corporate consultant, 00:21:56.029 --> 00:21:59.269 as a trusted advisor, as someone who offered 00:21:59.269 --> 00:22:03.289 a confidential sounding board to CEOs and C -level 00:22:03.289 --> 00:22:06.710 executives and in corporate settings where I've 00:22:06.710 --> 00:22:09.450 attempted to help them flourish as top leadership 00:22:09.450 --> 00:22:13.529 teams, that they were held back because they 00:22:13.529 --> 00:22:18.210 didn't have a good coach. It was the absence 00:22:18.210 --> 00:22:21.809 of a coach that left this individual to attempt 00:22:21.809 --> 00:22:26.730 to figure stuff out. And so finding the right 00:22:26.730 --> 00:22:28.710 coach was someone that was going to help them 00:22:28.710 --> 00:22:32.130 flourish more fully and to realize their mission, 00:22:32.170 --> 00:22:34.690 even their mission in that corporation itself. 00:22:34.849 --> 00:22:37.829 And that's what I found to be. this great gift 00:22:37.829 --> 00:22:40.650 that I was able to bring to bear, something that 00:22:40.650 --> 00:22:44.789 came from my own background in theology and in 00:22:44.789 --> 00:22:48.910 ministry, and to bring it to bear in settings 00:22:48.910 --> 00:22:52.750 that often involve faith, but often didn't, right? 00:22:52.869 --> 00:22:55.710 And just real in corporate settings. What was 00:22:55.710 --> 00:22:58.150 interesting was this, was that a number of my 00:22:58.150 --> 00:23:01.049 clients, those who were drawn to me, were also 00:23:01.049 --> 00:23:04.579 Catholic. Certainly not all, right? But a number 00:23:04.579 --> 00:23:07.259 of them were. And it was interesting because 00:23:07.259 --> 00:23:09.519 they heard me on the radio at some point. And 00:23:09.519 --> 00:23:12.960 I talked about the fact that I did this coaching, 00:23:13.279 --> 00:23:16.220 this executive coaching for companies like Boeing 00:23:16.220 --> 00:23:20.180 and T -Mobile. And I worked with business owners 00:23:20.180 --> 00:23:24.319 and walked with these leaders. And they're like, 00:23:24.420 --> 00:23:27.799 hey, you know what? My company offers the opportunity 00:23:27.799 --> 00:23:33.059 to draw on executive coaching. Can we see about 00:23:33.059 --> 00:23:37.680 getting you involved here? And so it became for 00:23:37.680 --> 00:23:41.299 me a beautiful way for me to live out my mission, 00:23:41.339 --> 00:23:45.039 which was in principally in ministry settings, 00:23:45.079 --> 00:23:47.920 but then to bring that to bear as well outside 00:23:47.920 --> 00:23:51.779 of ministry settings. It's been a really powerful 00:23:51.779 --> 00:23:56.680 and beautiful gift. Now, this draws upon this 00:23:56.680 --> 00:24:00.160 Catholic understanding of being a person called 00:24:00.160 --> 00:24:04.319 Catholic anthropology. And it's this, it's the 00:24:04.319 --> 00:24:07.619 power and importance and fundamental reality 00:24:07.619 --> 00:24:13.259 of dialogue in our own lives. The power and importance 00:24:13.259 --> 00:24:18.180 and the fundamental reality of dialogue in our 00:24:18.180 --> 00:24:22.740 lives. So what I just shared with you as understanding 00:24:22.740 --> 00:24:25.940 the models of coaching, I want you to stop and 00:24:25.940 --> 00:24:28.680 think about that for your own life of faith. 00:24:29.630 --> 00:24:34.130 and for your own professional life. So I don't 00:24:34.130 --> 00:24:36.869 talk into a lot of men or women who have to go 00:24:36.869 --> 00:24:39.089 out the door, out their front door, out into 00:24:39.089 --> 00:24:41.849 the world, and you're trying to make a living. 00:24:41.910 --> 00:24:44.650 You're trying to make it work. When you have 00:24:44.650 --> 00:24:47.670 someone who can walk with you, accompany you 00:24:47.670 --> 00:24:53.390 in a dialogue, it's a way for you to gain insight. 00:24:54.509 --> 00:24:57.829 to see into your circumstances more fully so 00:24:57.829 --> 00:25:01.630 that you can take the action that you need. And 00:25:01.630 --> 00:25:04.750 so I say that this is connected to our anthropology 00:25:04.750 --> 00:25:06.789 and how fundamental is it? I said it's really 00:25:06.789 --> 00:25:09.369 fundamental and it's important. Well, it goes 00:25:09.369 --> 00:25:11.910 all the way back to John Paul II and his understanding 00:25:11.910 --> 00:25:15.569 of the person is created in the image of God. 00:25:16.670 --> 00:25:19.329 We as human beings are created in the image of 00:25:19.329 --> 00:25:22.240 God. Now, when we think about that, we say, oh, 00:25:22.319 --> 00:25:23.500 what does it mean we're created in the image 00:25:23.500 --> 00:25:27.339 of God? Well, for over a thousand years, say 00:25:27.339 --> 00:25:30.559 1 ,500 years in our tradition, the emphasis, 00:25:30.940 --> 00:25:35.420 not the totality of it, but the emphasis has 00:25:35.420 --> 00:25:37.920 been on the fact that we're created in the image 00:25:37.920 --> 00:25:41.759 of God as individual human beings. That means 00:25:41.759 --> 00:25:45.579 that I am the image of God because I have an 00:25:45.579 --> 00:25:51.539 intellect, a will, and a memory. Through my intellect, 00:25:51.880 --> 00:25:55.660 I am able to know what is true, like the Word 00:25:55.660 --> 00:25:59.359 of God, the second person of the Trinity. I can 00:25:59.359 --> 00:26:02.000 will what is good, and so there's the act of 00:26:02.000 --> 00:26:04.680 love. To will what is good is an act of love, 00:26:04.920 --> 00:26:08.380 and that's like the person of the Holy Spirit. 