an autobiographical Process for leaders in transition
Because success answers some questions... and awakens others.
ABOUT THE SECOND FORMATION ™
REMEMBERING YOUR LARGER STORY
Most of us spend the first half of life building.
We build careers, businesses, families, reputations, expertise, financial security, and responsibility. We learn what is required of us. We adapt. We perform. We achieve.
And for many people, that work is important and meaningful.
Yet there often comes a point when achievement alone no longer answers the deeper questions.
Questions begin to emerge.
- Who am I apart from the roles I have carried?
- What has this life asked of me?
- What has it given me?
- What has it cost me?
- What remains unfinished?
- What kind of person am I becoming?
The Second Formation™ was created for successful men in the second half of life who find themselves asking questions like these.
- It is not a program designed to fix people.
- It is not therapy.
- It is not executive coaching.
- It is not retirement planning.
It is a structured process of reflection, conversation, and discovery that helps participants examine their lives with greater honesty, perspective, and integration.
The process invites participants to step back from the demands of performance and responsibility long enough to consider the larger story of their lives.
Through guided autobiography, reflective exercises, small-group conversation, and facilitated dialogue, participants begin identifying themes, patterns, strengths, losses, transitions, and emerging possibilities that may have remained hidden beneath years of accomplishment and obligation.
Many participants arrive at a season of transition.
- Some are preparing for retirement.
- Some are navigating career changes.
- Some are asking questions about legacy.
- Others simply sense that life is inviting them into a deeper and more intentional chapter.
Whatever the doorway, the work is fundamentally human.
At its heart, The Second Formation™ is built upon a simple conviction:
The development of a life does not end when professional success is achieved.
In many ways, a different kind of development is only beginning.
The Second Formation™ offers a place to slow down, reflect honestly, learn from others, and make greater sense of one's life, relationships, purpose, and future.
Not because something is wrong.
But because there may still be more to discover.
More to understand.
More to become.
For Leaders and Organizations
Many participants arrive through seasons of professional transition, succession, leadership renewal, or organizational change.
Organizations occasionally sponsor participation for senior leaders navigating these important life and leadership passages.
THE PROCESS: CLARITY FIRST, THEN MOVEMENT
RECOGNITION
"What am I beginning to see?"
- Structured autobiography
- Two-day retreat experience
- Clarifying life themes
STABILIZATION
"How do I remain in contact with what I am discovering?"
- Eight-week cohort
- Formative community
- Guided reflection
DESIGN AND ACTION
"Now what?"
- Future design
- Legacy
- Relationships
- Purpose
WHO IS THIS FOR?
A THOUGHTFUL SELECTION PROCESS
The Second Formation is not a course, a seminar, or a networking group.
It is a guided formation experience built upon trust, honesty, reflection, and mutual learning.
For this reason, participation is by application and invitation.
The application process allows us to discern together whether the timing, purpose, and structure of the experience are aligned with what you are seeking at this stage of life.
Some applicants may be invited immediately. Others may be encouraged to participate in a future cohort or pursue a different developmental path better suited to their current circumstances.
Our goal is not exclusivity. Our goal is fit.
IDEAL PARTICIPANTS
- Executives
- Business owners
- Professionals
- Leaders
- Men 50-65
- Men in transition
- Retirement preparation
- Career change
- Post-success questioning
NOT FOR
- Crisis counseling
- Therapy
- Mental health treatment
- Individuals seeking coaching alone
- Individuals unwilling to engage in reflection
A MATTER OF FIT, NOT WORTHINESS
The Second Formation is founded on the belief that every person possesses inherent dignity and value. The application process is not designed to determine who is worthy of participation, but rather whether this particular experience is the right fit at this particular time.
THE FACILITATORS
TONY GUARINO
Project Director / Facilitator
Responsible for:
- Program operations
- Participant experience
- Cohort coordination
- Logistics
KEVIN C. MURPHY, PSY.D.
Founder and Lead Facilitator
Responsible for:
- Program architecture
- Participant selection
- Process integrity
- Psychological stewardship
APPLY TO THE SECOND FORMATION
A Conversation Before a Commitment
The Second Formation™ is designed for successful men in the second half of life who are asking deeper questions about identity, purpose, legacy, relationships, and who they are becoming beyond role and achievement.
Participation begins with a brief application and introductory conversation.
The purpose is not to evaluate worthiness, status, or accomplishment.
The purpose is mutual discernment.
Together, we explore whether the timing, goals, and nature of the experience align with what you are seeking at this stage of life.
Who Typically Applies?
Participants often include:
· Executives and senior leaders
· Business owners and entrepreneurs
· Professionals approaching retirement
· Men navigating career or life transitions
· Clergy and ministry leaders
· Men seeking greater clarity, integration, and perspective
Many participants are not in crisis.
Rather, they find themselves asking questions that success alone has not fully answered.
Before You Apply
The Second Formation™ may be a good fit if:
· You are willing to engage in honest self-reflection.
· You are curious about your own life story and development.
· You value thoughtful conversation and listening.
· You are open to learning from the experiences of others.
· You recognize that meaningful growth often requires intentional reflection.
