S8e3: James Flaherty – The Innate Goodness of the Human Heart

In 1991, James Flaherty, MCC, founder of New Ventures West, graduated from the Hoffman Process in Virginia.

After completing the Process, both James and his wife, Stacy, began to sponsor the Process in Virginia. They found the retreat site, enrolled people, scheduled the teachers, and transported them to the retreat site. They did this for six Processes over a few years. As James says, they were, and still are, deeply committed to the Hoffman Process.

Often, our hosts ask our guests if there was a pivotal moment in the Process that has stayed with them. For James, it was when he had an epiphany about the gifts he knew he had to offer to this world. When he heard his teacher tell him that he was a powerful person, he felt a weight drop from his shoulders. He realized he could give his gifts to the world in a “better way.”

James walks us through the kind of coaching training that New Ventures West offers. He articulates beautifully what happens to our hearts when we are young, how heartache can squash our innate goodness, scarring us so our goodness can not get out into the world. James offers how healing it is when we act for the sake of others. In doing so, we receive much in return. With loving generosity, James thanks Hoffman staff and faculty for all they do to support this powerfully transformative work offered through the Hoffman Institute. Thank you, James.

We hope you enjoy this heart-opening conversation with James and Sharon.

More about James Flaherty:

James Flaherty, MCC, founder of New Ventures West, is the author of the seminal text, Coaching: Evoking Excellence in Others. He has developed a uniquely effective approach to adult education by integrating discoveries in linguistics, developmental psychology, sociology, philosophy, and biology into the practical and customized methodology known as Integral Coaching®. He coaches executives, managers, and leaders throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.

James lives in San Francisco with his wife and has an adult daughter whom he adores. In addition to being a voracious reader, he practices yoga and qigong. James owns a large collection of CDs, mostly in the classical, rock, and jazz genres. He enjoys theatre and travel. He is a longtime Zen student, studying with Norman Fischer of Everyday Zen.

You can find out more about James on his website and on LinkedIn.

As mentioned in this episode:

New Ventures West, founded in 1987

The Vagus Nerve

Some research from Boston College about mentors and mentoring and people dedicated to assisting others had much more happen for them than those who were not. (10:39 marker)

Fernando Flores, Chilean engineer, entrepreneur, and politician.