Meet Rob Wise

We recently connected with Rob Wise and have shared our conversation below.

Rob, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

I believe that I started to develop resilience early in my life. I was a competitive swimmer from age six to eighteen. Swimming is as much a mental discipline as it is an athletic one. When I was a freshman in high school, our swim team raised money for Akron Children’s Hospital by collecting donations through a marathon swim. The culminating event was a 24-hour swim where each swimmer would fill blocks of the 24-hours. While I had been swimming two hours each morning, and two in the afternoon as a regular practice, I had not swum continuously for a full hour without stopping. I was nervous as a freshman and unsure about whether I would be able to “show” well for my peers and upperclassmen. During the first part of the hour, I began to feel the fatigue and pain that are expected during a long swim. I made a choice to keep going and work through the discomfort. I found that as my mind and body worked through the pain, I felt lighter. Before I knew it I was passing other swimmers, even by laps. I felt like I was increasing my speed and the pain disappeared. I felt strong and confident as I glided past other swimmers and watched through my goggles as my peers were stopped on the wall to rest. When I reached the end of the hour, my coach asked me “Guess what event you’re swimming this year?”. I became a distance swimmer and swam the 500 yard freestyle and sometimes the mile every meet for the next four years. After calculating the number of laps (we had people marking laps) I learned that I had swum over two-and-a-half miles in an hour.

This one event gave the the strength to persevere through many challenges in my life – physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. As a grew up, I found that the mental and spiritual challenges were more difficult than the physical ones. I’ve faced adversity in my life through losing my ability to become a Naval Officer after discovering that I am color-blind enough to disqualify me, I’ve lost positions, I’ve lost close friends and loved ones, and I’ve supported my loved ones through their own struggles. The things that enable me to be resilient are a culmination of my experiences with a deep trust in God. I put my trust in God in all things (sometimes better than other times) and rest with the knowledge that I need to keep moving forward, seeking those around me to support me, and finding the peace within the pain as I did in the pool many years ago.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I empower leaders and team to lead from a place of clarity, connection, and purpose—transforming their organizations by first transforming themselves.
I partner with high-level executives, business owners, and leaders of influence to navigate complexity, enhance relationships, and drive meaningful growth. By integrating emotional intelligence, strategic systems, and deeply relational coaching, I deliver transformation that’s sustainable, not superficial.

Core Values & Principles
Humanity & Competence: The foundation of trusted leadership.
Radical Self-Awareness: Change begins within.
Strategic Clarity: Systems that free, not bind.
Relational Leadership: Trust and empathy drive high performance.
Spiritual Integration: Authentic leadership flows from alignment of values and action.

I am working on an interview series where I have a conversation with leaders across a variety of industries to learn more about their experiences and stories to inform my coaching practice. I have also developed a program to help leaders find deep meaning and purpose in their work and personal lives after they find themselves defined by their position, title, or salary.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

1. Humility – True humility is fullness in knowing oneself. Humility is one of the most important and undervalued attributes leaders must possess. Being able to admit when we’re wrong, ask for help, and recognize the strengths of others is crucial to having the fullness of success as a leader.

2. Perspective – Being able to view problems, experiences, etc. through the lens of another is impactful for leaders, and my journey as a leader. This also involves humility as I have to be willing to understand that someone else can see things differently, and perhaps better than me. Along these lines, putting priorities into perspective is important. In my life, I made choices that would allow me to see that my family and the people in my life are more important than any job or role. As a result, I’ve been present for my wife and children.

3. Attitude – Beyond knowledge and skills, attitude is everything. If I have the right attitude, I can learn just about anything.

For anyone in the early stages of their journey, be that entering the workforce, starting a family, starting a new job or phase of life, start by understanding yourself – limitations, personality, how experiences have informed your thinking and habits. Look to others who can help you become the fullness in your potential. Rely on the wisdom and experience of others more than the pedigree of titles and accomplishments. Find a spiritual practice that involves communion with others and service to those in need. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Find the joy in everything you do, especially when it’s hard.

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

I believe that after facing failure and loss, the most important experience in building myself has been a deep and thorough examination of myself. I regularly conduct a self-inventory of my anger, frustrations, resentments, shortcomings, etc. to see where my habits and thoughts get in my way. After this, I write a gratitude list of all the many things in my life I am grateful for and which I did not control or motivate to occur. I regularly look at the things I did in a day that I’m not proud of along-side a list of those things I did well. Over time, the first list becomes shorter and the second longer. In all things I ask for help and guidance from trusted individuals. I rely on God and realize that “there is a God, and I ain’t it”.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://robwise.focalpointcoaching.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-wise-med-05168b104/