The Role of Identity in Moving from Boyhood to Manhood with Kyle Stark
Episode description
1 Corinthians 13:11 says, “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.” As you think about yourself in this context, are you a man? Or a boy?
To unpack this, we are joined by Kyle Stark, a coach, leader, consultant, and the President of Stark Contrast. Previously, Kyle served as the Assistant General Manager for the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he implemented an unusual development philosophy that involved having the Bucs' prospects train with Navy SEALS.
This raised a few eyebrows at the time, and today, Kyle offers some insight into the reasoning behind his approach, which centers on truth and personal development rather than sticking to tradition.
One of the key elements of our conversation with Kyle is our identity as men. Where do we find our identity? What roles do discipline, accountability, leadership, and empathy play as we transition from boyhood to manhood?
Ultimately, Kyle believes that nearly every problem we face can be traced back to leadership, which is why he has made it his mission to help good leaders drive great cultures.
Join us to learn more about his belief that people buy into the man before they buy into the mission, how you can locate your identity in Christ, and so much more!
Topics discussed in this episode:
● How God (and baseball) molded Kyle into the man he is today
● The holistic development mindset he brought to Minor League Baseball
● The value of pursuing truth over tradition
● How the young men Kyle worked with influenced his coaching philosophy
● Nurturing not just baseball skills, but life skills
● Centering your identity on who you are, not what you do
● True leadership versus positional authority
● Committing to discipline (which is less sexy than inspiration!)
● Finding your identity in Christ
● How Kyle received buy-in for his unusual development philosophy
● Overcoming the tendency to defend your actions and resist change
● Understanding that people buy into the man before the mission
● Why you can’t conflate confidence with certainty, integrity with character
● The role of sacrifice in building trust with others
● Lessons about excellence from Tim Elmore’s SCENE acronym
● How Kyle strives to help men who are called to lead
Connect with Kyle on LinkedIn.
Resources mentioned:
Love Does by Bob Goff
CLC Website: https://www.clchq.org/
Contact Mike Hatch: [email protected]
Contact Chris Bolinger: https://chrisbolinger.com/author/
Men's Devotional: "Daily Strength for Men" (https://www.amazon.com/Daily-Strength-Men-365-Day-Devotional-ebook/dp/B07N9P7DRD)