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Authentic Leadership, Conscious Capitalism & The Purpose of Business

Episode #1064: Join Kevin Rafferty, an Executive Coach, Life Coach, Speaker, Peer Group Leader, Author, and member of the Conscious Leadership Guild as he discusses the great resignation and how it can be addressed with conscious capitalism and leadership. In this episode, we also dive into Kevin’s journey to executive coaching from his time in corporate America, the importance and impact of authentic leadership, the purpose of business according to Peter Drucker (whom Kevin had as a professor), and servant leadership.



About Kevin Rafferty

Kevin Rafferty is an Executive Coach, Life Coach, Speaker, Peer Group Leader, Author, and member of the Conscious Leadership Guild. Kevin has held several executive positions including CEO, VP, Founder and President. He received his MBA from the Drucker School of Management and uses his education and experience in corporate America as a source of insight for his coaching and speaking.


Kevin leads a peer group out of Orange County, California and offers executive and life coaching sessions. In his coaching, he uses his program entitled The Authentic Leaders Coaching and Leadership Development Program, where he blends the best of executive coaching with the power of personal authenticity. He developed the Authentic Leaders Elite Leadership Formula—a 12-step process that helps leaders become more self-aware and authentic. Kevin also provides life coaching using his book, Wake Up, Get Real, Be Happy: Becoming Your Authentic Self. In his role as a Conscious Leaders Coach, Kevin hosts speaking engagements to help others live more conscious and authentic lives, and improve their leadership skills.


Key highlights


The meaning of conscious capitalism

Timestamp 03:12


Kevin shares his insight on conscious capitalism and the organization called Conscious Capitalism. He shares how conscious capitalism has elevated “what they call the heroic aspect of leadership” moving from the current business model to a model that is more “people oriented.” He shares that the purpose of a business extends “beyond just making profits” and discusses the importance of conscious leadership and cultures.


Discovering the internal work

Timestamp 13:41


Kevin has a passion for helping business leaders do the internal work and dive deeper into their own self-awareness. He explains that his learning about the importance of self-awareness and introspection stems from his learning that although he had achieved all his goals, he still wasn’t happy. He shares that “about 40 years ago maybe, I started really doing some deeper dives as to why am I here? Who am I? And I’ve gone through some very, very different evolutionary points along that journey.” However, Kevin had always kept that separate from his coaching until a coach taught him about the importance of showing up as his “whole person.”


Developing self-awareness

Timestamp 22:33


Kevin has been coaching some of his clients for 18 years. He explains that his coaching with these clients is “more like staying on track with their philosophy about life and being the kind of a person and leader they want to be.” In his coaching, he focuses on three things: self-awareness, internal work, and creating a corporate culture. In each of these categories, Kevin helps his clients develop their leadership skills and businesses. In doing this, he helps not only business leaders, but also their employees, ultimately providing a “higher and greater service” to his clients.


The two types of listening

Timestamp 28:06


Kevin shares that there are two main types of listening. The first is “being quite long enough and waiting for them to shut up, so you can actually ask the next question or make that statement.” The second is “more body, heart, mind, spirit, listening.” Kevin explains that to do this you have to “move beyond that boulder of needing to be the smartest” in the room. In coaching, Kevin sees it as his job to “get them to a place where they’re “authentic self sees the situation clearly and they come up with their best solution.” He uses the second form of listening, that is attentive and insightful, to help his clients do the “heavy lifting” to solve their challenges.


Staying present

Timestamp 37:04


When asked about a learning that Kevin has had that others might not have yet learned, Kevin shares the importance and the power of staying present. He states that he learned the “power of being present, as fully present in this moment with the richness of being present without needing to do anything or say anything, just to be fully here.” With this learning, he has also lost his “addiction and attachment to expectation.” He applies this insight to parenting and states that he has learned to “get out of the way, get stuff out of the way, and be present.” In response, Severin shares a story about his own realization of expectations and parenting.


Insight’s from Peter Drucker’s School of Business

Timestamp 43:49


Kevin shares quotes, insights, and experience from his time learning from Peter Drucker at his School of Business. One experience he had with Peter was when he asked his class what the purpose of business was. While many students came up with answers, none had the answer Peter was looking for. Peter Drucker then stated that, “the function of a business is in the training and development of human beings.” Kevin also shares what it was like to be in Peter Drucker’s class and how his insights impacted him.


Being the ghostwriter

Timestamp 49:10


When asked about the “most powerful question” he has ever asked as an executive coach, Kevin shares the question: “Are you truly interested, open, ready to direct your own transformation.” He explains that for his coaching clients, he serves them as a ghostwriter would an author. The author does the majority of the work, the ghostwriter is a supporting member of the team. Kevin encourages his clients to invest in themselves and “do what’s necessary” to make the changes they want to make.

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