00:26:09.059 --> 00:26:12.220 And I also have a memory, and a memory isn't 00:26:12.220 --> 00:26:15.039 just the ability to recall facts, but it's the 00:26:15.039 --> 00:26:19.279 ability to make what is past real. and effective 00:26:19.279 --> 00:26:23.559 in the present, like God the Father, the source 00:26:23.559 --> 00:26:28.799 of all being. And so we have this image of the 00:26:28.799 --> 00:26:33.559 Trinitarian God in a single person as an individual. 00:26:33.940 --> 00:26:37.859 Again, that was beautifully articulated by St. 00:26:37.859 --> 00:26:41.980 Augustine in his book, De Trinitate, on the Trinity. 00:26:42.200 --> 00:26:46.599 It's a very dense book. But there are other strands 00:26:46.599 --> 00:26:49.430 in our tradition. about what it means to be a 00:26:49.430 --> 00:26:52.490 human being created in the image of God that 00:26:52.490 --> 00:26:55.710 is more than involving just an individual human 00:26:55.710 --> 00:26:59.549 being. And St. John Paul II highlights this. 00:26:59.710 --> 00:27:02.670 He calls this back out into the open, and he 00:27:02.670 --> 00:27:05.710 emphasizes the fact that we are made in the image 00:27:05.710 --> 00:27:09.890 of God, not only as intellect will and memory 00:27:09.890 --> 00:27:13.240 as an individual, but because we're created in 00:27:13.240 --> 00:27:16.019 the image of the Blessed Trinity, Father, Son, 00:27:16.039 --> 00:27:19.559 and Holy Spirit, that is a communion of persons. 00:27:20.400 --> 00:27:24.099 There's this union among the Father, Son, and 00:27:24.099 --> 00:27:27.500 Holy Spirit that is infinite, that is eternal, 00:27:27.720 --> 00:27:31.799 and is perfect. And this infinite communion of 00:27:31.799 --> 00:27:35.460 persons between the Father and Son and Holy Spirit, 00:27:35.700 --> 00:27:41.599 St. John Paul II refers to as a dialogue. love 00:27:41.599 --> 00:27:45.940 and truth. The union of persons among the Trinity 00:27:45.940 --> 00:27:50.619 is a dialogue of love and truth. But this also 00:27:50.619 --> 00:27:54.400 has an impact on our lives and what it means 00:27:54.400 --> 00:27:58.019 for us to be persons created in the image of 00:27:58.019 --> 00:28:00.720 the Trinitarian God. What is that? I'll tell 00:28:00.720 --> 00:28:11.319 you in a minute. So here I am in my inaugural 00:28:11.319 --> 00:28:14.339 session of the Catholic Coaching Hour. My goal 00:28:14.339 --> 00:28:16.559 here is to share with you insights drawn from 00:28:16.559 --> 00:28:21.400 my career serving executives and CEOs and business 00:28:21.400 --> 00:28:24.539 owners and others to share insights that are 00:28:24.539 --> 00:28:27.099 rooted in our Catholic faith and that will have 00:28:27.099 --> 00:28:30.599 an applicability to your life of faith. Also, 00:28:30.660 --> 00:28:33.480 in a special way, I am speaking to those that 00:28:33.480 --> 00:28:36.019 actually have to move out into the world, that 00:28:36.019 --> 00:28:39.609 you're called to make a difference. by being 00:28:39.609 --> 00:28:42.049 salt, light, and leaven. You have jobs to go 00:28:42.049 --> 00:28:44.109 to, you have careers you're trying to develop, 00:28:44.349 --> 00:28:47.170 you're involved in companies, and you want to 00:28:47.170 --> 00:28:50.250 be able to live your faith with integrity. You 00:28:50.250 --> 00:28:52.049 want to be able to flourish in that setting. 00:28:52.769 --> 00:28:55.990 And I want to give you the confidence that living 00:28:55.990 --> 00:28:59.250 your faith, letting it shine, I'm not talking 00:28:59.250 --> 00:29:01.589 about preaching, I'm talking about being a light, 00:29:01.690 --> 00:29:05.710 by how you live your faith, how you live it with 00:29:05.710 --> 00:29:09.269 integrity, is something that can happen. It's 00:29:09.269 --> 00:29:14.529 something that we are in need of more and more 00:29:14.529 --> 00:29:17.710 and I want to help with that. And so I'm going 00:29:17.710 --> 00:29:19.869 to be sharing these insights with you. I'll give 00:29:19.869 --> 00:29:23.490 again some anecdotes and some other stories and 00:29:23.490 --> 00:29:26.170 by doing that to embody some of the principles 00:29:26.170 --> 00:29:28.470 and practices that you'll be able to take with 00:29:28.470 --> 00:29:31.250 you. Today I'm just sort of laying the foundations. 00:29:31.849 --> 00:29:34.890 And so these foundations will play themselves 00:29:34.890 --> 00:29:38.500 out. in our family lives, not just in our professional 00:29:38.500 --> 00:29:41.500 lives, but in our family's life. So the insight 00:29:41.500 --> 00:29:44.779 I just left off with before the break was this 00:29:44.779 --> 00:29:48.180 idea that John Paul II offers that we're created 00:29:48.180 --> 00:29:50.579 in the image of God as a communion of persons. 00:29:50.980 --> 00:29:54.599 And he lays this out at, first of all, the most 00:29:54.599 --> 00:29:59.119 basic level, that as a person, I image God in 00:29:59.119 --> 00:30:01.259 one way through my intellect, will, and memory. 