163: The Role of Coaching in Discerning Life Purpose: Bradley Davidson, PhD - a podcast by Meg Rentschler
from 2019-12-04T08:00
As we are rolling through December and getting closer to the New Year, today’s show is especially relevant. We’re talking about getting clarity and discernment about your life purpose and staying in alignment with that purpose. My guest today is doing incredible work around this topic, so I’m excited to share it with you!
Dr. Bradley Davidson is a former student of mine over a decade ago in UTD’s executive coaching program. Bradley has been a coach for over ten years and currently leads a group of internal coaches at a major financial services firm. On the side, he has a private coaching and spiritual direction practice. Bradley has a passion around life purpose and how we, as coaches, can help clients create clarity around their life calling. Creating the connection between what we do and why we’re here establishes a different kind of energy, and the connection is one that our clients need to learn how to achieve. Bradley has created a download of the major findings from his dissertation research around the roles of caching and the discernment of calling. You can find the link for it in the Resources for this show. Bradley has completed extensive training and certification in spiritual direction at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University, and he holds the senior-most human resources certification from the Society of Human Resource Management and the Human Resources Institute. Bradley is a Professional Certified Coach through the International Coach Federation, and he brings his incredible research to us today on the show.
Show HIghlights:
● How Bradley chose the topic for his dissertation
● How Bradley identified his “createdness” and developed his mission statement
● How Bradley became a coach and decided to get his doctorate
● How Bradley conducted the research for his Ph.D.
● The universal drive (and struggle) to identify your purpose
● Two key concepts of Bradley’s research findings:
○ 1. Components of the coaching process that support the discernment of calling
○ 2. Characteristics of great coaches who support clients in discernment
● The concept of looking inward to assess strengths
● The key to success: the coach’s ability to make the discernment real and tangible
● Examples of Bradley’s work with clients on discernment: journaling and compiling “your river story”
● The secret to thriving is to look inward and connect your purpose to the needs of the world
● Why the coachee has to have a desire for change and a willingness to be honest and open
● Why a coach has to be open to his/her discernment
● Brad’s model for discernment:
○ L--Look inward
○ I--Imagine the possibilities
○ F--Form a strategy
○ E--Executing the strategy
● Results that Bradley sees with his clients
Resources:
Get Brad’s download here
Further episodes of STaR Coach Show
Further podcasts by Meg Rentschler
Website of Meg Rentschler