Whole Hearted Leadership with Lantz Howard
162 | The Mystical Entrepreneur: Sonship, Surrender, and The Quiet Drift with Chris DeLeenheer
Lantz sits down with Chris DeLeenheer — family office leader, investor, former church planter and missionary, and author of The Quiet Drift: Why Successful People lose their Way and How to Find Your Way Back — for a conversation that moves from bow hunting and endurance racing straight into the deep end: identity, sonship, and what happens when a driven man realizes his work has quietly become his worth. Chris traces his own story from planting a church, to a season in India, to building and selling companies (including a stint with Fuego) — all while wrestling with a truth that reshaped everything: "our work is simply an arena" for God's formation, not our identity. He calls it becoming a "mystical entrepreneur" — learning to check in with the Holy Spirit before every room, every deal, every sales call, rather than walking in on performance or proving. The conversation turns personal and honest fast: Chris talks about the moment his wife Libby told him he was "following, not leading," what it cost him to hear that, and why he now believes vulnerability — not bulletproof confidence — is what his daughters actually need to see from their dad. He closes with why he's running the seven World Marathon Majors to raise a million dollars for clean water through World Vision, and why physical discipline has become inseparable from his spiritual formation. What You'll Hear [01:51] Learning to rest as an "output person" — bow hunting, snow skiing, and endurance racing as new inputs [06:29] The weekly date night habit and the questions that help his wife Libby process her week [08:04] The moment on the operating table with God: "I'm committed to being the man of your dreams" [10:23] From church planting to a business born in India — "a mystical entrepreneur" in the making [17:14] Walking into Fortune 500 boardrooms with no résumé — and calling it "the favor of a son" [19:00] "I'm not an entrepreneur or a family office guy — I'm a son" [21:24] The mystical entrepreneur practice: checking in with the Lord before every room, every call [22:14] Feeling too small — or too big — for the room, and why both are forms of the same arrogance [38:01] "Until people are sick and tired of being sick and tired, they usually don't change" — and why it doesn't have to be a crisis [39:26] The word God gave him before he made a dime: "I have enough rich Christians. I don't need another one." [42:34] A therapist's line that reframed his parenting: "Your vulnerability is your strength" [45:09] Libby's role as spiritual discerner in the marriage — and learning not to convince her, just be transparent [47:27] The hard word from Libby that changed him: "You're following, not leading" [48:24] Why control and scoreboards don't work in marriage — "let's outdo one another in service" [51:06] Running toward the seven World Marathon Majors to raise $1M for clean water through World Vision [52:49] Running 12 miles with his daughter — physical discipline as a shared spiritual discipline If Chris's story stirred something in you — about letting your work become an arena for formation instead of your identity, about leading instead of following in your marriage — I'd love to help you take the next step: For your leadership and calling → lantzhoward.com For your marriage → championhusband.com If this conversation was encouraging to you, share it with someone you love and care about — there's probably a name that came to mind while you were listening. Subscribe · Share · Leave a review Peace and courage on your leadership journey.