00:30:01.400 --> 00:30:06.140 And he certainly says that, but he says, Image 00:30:06.140 --> 00:30:13.140 God more perfectly and completely when we are 00:30:13.140 --> 00:30:18.059 in a relationship of communion with others. So 00:30:18.059 --> 00:30:22.660 yes, I am the image of God all by myself, just 00:30:22.660 --> 00:30:26.079 standing alone as an individual. But I more perfectly 00:30:26.079 --> 00:30:30.319 and completely am the image of God when I am 00:30:30.319 --> 00:30:33.799 in a relationship of love with another human 00:30:33.799 --> 00:30:38.059 being. He refers to these as I -thou relationships. 00:30:38.920 --> 00:30:41.980 And in an I -thou relationship, I want you to 00:30:41.980 --> 00:30:46.779 think of a boy and his dad playing catch with 00:30:46.779 --> 00:30:51.779 a baseball. A really fascinating thing happened 00:30:51.779 --> 00:30:56.420 when my dad died a couple of years ago. My older 00:30:56.420 --> 00:30:59.740 brother George and I shared, like, what was one 00:30:59.740 --> 00:31:05.930 of your most moving memories? that you had growing 00:31:05.930 --> 00:31:09.970 up with dad. And he and I both said the same 00:31:09.970 --> 00:31:13.609 thing, playing catch with the baseball in the 00:31:13.609 --> 00:31:17.950 backyard. I was down one end of the yard. He 00:31:17.950 --> 00:31:19.930 was down, my dad was down the other end of the 00:31:19.930 --> 00:31:23.670 yard. And I threw him the ball. He caught it. 00:31:23.690 --> 00:31:26.690 He threw me the ball. And I can still remember 00:31:26.690 --> 00:31:29.190 that he threw the ball really fast and it hit 00:31:29.190 --> 00:31:32.130 my glove and it stung my hand. I can remember 00:31:32.130 --> 00:31:35.210 he's going to throw a curveball and he threw 00:31:35.210 --> 00:31:37.829 the curveball and it just moved in really amazing 00:31:37.829 --> 00:31:40.589 ways. I remember I wanted to throw it really 00:31:40.589 --> 00:31:46.490 hard. It was wild. And the memory, this was a 00:31:46.490 --> 00:31:50.289 memory of a communion of persons playing catch. 00:31:51.099 --> 00:31:54.119 Just playing catch this. Do you see what's going 00:31:54.119 --> 00:31:56.599 on? It's a circulation It's a back and forth 00:31:56.599 --> 00:32:02.000 and that back and forth is I see you I celebrate 00:32:02.000 --> 00:32:05.539 you, I affirm you, I receive from you, and I 00:32:05.539 --> 00:32:07.980 give to you, right? So you can think of all of 00:32:07.980 --> 00:32:11.240 that type of language, the receiving, the openness 00:32:11.240 --> 00:32:14.859 to receive, the openness then to reciprocate, 00:32:14.859 --> 00:32:19.259 to give back. There's a degree of I'm affirming 00:32:19.259 --> 00:32:23.519 you, you belong, I belong. There's that, okay, 00:32:23.619 --> 00:32:27.660 isn't that beautiful language? And it might be 00:32:27.660 --> 00:32:31.920 a bit like flowery, but I tell you that this 00:32:31.920 --> 00:32:35.380 idea of this circulation of love with my dad 00:32:35.380 --> 00:32:38.700 and the act of playing catch, it made me alive. 00:32:39.420 --> 00:32:44.660 It made me Tom. Well, Tommy then. It made me 00:32:44.660 --> 00:32:50.440 come alive as a human being. According to John 00:32:50.440 --> 00:32:52.940 Paul II, and it was something that I got to live. 00:32:54.140 --> 00:32:56.960 And so... We are made for relationships like 00:32:56.960 --> 00:32:59.839 that. We are made for relationships of communion. 00:33:00.980 --> 00:33:04.660 And you see the difference when there isn't that 00:33:04.660 --> 00:33:07.640 sense of circulation. When there's no dialogue, 00:33:07.779 --> 00:33:10.099 what do you have, a monologue? Someone's just 00:33:10.099 --> 00:33:13.240 talking at you, not with you. Or if someone's 00:33:13.240 --> 00:33:15.660 closed off, they're not open to receive you, 00:33:15.700 --> 00:33:19.720 or they're not open to... acknowledge that I'm 00:33:19.720 --> 00:33:21.259 receiving what you're sharing and I'm going to 00:33:21.259 --> 00:33:23.539 share back with you. There's, again, a wall that's 00:33:23.539 --> 00:33:25.579 put up. And so there isn't that circulation. 00:33:26.119 --> 00:33:29.420 When there's a breakdown in communication, there's 00:33:29.420 --> 00:33:32.559 something then less than fully flourishing human 00:33:32.559 --> 00:33:36.339 being that's happening there. John Paul II takes 00:33:36.339 --> 00:33:40.519 this reality of saying this I and thou, it then, 00:33:40.579 --> 00:33:42.759 when this I and thou, where you're facing each 00:33:42.759 --> 00:33:44.880 other, you could become a we, where together 00:33:44.880 --> 00:33:47.920 you then face the world. You face others together, 00:33:48.119 --> 00:33:50.900 that that affirmation and mutual receptivity 00:33:50.900 --> 00:33:53.759 to each other leads to a sense of solidarity, 00:33:54.220 --> 00:33:58.079 a sense of compassion, a sense of working together 00:33:58.079 --> 00:34:01.839 for the sake of someone else. This communion 00:34:01.839 --> 00:34:05.299 of persons plays itself out in our lives as a 00:34:05.299 --> 00:34:07.579 married couple. John Paul II says that marriage 00:34:07.579 --> 00:34:11.360 is a communion of persons. He says that family 00:34:11.360 --> 00:34:14.519 is a communion of persons, this fundamental cell 00:34:14.519 --> 00:34:18.269 of society. That's what we were made for. We 00:34:18.269 --> 00:34:20.989 were made for this communion of persons, this 00:34:20.989 --> 00:34:24.789 union of existence where we share life together. 