WHY THIS BOOK EXISTS

The loudest sound I ever heard was not from a stadium or a boardroom. It was the snap of my Achilles tendon. Twice.

In that moment, everything in my life was forced to slow. The noise around me quieted, and the sound inside me became deafening. My identity as a father, a leader, an athlete, a man, felt like it shifted all at once. It was the beginning of a long conversation between who I had been and who I was becoming.

That moment woke me up, but this book is not about the injury. It is about everything I discovered while rebuilding. It is about identity, truth, purpose, rhythm, and the inner work leaders must do to last. The injury may have started the conversation, but the work that followed changed my life.

For more than twenty years, I have walked with leaders who want clarity and connection. Leaders who want to make impact without losing themselves in the pressure. Leaders who want to stay steady when life gets heavy.

But here is what I had to face.
I was coaching others to stay grounded while quietly drifting from my own center.
Working harder than ever yet feeling less connected to myself.
Performing strength instead of living it.

Leadership has become a performance.
It is costing us our peace, our relationships, and in some cases, our identity.

I wrote this book because leaders deserve a space to come home to themselves.
A space that tells the truth.
A space that helps us hear the sound within us that gets lost in the noise around us.
A space that reminds us that our power does not come from titles, platforms, or applause.
It comes from the core.

This book is the invitation I needed. I believe it may be the one you need too.

WHAT THIS BOOK OFFERS

This book is for leaders who:

• feel tired or stretched thin
• are holding more than people realize
• have been performing strength instead of living it
• want to lead with clarity without losing their humanity
• want to build rhythms that support excellence and well being
• want to rebuild from the inside out and become leaders who last

Inside, you will find

• The CORE work that strengthens Courageous Connection, Outcomes Driven Leadership, Relationship Mastery, and Emotional Agility so your leadership can stretch without snapping;
• The ROOTS work that grounds your identity, clarifies your values, and helps you lead with clarity, courage, and truth in every season;
• The FRUIT work that shifts you from chasing balance to practicing integration so your leadership produces outcomes that are healthy, aligned, and sustainable;
• The SOUL work that transforms pressure into purpose and helps you cultivate impact that endures far beyond the moment.

This is not theory. This is life wisdom earned in real time. This is soul work for leaders who want to last.

WHY I NEED YOU

 I could release this quietly, but Strong CORE is not meant to move quietly. It is meant to move through community. Through people who believe in deeper leadership. Through people who know the power of doing the inner work.

Your support helps:

• Produce the book with excellence;
• Bring the audiobook to life in my authentic voice;
• Create resources and tools for leaders at every level;
• Expand this message to corporate teams, communities, and classrooms;
• Build something that will outlive the campaign.

You are not supporting a book.  You are helping build a way of leading that can change how we show up for each other.

PERKS AND PACKAGES MENU

MY HOPE FOR THIS BOOK

My hope is that this book reaches the leader who is trying to hold everything together in silence.The leader who is praised publicly but feels stretched privately.

The leader who is chasing clarity but cannot find a moment to breathe. I hope this book becomes a safe place for you.

A quiet companion that helps you return to the truth you have carried all along. A reminder that strength is not loud.

It is rooted.
It is honest.
It is integrated.

I imagine a world where:

1. Leaders leave meetings with more humanity than ego
2. Cultures treat people like people and not like producers
3. Leaders measure success not only by outcomes but by the health of relationships

If this book does its work, it will transform more than your leadership. It will transform your life.

Because when a leader’s soul is steady, everything connected to them becomes steadier. This is my offering.

This is my prayer for you.This is my hope for Strong CORE.

ABOUT CHRIS

Christopher Thompson is a master facilitator, keynote speaker, and executive leadership coach who transforms leaders, teams, and organizations through human-centered strategy and inclusive design. As founder of CORE Inclusive Consulting, he brings clarity, compassion, and challenge to every engagement.

With leadership experience across finance, healthcare, education, technology, and faith-based sectors, Christopher helps people stretch beyond outdated paradigms and lead with purpose, agility, and integrity. His CORE Framework—Courageous Connection, Outcomes-Driven Leadership, Relationship Mastery, and Emotional Agility—anchors his coaching, keynotes, and workshops.

A former JPMorgan Chase executive, he has led national strategies in talent engagement, culture transformation, and inclusive leadership. Today, he partners with organizations across industries to build cultures where trust thrives, leadership is lived, and people feel seen.

Christopher is an ICF-certified coach, faculty at the Pacific Coast Banking School, and author of the forthcoming Strong CORE: Soul Work for Leaders Who Want to Last. His mission is simple: help leaders lead from their CORE and create workplaces where people grow, belong, and make an impact that lasts.

Other Ways to Connect with me: 

Substack: https://substack.com/@coreinclusive /

TikTok : https://www.tiktok.com/@coreinclusiveconsulting /

IG: https://www.instagram.com/coreinclusive/ /

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@COREInclusiveConsulting

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