The process may not be the best fit if you are seeking psychotherapy, crisis intervention, or a traditional coaching engagement focused primarily on performance outcomes.
Application Questions
Please take a few moments to respond thoughtfully.
Contact Information
· Name
· Email Address
· Phone Number
· City and State
Background
· Current occupation or primary professional identity
· Brief professional background
· Current stage of life (working, transitioning, retired, etc.)
Reflection
1. What prompted your interest in The Second Formation™?
2. What questions, challenges, or transitions are most present for you right now?
3. What do you hope to understand more clearly about yourself, your life, or your future?
4. What would make participation meaningful for you?
5. How did you hear about The Second Formation™?
Next Steps
After receiving your application, we will contact you to schedule a brief introductory conversation.
This conversation provides an opportunity to:
- Learn more about the process
- Ask questions
- Explore fit and readiness
- Determine whether participation is appropriate at this time
Participation is by conversation and mutual discernment.
A Final Thought
Many men spend decades becoming successful.
Far fewer have the opportunity to step back and ask what that success has meant, how it has shaped them, and what life may now be inviting them toward.
The Second Formation™ exists to create space for those questions.
If those questions are becoming more important to you, we invite you to begin the conversation.
Foundations and P.o.V.'s
Your Leadership Story
You arrived in leadership with a certain wealth.
Experience. Judgment. A way of seeing that has been formed over time.
It’s part of what made you credible enough to lead.
And over time, it begins to shape more than your decisions.
It begins to shape the environment around you.
Often quietly.
Always with impact.
Which is why it matters.
The Soul Behind the Role
We do not need to introduce the word soul to leaders.
They are already using it.
Not in formal settings, not in board decks or quarterly reports, but in the unguarded moments where language becomes honest again:
- “Something about that felt off.”
- “This place has no soul.”
- “I’m exhausted; and it’s not just the hours.”
- “I don’t know… it just didn’t sit right.”
These are not imprecise statements. They are, in fact, remarkably accurate.
Re-membering the Executive
Many executives who struggle are highly capable people who have spent years performing at a high level.
What begins to erode is something more subtle.
The role slowly consumes the person carrying it.
The Trustworthy
"Never the one who doesn't doubt." Old Celtic Proverb
The trustworthy person is not free from uncertainty.
They are free from the illusion that they cannot be wrong.
They pause.
They reconsider.
They ask better questions.
They remain reachable by truth.
“Yeah Murph, but that is not real life.”
The Hidden Danger of Calling Dysfunction “Real Life”
One of the most dangerous moments in organizational life is when people stop believing healthy leadership is realistic.
The moment we begin to imagine healthier systems are possible, we begin recovering the power to help create them.
Risk Management
We help you identify and manage risk to ensure the long-term success of your business. Our team can develop risk management strategies tailored to the unique needs of your business and provide ongoing risk management support.
For Organizations
Leadership Transitions
Throughout my career, I have worked with CEOs, founders, physicians, clergy, business owners, and senior leaders navigating complex responsibilities and significant organizational change.
Over time, I began to notice something.
Many accomplished leaders eventually arrive at questions that cannot be answered through performance, achievement, authority, or professional success alone.
Questions of identity.
Questions of purpose.
Questions of contribution.
Questions of legacy.
Questions about who they are becoming beyond the roles they have carried.
The Second Formation™ was developed to provide a thoughtful and structured environment for those conversations.
While not a corporate leadership program, many participants come from senior leadership positions and find the process particularly valuable during seasons of transition, succession, acquisition, retirement planning, organizational change, or personal re-evaluation.
Why Organizations Sponsor Participation
Organizations invest significant resources in developing leadership capability.
Far less attention is given to helping leaders navigate the deeper developmental questions that often emerge during the second half of life.
When these questions remain unexplored, organizations may experience:
- Burnout
- Diminished vitality
- Succession difficulties
- Leadership stagnation
- Retirement resistance
- Founder attachment
- Loss of perspective
- Reduced engagement
When leaders are given space to reflect on identity, purpose, contribution, and legacy, organizations often benefit from:
- Greater leadership maturity
- Healthier succession transitions
- Increased perspective and wisdom
- Renewed engagement
- Improved mentoring and knowledge transfer
- Stronger long-term stewardship
Appropriate Participants
The Second Formation™ may be particularly valuable for:
- CEOs and Presidents
- Founders and Owners
- Senior Executives
- Partners in Professional Firms
- Physicians
- Clergy and Ministry Leaders
- Family Business Leaders
- Individuals approaching significant career or life transitions
Organizational Sponsorship
Organizations occasionally sponsor participation as part of:
- Executive development
- Leadership renewal
- Succession planning
- Founder transition
- Leadership transition support
- Executive retention initiatives
Participation remains confidential and participant-centered.
The purpose is not performance management.
The purpose is human development.
We provide customized human resources solutions tailored to the needs of your business. From recruitment and onboarding to performance management and employee engagement, we can help you build and maintain a high-performing team.
Additional Leadership Consultation
Separate executive coaching, leadership calibration, succession consultation, and organizational advisory services are available for organizations seeking broader leadership support.
For additional information regarding organizational sponsorship or leadership consultation, please contact us directly.