00:34:25.929 --> 00:34:29.230 And this I and now and we, well, Carrie and I, 00:34:29.269 --> 00:34:31.630 our call is to be one so that we can then, we 00:34:31.630 --> 00:34:36.550 can be towards our kids and foster in them that 00:34:36.550 --> 00:34:40.300 same thing. And John Paul II and other great 00:34:40.300 --> 00:34:42.739 writers who've reflected deeply on this, like 00:34:42.739 --> 00:34:45.579 Cardinal Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI, right, 00:34:45.699 --> 00:34:49.619 and Hans Urs von Balthasar, they talk about instances 00:34:49.619 --> 00:34:52.900 where you see a communion of persons on display. 00:34:53.980 --> 00:34:58.400 It's marked by laughter as an expression of joy 00:34:58.400 --> 00:35:02.880 and of play, right? I think about one of the 00:35:02.880 --> 00:35:04.699 places where I've seen a beautiful experience 00:35:04.699 --> 00:35:07.199 of communion of persons is growing up playing 00:35:07.199 --> 00:35:10.599 sports. I especially see, I remember these just 00:35:10.599 --> 00:35:12.800 times of being on the basketball court and just 00:35:12.800 --> 00:35:14.579 playing together on a team. And when there's 00:35:14.579 --> 00:35:19.000 just this flow together, time just slows down. 00:35:19.079 --> 00:35:21.860 It gets so full. There's an overflow to it. That's 00:35:21.860 --> 00:35:25.639 joy. And that's what we're made for. See, so 00:35:25.639 --> 00:35:29.599 we're made for this communion of persons. fundamentally 00:35:29.599 --> 00:35:32.320 as an individual, but then as that builds itself 00:35:32.320 --> 00:35:35.159 out into the fundamental relationships in our 00:35:35.159 --> 00:35:37.119 lives, that first fundamental cell of society, 00:35:37.340 --> 00:35:40.980 my own family life, and then beyond that out 00:35:40.980 --> 00:35:45.920 into the world. And so when I think about what's 00:35:45.920 --> 00:35:48.420 success life, like what's, you know, mission 00:35:48.420 --> 00:35:50.599 accomplished, not success, but for success from 00:35:50.599 --> 00:35:52.400 the standpoint of what's mission accomplished 00:35:52.400 --> 00:35:57.289 in my family, it's when I see my kids. loving 00:35:57.289 --> 00:36:00.269 and enjoying each other, often marked by laughter 00:36:00.269 --> 00:36:03.090 and play, where they are open to each other, 00:36:03.130 --> 00:36:05.630 receiving each other. There's that reciprocation 00:36:05.630 --> 00:36:11.949 of receiving and giving. When I see that, it 00:36:11.949 --> 00:36:16.230 fills me to overflowing. I just, I stand and 00:36:16.230 --> 00:36:21.530 I offer God great praise and thanks. One of the 00:36:21.530 --> 00:36:24.309 great sadnesses, one of the great sources of 00:36:24.309 --> 00:36:27.690 pain is when there's a rupture, when there's 00:36:27.690 --> 00:36:31.789 a break in that communion of persons. When someone 00:36:31.789 --> 00:36:37.369 isolates, separates, breaks away, and is literally 00:36:37.369 --> 00:36:40.510 fracturing that sense of communion, there's a 00:36:40.510 --> 00:36:42.949 tremendous sadness because there's not flourishing. 00:36:43.489 --> 00:36:50.519 And so that's how fundamental This reality of 00:36:50.519 --> 00:36:54.519 communion is. And again, communion as John Paul 00:36:54.519 --> 00:36:58.340 II defines it is a dialogue. It's a dialogue 00:36:58.340 --> 00:37:03.559 of love and truth. So this is what I would bring 00:37:03.559 --> 00:37:06.980 to the reality of coaching. So I would get into 00:37:06.980 --> 00:37:09.840 often in rooms and I'd love having a big whiteboard 00:37:09.840 --> 00:37:12.460 there. And when someone would come in for the 00:37:12.460 --> 00:37:14.300 meeting or I'd go to their office and we have 00:37:14.300 --> 00:37:17.119 a meeting or even often it would happen over 00:37:17.119 --> 00:37:20.420 Zoom. I would have a meeting. And there was this 00:37:20.420 --> 00:37:23.840 sense of I thou, I'm looking you in the eyes 00:37:23.840 --> 00:37:27.199 and I'm here to be open to you, to receive you. 00:37:27.280 --> 00:37:29.440 And in receiving you, I want to be open to what 00:37:29.440 --> 00:37:31.099 it is you have to say. I want to be able to, 00:37:31.119 --> 00:37:34.400 in that moment, be able to draw out of you through 00:37:34.400 --> 00:37:36.780 the dialogue we have insights that will help 00:37:36.780 --> 00:37:39.280 you then recognize what's at stake right now 00:37:39.280 --> 00:37:43.820 so that you can then take an action. What I just 00:37:43.820 --> 00:37:47.840 shared with you is an understanding of a coaching. 