Leading Through Grief: How to Integrate Family Crisis and a Professional Vision with Brad Hoffman

What happens to your professional vision when your personal world is dismantled by grief? How do you lead an organization with clarity when your heart and your schedule are being stretched across generations at home?

In Episode 101, I sit down with Brad Hoffman, a pastor, podcast host, and leader who transitioned from "traditional" grandparenting to raising two of his grandchildren following the loss of his daughter. Brad offers a masterclass in what it means to be an Invisible CEO who refuses to compartmentalize their pain, choosing instead to integrate it into a new, resilient identity.

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The CEO Perspective: The Theology of Weakness

In mainstream leadership culture, we are taught to reward productivity and "powering through." Brad challenges this by introducing a "Theology of Weakness." He argues that the most successful leaders in crisis are those who stop trying to control and start learning to trust. For the kinship caregiver, this means recognizing that you cannot give from an empty cup—you must care for the caregiver first.

The Boardroom Brief: Key Insights from Brad Hoffman

• Integration vs. Compartmentalization: We often try to keep our "crisis life" and "professional life" in separate boxes. Brad explains why we must learn to lead while hurting and perform while grieving.

• The Identity Shift: Moving from "Grandparent" to "Parent-Grandparent" is a quiet dismantling of who you thought you were. Brad shares how to navigate this shift without shame.

• The Power of the "How" over the "Why": Brad’s rule for survival: Stop asking why this happened and start asking how we live well into the day set before us.

• Never Stop Dreaming: Crisis has a way of making dreams disappear. Brad insists that to flourish, the Invisible CEO must keep a "dream list" to maintain a trajectory toward the future.

The Toolbox: Tactical Moves

1. Reflective Journaling: Brad recommends a daily rhythm of evening journaling. This allows you to see "simple graces" in the day that you might otherwise miss in the fog of crisis.

2. Mandate Protected Margin: If you were the COO of your life, you would mandate "workload adjustments" during trauma. What is one non-essential task you can delegate or release today to create breathing room?

3. The Relationship Audit: Prioritize presence over productivity. Success today might simply be being fully present at the dinner table.

LinkedIn Executive Manifesto: Episode #101

Headline: Leading While Hurting: The Invisible CEO’s Greatest Challenge

Can you lead an organization with excellence while your heart is breaking at home?

Most leadership training teaches us to compartmentalize—to leave our "personal baggage" at the door. But as Brad Hoffman shares in Episode 101, true leadership in the face of family crisis requires Integration, not separation.

Brad is a pastor, a leader, and an Invisible CEO raising his grandchildren after the loss of his daughter. His insights on "Reframing the Win" are essential for anyone in the 2.7 Million.

The Executive Soul Strategy:

• The Theology of Weakness: Moving from a desire for control to a position of trust.

• The Identity Pivot: Reclaiming your purpose when your "Grandparent Identity" is suddenly dismantled.

• Caring for the Caregiver: Why "Sabbath and Silence" are tactical leadership requirements, not luxuries.

The Bottom Line: You don't have to stop dreaming just because the race changed. You simply have to learn to run the race that is set before you.

Listen to the conversation with Brad Hoffman here: [Link to Episode 101]

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