The Restoration Project: How Faith Fuels Transformational Leadership

In a world constantly pushing for more, faster, and bigger, Lindsay Leahy, founder of The Restoration Project, offers a refreshing counter-narrative. A USA Today best-selling author and executive coach, Leahy, known to her clients as a “business therapist,” champions a deeper, more intentional approach to leadership and life, one profoundly rooted in her faith.

Leahy’s journey to founding The Restoration Project in 2019 wasn't a calculated business decision but a divine calling. "I would say God [inspired it]," she shares, recounting a period of five dreams about Moses in the desert. At the peak of her sales career, this spiritual nudge led her to question her path. Her husband, observing her search for something more profound than career success, encouraged her to take 90 days to explore what God was calling her to do. The word "restoration" emerged as the core concept—a recognition that our lived experiences, beliefs, and behaviors often shape us in ways we don't fully understand, leading us to operate out of external expectations rather than authentic truth.

The Faith-Driven Foundation of The Restoration Project

The Restoration Project, born out of this faith-driven pivot, operates on a unique principle: "We've kind of built our business around faith, Steve, instead of a formal business plan and decided way back that God's going to open the doors and bring the people and we will be obedient to loving on them and serving them and supporting them." This approach has led them to work with a diverse clientele, from executives and teenagers to schools and government entities, all seeking one-on-one coaching for personal and professional growth.

Leahy’s book, "Take It All Apart," which recently celebrated its first anniversary and is set to release as an audiobook, delves into this process of deconstruction and rebuilding. The book’s genesis came from her own moment of profound dissatisfaction while at the height of her corporate career. Traveling constantly, she found herself deeply unhappy and lonely in New York City, realizing, "This can't be all that there is." This pivotal moment spurred her to question the corporate ladder she was climbing and confront the emptiness despite outward success.

Rebuilding Through Faith and Authenticity

The book is structured in three parts: rebuilding connection with self, others, and the world; restoring intention; and aligning action. Leahy emphasizes that the first part, focusing on silence, stillness, and self-reflection, is often the most challenging but crucial. It’s about asking fundamental questions: "How am I feeling? Why am I doing this?" This deep inner work, she explains, is essential because many goals and intentions are set from a place of fear or superficiality, rather than from authenticity and a rooted understanding of God's purpose.

For Leahy, her faith is not just the foundation of her company but also the bedrock of her personal resilience and ability to guide others. She openly shares her own ongoing process of "taking it all apart," using the prompts from her book to realign her role within The Restoration Project. This transparency, she believes, fosters deeper connection with her clients, demonstrating that growth is a continuous journey.

Practices to Restore Purpose and Intentional Leadership

Staying grounded and renewed amidst guiding others through deep transformation is paramount. Leahy maintains a "strict morning and evening routine" of prayer, exercise, and devotion. "Those moments of staying connected to God in all things is what keeps me grounded and centered," she affirms. She views her book not as her own creation but as "divinely inspired... a gift from God that I just was the channel for," which provides both humility and confidence in her work.

When asked where someone should begin if they feel something in their life needs to be taken apart, Leahy offers two practical, faith-infused exercises. The first is the "dumping exercise": dividing a paper into three columns—"what's on my mind," "what's on my heart," and "what's on my To Do List"—to gain awareness of one's thoughts, feelings, and energy.

• Dumping Exercise: Divide a page into three columns for thoughts, feelings, and tasks to gain clear awareness.
• SNAP: Stop, Notice, Ask, Pivot—pause, reflect on your state, inquire what is needed, and shift your intention.

These practices are designed to bring awareness to the internal noise and guide individuals toward what truly matters.

The Transformational Power of Faith-Fueled Leadership

Leahy’s work with The Restoration Project is a testament to the power of faith in navigating life's complexities, fostering authentic leadership, and inspiring profound personal transformation. It's an invitation to not just build, but to restore, aligning one's life and work with a divine purpose.