00:37:48.539 --> 00:37:53.380 Or let's call it the process of coaching. There's 00:37:53.380 --> 00:37:57.300 dialogue that leads to insight that then leads 00:37:57.300 --> 00:38:04.139 to action. Dialogue, insight, action. Hold on 00:38:04.139 --> 00:38:09.380 to that. Because whether it's a situation of 00:38:09.380 --> 00:38:13.059 you and your own vocation as a husband and a 00:38:13.059 --> 00:38:19.239 father, dialogue, insight, action. Dialogue means 00:38:19.239 --> 00:38:22.099 what? I have some of the answers in me, but you 00:38:22.099 --> 00:38:23.920 have some of the answers in you. And there's 00:38:23.920 --> 00:38:26.199 some answers that we need to have that come from 00:38:26.199 --> 00:38:28.539 beyond us that we're going to draw from sources 00:38:28.539 --> 00:38:31.280 of insight. And then we're going to try to welcome 00:38:31.280 --> 00:38:34.199 them in. And as we see into our life situation, 00:38:34.559 --> 00:38:38.280 we then want to know how to take the right action, 00:38:38.380 --> 00:38:44.300 gracious action. And so I would very simply just 00:38:44.300 --> 00:38:48.820 lay out that fundamental idea. that we're here 00:38:48.820 --> 00:38:51.579 to have a dialogue and the goal of it is to have 00:38:51.579 --> 00:38:54.280 insight. And what's the alternative of insight 00:38:54.280 --> 00:38:57.980 is information, right? I don't want to simply 00:38:57.980 --> 00:39:01.539 give you facts and data. However, facts and data 00:39:01.539 --> 00:39:05.420 that can bring a light into a circumstance, that's 00:39:05.420 --> 00:39:07.239 different. Now it's not just facts and data. 00:39:07.320 --> 00:39:11.579 It's applicable. It's relevant. It's helping 00:39:11.579 --> 00:39:14.840 to shed literally light on something so that 00:39:14.840 --> 00:39:20.219 I can see more clearly. And so that's part of 00:39:20.219 --> 00:39:22.539 the call we have. If we're going to live our 00:39:22.539 --> 00:39:25.820 lives as disciples, we want to be involved in 00:39:25.820 --> 00:39:29.760 life -giving dialogue that leads to insight that 00:39:29.760 --> 00:39:34.000 then is the basis for taking action. Guess where 00:39:34.000 --> 00:39:36.440 that happens first, brothers and sisters? Prayer. 00:39:37.659 --> 00:39:40.619 Prayer. You want to have a definition of prayer? 00:39:41.340 --> 00:39:46.880 Prayer is a dialogue, a communion of you with 00:39:46.880 --> 00:39:49.739 the living God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, 00:39:49.860 --> 00:39:52.960 because the Spirit of the living God is within 00:39:52.960 --> 00:39:56.960 you, and that Holy Spirit will help stir into 00:39:56.960 --> 00:40:02.699 visibility the presence of Jesus, who looks you 00:40:02.699 --> 00:40:07.659 in the eyes, fosters a deeper union, and the 00:40:07.659 --> 00:40:10.840 Lord will help you see the Father, because he 00:40:10.840 --> 00:40:14.980 will turn you towards the Father. He'll help 00:40:14.980 --> 00:40:18.219 you see with his eyes. No one sees the Father 00:40:18.219 --> 00:40:20.880 except the Son and anyone to whom the Son reveals 00:40:20.880 --> 00:40:26.840 him. And so this dialogue that is prayer will 00:40:26.840 --> 00:40:31.059 lead to new sight, literally revelation. You'll 00:40:31.059 --> 00:40:35.980 come to a new light. And when you see a new truth 00:40:35.980 --> 00:40:40.900 that comes from God, you must act. If you believe 00:40:40.900 --> 00:40:42.860 that you're going to see a new truth from God 00:40:42.860 --> 00:40:44.980 and not act, you haven't seen the truth from 00:40:44.980 --> 00:40:48.219 God. You've just gained a new fact. You've just 00:40:48.219 --> 00:40:50.760 gained a new piece of information, even if it's 00:40:50.760 --> 00:40:53.659 correct information. But if it doesn't move you 00:40:53.659 --> 00:40:57.019 to take action, then you haven't received it 00:40:57.019 --> 00:40:59.900 as real insight, but rather just as information. 00:41:00.739 --> 00:41:13.780 Back in a minute. is involved in a relationship. 00:41:14.900 --> 00:41:18.159 That relationship that I refer to as coaching, 00:41:18.300 --> 00:41:20.320 but it's also, guess what? It's your marriage. 00:41:20.440 --> 00:41:23.739 It's your family. It's father to sons, mother 00:41:23.739 --> 00:41:27.500 to daughter, parents to kids. And yes, it's even 00:41:27.500 --> 00:41:30.760 among co -workers and among friends. Take that 00:41:30.760 --> 00:41:38.079 map out. Take that concept of coaching as a specific 00:41:38.969 --> 00:41:41.429 intentional activity of dialogue that leads to 00:41:41.429 --> 00:41:45.730 insight and then takes action as a way for you 00:41:45.730 --> 00:41:49.090 to live out this reality that you're made in 00:41:49.090 --> 00:41:51.389 the image of god as a communion of persons and 00:41:51.389 --> 00:41:53.250 that's what you're called to live and to foster 00:41:53.250 --> 00:41:57.349 in your life now there's one other principle 00:41:57.349 --> 00:41:59.510 i'll bring out today that's all i have time for 00:41:59.510 --> 00:42:03.110 i'm kind of really laying foundational ideas 00:42:03.110 --> 00:42:06.230 here well I'll give you more practical examples 00:42:06.230 --> 00:42:09.010 and some principles that you'll find applicable, 00:42:09.130 --> 00:42:13.469 but this foundational vision is so very important. 00:42:14.230 --> 00:42:17.590 The last foundational principle I'm going to 00:42:17.590 --> 00:42:21.789 share today is the truth that is in the scriptures, 00:42:21.949 --> 00:42:23.969 it's in our tradition. Thomas Aquinas sums it 00:42:23.969 --> 00:42:26.469 up very powerfully, and it has a wonderful application 00:42:26.469 --> 00:42:30.469 here, is that we live our lives in time. And 00:42:30.469 --> 00:42:32.170 so as we live our lives in time, we are headed 00:42:32.170 --> 00:42:35.820 towards a goal. right? We're on the way. That's 00:42:35.820 --> 00:42:40.239 the phrase. We live our lives on the way. And 00:42:40.239 --> 00:42:43.920 so Thomas Aquinas says that if you want to like 00:42:43.920 --> 00:42:46.539 get into the core of someone's being, what you'll 00:42:46.539 --> 00:42:50.760 discover is that they are homo viator, one who 00:42:50.760 --> 00:42:54.920 is on the way, one who is on the way. And that 00:42:54.920 --> 00:42:58.639 means that, oh, I'm not perfect all by myself. 00:42:59.260 --> 00:43:04.230 I'm not yet complete. I'm called, to the perfection 00:43:04.230 --> 00:43:07.429 of charity. I'm called to let that perfect, that 00:43:07.429 --> 00:43:10.630 love of God become perfected in me. Love the 00:43:10.630 --> 00:43:12.070 Lord by God with all my heart, soul, mind, and 00:43:12.070 --> 00:43:15.050 strength. But I'm on the way. I'm on the journey. 00:43:16.130 --> 00:43:18.570 And the way that St. Thomas Aquinas maps this 00:43:18.570 --> 00:43:21.550 out is that if I'm on the journey, well, guess 00:43:21.550 --> 00:43:23.769 what? There's been a point of departure, right? 00:43:23.849 --> 00:43:27.630 I got launched into this journey that I'm on. 00:43:27.730 --> 00:43:29.820 Oh, that was the... moment that you were conceived. 00:43:30.079 --> 00:43:31.739 That was the moment that you were born into this 00:43:31.739 --> 00:43:34.940 world. That was the moment when you had the loving 00:43:34.940 --> 00:43:38.599 smile of your mother on you that evoked out of 00:43:38.599 --> 00:43:42.079 you this awareness that you love me. That was 00:43:42.079 --> 00:43:44.800 the first thing that surfaced your very sense 00:43:44.800 --> 00:43:47.579 of your own self, was that act of being loved 00:43:47.579 --> 00:43:51.179 by the smile of your mother. That so says Hans 00:43:51.179 --> 00:43:55.539 Urs von Balthasar, quoted by Cardinal Ratzinger 00:43:55.539 --> 00:43:59.730 before he was Pope. And so this fundamental reality 00:43:59.730 --> 00:44:02.730 of I'm on the journey, well, that's where I came 00:44:02.730 --> 00:44:05.809 from. But I'm at this particular point where 00:44:05.809 --> 00:44:09.449 I'm at now. I've made some progress along the 00:44:09.449 --> 00:44:12.210 way. I've come far. I've grown to some extent. 00:44:12.309 --> 00:44:14.550 But you know what? I'm not done yet. There's 00:44:14.550 --> 00:44:16.869 still a distance I have to go. I haven't yet 00:44:16.869 --> 00:44:19.969 arrived, right? Just yesterday, I was talking 00:44:19.969 --> 00:44:22.530 to my kids, just saying to them, I said, now 00:44:22.530 --> 00:44:25.110 remember, what's our life all about, right? What's 00:44:25.110 --> 00:44:27.650 the fulfillment of our life? Because they were 00:44:27.650 --> 00:44:29.670 talking about some of the things they were giving 00:44:29.670 --> 00:44:31.489 up for Lent. And I said, remember now, where 00:44:31.489 --> 00:44:35.190 are we headed, right? And I said, what's the 00:44:35.190 --> 00:44:37.750 goal of everything? Where are we all headed? 00:44:37.929 --> 00:44:39.389 And they didn't say we're all headed to death. 00:44:39.630 --> 00:44:41.809 They said, we're all headed to heaven. That's 00:44:41.809 --> 00:44:45.730 the goal. That's the call. And I can realize 00:44:45.730 --> 00:44:49.630 that I'm not yet there. I'm not yet there. And 00:44:49.630 --> 00:44:56.750 so these three key moments. map out this journey 00:44:56.750 --> 00:45:02.409 of, I started here, this is how far I've come, 00:45:02.550 --> 00:45:06.329 but this is where I'm headed. Now that fundamental 00:45:06.329 --> 00:45:09.809 structure of being a human being, guess what? 00:45:10.230 --> 00:45:14.210 It also maps itself out in the course of different 00:45:14.210 --> 00:45:18.650 stages of our lives, like in careers. Or you 00:45:18.650 --> 00:45:21.130 could say even in marriage. Carrie and I, we 00:45:21.130 --> 00:45:23.730 got launched into our marriage August 12, 1994. 00:45:24.289 --> 00:45:27.170 Okay, we're 31 years in. We don't know how much 00:45:27.170 --> 00:45:29.710 longer we have, right? But we can see where we've 00:45:29.710 --> 00:45:32.829 come from. We can see where we're at. And we 00:45:32.829 --> 00:45:35.269 want to get a vision of where we're headed. The 00:45:35.269 --> 00:45:37.210 same is true with raising our kids. Okay, that 00:45:37.210 --> 00:45:40.550 all began September the 28th, 1999, when our 00:45:40.550 --> 00:45:42.989 first daughter was born. And it's continued on 00:45:42.989 --> 00:45:45.389 until now. And we're still trying to figure out 00:45:45.389 --> 00:45:47.670 what is the right now moment of our lives as 00:45:47.670 --> 00:45:49.929 parents look like. Well, it's all headed towards 00:45:49.929 --> 00:45:52.730 some future state, right? Carrie puts like a 00:45:52.730 --> 00:45:55.909 picture up of her mom with all of her, you know, 00:45:55.909 --> 00:45:59.989 50 some odd grandchildren and great -grandchildren, 00:46:00.090 --> 00:46:03.570 another 30, and just all the others, just in 00:46:03.570 --> 00:46:05.719 the great -grandchildren. children, right? So 00:46:05.719 --> 00:46:11.179 this reality of where are we headed is, again, 00:46:11.260 --> 00:46:15.820 it speaks of that journey. And that's where the 00:46:15.820 --> 00:46:19.139 theme of accompaniment shows up. Pope Francis 00:46:19.139 --> 00:46:23.480 made it famous. I actually used it. So way back 00:46:23.480 --> 00:46:26.780 in the early 2000s, when I described what I did 00:46:26.780 --> 00:46:29.400 as a coach is I accompanied people. I walked 00:46:29.400 --> 00:46:32.340 with them because I was bringing this Thomas 00:46:32.340 --> 00:46:35.840 Aquinas insight into the structure of what it 00:46:35.840 --> 00:46:39.340 means to be a human being. And so a spiritual 00:46:39.340 --> 00:46:41.139 director is someone, not a spiritual director, 00:46:41.179 --> 00:46:42.579 yes, a spiritual director, because that's the 00:46:42.579 --> 00:46:44.739 model. But as a coach, what do I do? I walk with 00:46:44.739 --> 00:46:47.639 people. I walk with them. I accompany them from 00:46:47.639 --> 00:46:50.019 a starting point. And we recognize where we're 00:46:50.019 --> 00:46:51.940 at. And then we want to have that other point 00:46:51.940 --> 00:46:54.380 of where we want to be headed, right? We want 00:46:54.380 --> 00:46:57.619 it where we want to go. And so that actually 00:46:57.619 --> 00:47:01.619 identifies in our tradition three fundamental 00:47:01.619 --> 00:47:04.780 themes. And these are three fundamental themes 00:47:04.780 --> 00:47:09.400 that are associated with your call to love in 00:47:09.400 --> 00:47:13.019 your marriage, in your family, and yes, even 00:47:13.019 --> 00:47:16.699 in your workplace. and just our life lived in 00:47:16.699 --> 00:47:19.940 the world. Those three themes connected to our 00:47:19.940 --> 00:47:23.039 point of departure, our current reality, and 00:47:23.039 --> 00:47:25.599 that point of arrival where we're headed, our 00:47:25.599 --> 00:47:30.619 support, encouragement, and accountability. Support, 00:47:30.719 --> 00:47:35.780 encouragement, and accountability. Now, we often 00:47:35.780 --> 00:47:37.679 hear about accountability if you go to a men's 00:47:37.679 --> 00:47:40.960 conference. It's like the big theme. You go there 00:47:40.960 --> 00:47:42.920 and the guys will rally people up and they'll 00:47:42.920 --> 00:47:44.519 say, come on guys, get off the sidelines, get 00:47:44.519 --> 00:47:45.960 into the game. And do you know what you need? 00:47:46.019 --> 00:47:48.280 You need an accountability partner. You need 00:47:48.280 --> 00:47:49.780 someone who's going to hold you accountable. 00:47:50.059 --> 00:47:52.860 So if you're struggling with a sin, that brother 00:47:52.860 --> 00:47:54.860 is going to help make sure that you're freed 00:47:54.860 --> 00:47:57.280 from sin. Accountability, incredibly important. 00:47:57.820 --> 00:48:01.320 But there's far more to it than that. And I think 00:48:01.320 --> 00:48:06.239 this is where men's... speakers or men's conferences 00:48:06.239 --> 00:48:09.440 would benefit from a deeper study of Aquinas 00:48:09.440 --> 00:48:12.239 on this matter and our Catholic tradition, because 00:48:12.239 --> 00:48:15.739 you would see these three themes. You support 00:48:15.739 --> 00:48:18.440 someone where they're struggling. That has to 00:48:18.440 --> 00:48:21.280 do with, this is how far you've come, and I've 00:48:21.280 --> 00:48:23.340 got your back. I don't want you to fall back. 00:48:24.179 --> 00:48:27.420 Encouragement. This is standing in the present, 00:48:27.460 --> 00:48:30.739 and this is saying, look at what you're doing. 00:48:31.199 --> 00:48:33.840 I want to put courage into the core of your being, 00:48:33.860 --> 00:48:36.519 right into your heart. I want to help you to 00:48:36.519 --> 00:48:39.059 be able to continue going. Let's keep going to 00:48:39.059 --> 00:48:42.139 cheerlead you on. So that encouragement. And 00:48:42.139 --> 00:48:44.000 then, yes, accountability. You know what? You 00:48:44.000 --> 00:48:47.559 haven't arrived yet. There's still room for growth. 00:48:48.139 --> 00:48:50.639 There's still a gap that exists between where 00:48:50.639 --> 00:48:53.679 you're at and where you're headed, where you've 00:48:53.679 --> 00:48:58.980 envisioned going. And so what I found is. Guess 00:48:58.980 --> 00:49:01.800 what? Did I find this as a husband, a father, 00:49:01.860 --> 00:49:05.739 or as an executive coach and a trusted advisor 00:49:05.739 --> 00:49:08.900 to C -level executives? The answer is yes to 00:49:08.900 --> 00:49:12.139 all three, support, encouragement, and accountability. 00:49:12.539 --> 00:49:15.199 And this is what's so interesting is that I've 00:49:15.199 --> 00:49:18.840 laid out that theme at men's conferences, at 00:49:18.840 --> 00:49:22.059 marriage retreats, and yes, at corporate off 00:49:22.059 --> 00:49:26.260 -sites. Off -sites to, again, leadership teams 00:49:26.260 --> 00:49:30.059 of C -level or high -level executives, I've mapped 00:49:30.059 --> 00:49:32.519 out this reality that you're on the way, guys, 00:49:32.679 --> 00:49:34.679 and you need to be able to support each other, 00:49:34.820 --> 00:49:37.440 encourage each other, and yes, hold each other 00:49:37.440 --> 00:49:42.099 accountable. And it's a fascinating thing to 00:49:42.099 --> 00:49:47.239 think about that. How do I consciously and intentionally 00:49:47.239 --> 00:49:52.960 hold on to those things in my own life? Where 00:49:52.960 --> 00:49:56.550 do I find support when I'm struggling? Where 00:49:56.550 --> 00:49:59.889 do I find encouragement when I'm making progress 00:49:59.889 --> 00:50:04.869 and who's noticing it, who's affirming it, celebrating 00:50:04.869 --> 00:50:07.730 it, cheering me on and acknowledging it and saying, 00:50:07.769 --> 00:50:12.110 keep going. And who is helping me be accountable 00:50:12.110 --> 00:50:15.429 to my own highest ideals, not your ideals for 00:50:15.429 --> 00:50:19.130 me, but my own highest ideals to say, you're 00:50:19.130 --> 00:50:21.530 going to get there. Come on, keep moving forward. 00:50:21.670 --> 00:50:26.809 We got this. And those three actions are all 00:50:26.809 --> 00:50:31.690 actions of love. And when I describe the three 00:50:31.690 --> 00:50:34.289 of them, and I'll describe them in more depth 00:50:34.289 --> 00:50:38.469 in future programs, what does it mean to actually 00:50:38.469 --> 00:50:42.329 support a loved one, a child who's struggling, 00:50:42.469 --> 00:50:47.230 a spouse, a parent, or a friend? I've offered 00:50:47.230 --> 00:50:50.710 support to so many folks just in my own life. 00:50:50.769 --> 00:50:53.570 And what does that support look like? It's an 00:50:53.570 --> 00:50:57.190 act of loving. But so is encouragement. And how 00:50:57.190 --> 00:50:59.949 do I do that well? And so is accountability. 00:51:00.550 --> 00:51:02.590 And that's the one I think we struggle with the 00:51:02.590 --> 00:51:09.030 most. We most understand it poorly and apply 00:51:09.030 --> 00:51:13.989 it even more poorly. And so to be able to, I 00:51:13.989 --> 00:51:16.329 want to bring you insights that, again, what's 00:51:16.329 --> 00:51:18.110 so interesting is, do you know who's interested 00:51:18.110 --> 00:51:21.110 in accountability? Corporate America. There's 00:51:21.110 --> 00:51:23.690 so many organizations where I've met with these 00:51:23.690 --> 00:51:27.349 big leadership teams, and they wanted whole sessions 00:51:27.349 --> 00:51:30.789 on accountability. I'm bringing them Catholic 00:51:30.789 --> 00:51:33.590 understanding of accountability without ever 00:51:33.590 --> 00:51:36.550 mentioning the Bible or any Catholic saint. It's 00:51:36.550 --> 00:51:41.289 good human insight. It's human insight that will 00:51:41.289 --> 00:51:46.489 help groups of people to flourish. And so walking 00:51:46.489 --> 00:51:50.739 with folks and being a trusted advisor. or a 00:51:50.739 --> 00:51:52.699 confidential sounding board, because that's what 00:51:52.699 --> 00:51:55.340 coaching does. It's like a therapeutic, like 00:51:55.340 --> 00:51:57.599 a therapist session where there's confidentiality. 00:51:57.699 --> 00:52:01.440 So to be able to have a sounding board, someone 00:52:01.440 --> 00:52:04.800 that I'm going to bounce things off of, oh, there 00:52:04.800 --> 00:52:08.320 we go. There's that circulation again. So for 00:52:08.320 --> 00:52:10.360 a CEO to have a confidential sounding board, 00:52:10.440 --> 00:52:13.960 it's just so crucial. Very often as people move 00:52:13.960 --> 00:52:16.880 higher in leadership, in organizations, they 00:52:16.880 --> 00:52:19.800 get isolated. They get isolated from their ability 00:52:19.800 --> 00:52:24.440 to speak freely. And so what they value so greatly 00:52:24.440 --> 00:52:29.800 is a trusted advisor. Someone who says, I see 00:52:29.800 --> 00:52:34.559 you. I see the situation you're in. And together, 00:52:34.679 --> 00:52:37.880 I want to walk with you. And sometimes in walking 00:52:37.880 --> 00:52:42.219 with you, I'm going to offer you guidance that 00:52:42.219 --> 00:52:46.059 is support where you're struggling. Let's figure 00:52:46.059 --> 00:52:49.030 out. how to do that. Let's figure out how to 00:52:49.030 --> 00:52:51.489 get you the support that is needed here to address 00:52:51.489 --> 00:52:55.690 this. Encouragement, let's figure out how to 00:52:55.690 --> 00:52:57.750 put more courage into this leadership team to 00:52:57.750 --> 00:52:59.429 take on the challenges that they're facing right 00:52:59.429 --> 00:53:01.909 now. And then let's also talk about accountability. 00:53:02.130 --> 00:53:05.230 Let's try to get insight into, let's try to diagnose 00:53:05.230 --> 00:53:08.670 some of the biggest strategic challenges that 00:53:08.670 --> 00:53:10.570 you're facing, and then let's come up with a 00:53:10.570 --> 00:53:15.260 way to address them. And so What I've discovered 00:53:15.260 --> 00:53:18.820 was my own background in the seminary with all 00:53:18.820 --> 00:53:21.539 of that beautiful formation, my own work in the 00:53:21.539 --> 00:53:26.679 church, working in a wonderful parish under a 00:53:26.679 --> 00:53:28.900 great pastor, and then working up at the international 00:53:28.900 --> 00:53:32.679 level with Evangelization 2000 and having wonderful 00:53:32.679 --> 00:53:35.900 access and relationships with these amazing Catholic 00:53:35.900 --> 00:53:39.960 leaders around the world. These truths that I 00:53:39.960 --> 00:53:42.199 absorbed from them and through my studies and 00:53:42.199 --> 00:53:45.579 my PhD work in systematic theology, where my 00:53:45.579 --> 00:53:47.739 dissertation was on, guess what, interreligious 00:53:47.739 --> 00:53:51.780 dialogue. I was able to apply all of that, not 00:53:51.780 --> 00:53:55.019 only in my ministry work, but in corporate America 00:53:55.019 --> 00:53:58.579 to great effect. And so can you. So can you. 00:53:58.659 --> 00:54:01.460 So go deeper into your Catholic faith and apply 00:54:01.460 --> 00:54:02.940 it in your professional life.