Coaching for Christian leaders that’s grounded in Scripture, not a system.

Leading well doesn’t mean you’ve got it all figured out.
I’m Tom Harper. I built an organization from startup to sale over 26 years. I’ve walked through failure, grief, and stress along the way. Now I coach leaders like you through conversation, prayer, and God’s Word. My framework is the Bible. It has everything we need for life and leadership.

A free, no-pressure conversation — just to see if it’s a good fit.

Real conversation and biblical wisdom applied to whatever season of leadership you’re in.

Conversation & prayer

We talk through what’s going on and bring it before God together.

Biblical wisdom, not a template

I help you define the real problem and apply Scripture to it, rather than forcing a system onto your situation.

Leadership & life, together

Leadership and life aren’t separate. We address both, so you can lead from a healthy foundation.

Who I work with.

Every leader’s story is different. Here are four I hear often, and maybe you’ll recognize your own.

1.  Leaders Under Pressure

Most leaders deal with varying levels of stress, whether it’s job performance, challenges at home, marriage issues, conflict at work, physical limitations or illness. 

We’ll create a “pressure map” of your life and discuss practical ways to find balance and peace so you can lead at your best. The outcome of our time together will be solutions to your immediate problems, fewer stressors to deal with, and a longer-term plan for dealing with your biggest issues.

Starting up a tech business from scratch with partners twice my age grew me in often painful ways. Disagreements and epic conflict erupted right off the bat, but it wasn’t just the clash of old and new thinking. It was that we were launching an Internet publishing company, which was an untested kind of business in the “new” tech economy of 2000.

Our CEO favored the old style of command and control. I was into Ken Blanchard’s Lead Like Jesus movement. Just a little conflict between those two, right?

I’ve been refined in the oven of small-business culture, with all its battles, demands and setbacks. For 11 years, I struggled to survive as the “junior” partner. But I absorbed every lesson and kept studying the biblical way to lead.

Then, after a split, I became CEO. Ironically, I was thankful for the tough school of leadership I’d been through. The most valuable lessons came from my observations of how not to lead.

If you find yourself in a swirl of chaos and stress, I want to help. We’ll take an inventory of everything you’ve got going on in life and work, apply biblical wisdom, and work on a plan to keep burnout (or worse) at bay.

“Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge.”
Psalm 16:1

2.  New Leaders & Startup Entrepreneurs

“What are the most important character traits and skills I need to develop? How do I discover my calling?”

As an entrepreneur or new leader, these questions are just the beginning of the adventure ahead. Then there’s strategy, fundraising, building a team, HR, sales, taxes, marketing, operations, and AI … oh my. I’ve been on a journey through it all and would love to come alongside you as your personal leadership coach.

After launching a media startup in 2000 and selling it in 2026, I’ve learned a few things. I’ll work with you to develop a clear path to growth for your own business or nonprofit.

In late 1999, I wrote a business plan for a company called Networld Media Group. My partners and I pitched it to venture capitalists and bankers. We eventually assembled a group of investors and launched the enterprise in 2000.

Our business model was based on advertising-supported news websites. It took off. We created sites in new vertical markets every year, and soon we started buying magazines, conferences and other websites. We started our own industry conferences, associations and awards programs. Revenue shot skyward.

The future was one giant dream of thrilling success. What could go wrong?

Oh, just a few things. Like competition from all sides. High staff turnover. Fickle advertisers. Recessions, 9/11, a pandemic, and AI. Lawsuits, partner conflict, phishing scams, unhappy investors, high legal bills and taxes, many years of red ink, broken air conditioning, canceled flights, medical emergencies, tragic loss and sleepless nights.

Those 26 years were a rollercoaster for sure, but God was good to us. He blessed me and my family through the company. Many people built careers at Networld. Several were there so long they ended up retiring. Faith was shared.

If you’re contemplating a new business, are in the fundraising stage, or are zooming down your own rollercoaster hill, I’d love to hear your story. I can offer assistance in the following areas:

  • Leadership development
  • Culture, strategic planning and team building
  • M&A, fundraising and investor relations
  • Tech, AI and website development
  • Content strategy
  • Living out your faith at work
  • Gaining perspective

I’ve also developed a biblical approach to areas like conflict, vision and mission, culture, motivation, fear, worry, criticism and staffing. I’m passionate about building up leaders and growing organizations. If you find yourself in a challenging situation, I’d love to help you discover a way forward.

“The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.”
Ecclesiastes 7:8 (NIV)

3.  Leaders Who Have Experienced Loss or Failure

Some of the greatest challenges in the life of a leader arrive when loss, grief or failure come knocking.

I’ve experienced all three at the same time. My heart goes out to you if you’ve been blindsided. Let’s talk. Traumatic grief and an unexpected business downturn eventually led me on a path toward healing and a deeper relationship with Jesus. I can help you find restoration and peace, too.

After nearly 30 years in a career filled with much success, life hit me hard in 2020. The pandemic almost put me out of business. My partner (who was also my father-in-law) died in the middle of it all. Then, in 2023, I was devastated by the sudden loss of my wife. Grief piled up and pain multiplied. Thankfully, I had many good friends and a loving church family around me. But even with all that support, I felt like a failure and was humbled in a way I’d never experienced.

The Lord has upheld me. He’s comforted, healed and delivered me. Now, at 57, I feel his prompting to help others who are experiencing their own pain.

One of the ways I’ve done this is writing weekly leadership devotions (check them out here). These posts are born out of deep hurt, God’s comfort, and the Spirit’s teaching as I’ve searched the Bible for hope and perspective.

The future is unknown. Life and health are never guaranteed. If you’ve struggled with loss, grief or failure, it would be an honor to walk next to you and help you receive the loving compassion of our Lord.

“[God] comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
2 Corinthians 1:4

4.  Senior-Level Leaders Who Want to Write a Book

“How do I turn my experience into a book that will benefit others?”

Many who enter the mature phase of their careers ask this question. I’ve worked with pastors, CEOs and other leadership coaches on crafting books filled with the wisdom of years spent on the front lines. Are you ready to turn your life into a written legacy?

After writing five books of my own, starting a publishing imprint, and editing numerous manuscripts and blog posts, I know what it takes to move your book from concept to reality.

If you have a story, a collection of lessons, a knack for devotions, or have been working on a book of any kind, I’d love to explore a project with you.

My own first two books were published by B&H in Nashville. My next three were through DeepWater Books, an imprint I started. Since then, I’ve worked with dozens of authors on all aspects of the publishing process for their own books, from concept to editing to finished product.

Calling on my background in building content platforms and growing audiences, I particularly enjoy strategizing an author’s overall writing ministry. Whether it’s a podcast, a blog, social media, video courses, or a platform of your own, we’ll consider all those options and more.

To give you an idea of what I’ve written, here’s my Amazon author page. Below is a sampling of my book coaching rates:

Manuscript Assessment: $1,000–2,000
Developmental Book Coaching: $3,000–4,000
Executive or Pastor Book Coaching (3–6 months): $5,000–7,500
Complete Publishing Package (to finished product): $20,000–25,000

What others are saying.

“I highly recommend Tom Harper’s coaching to Christian leaders who want trusted, biblically grounded guidance from someone who understands both the calling and the challenges of leadership.”

Thom S. Rainer, Founder and CEO, Church Answers

“Tom brings the rare combination of hard-earned wisdom and a genuine pastor’s heart. I trust him with leaders I care about.”

Kyle Idleman, Bestselling author and senior pastor of Southeast Christian Church

“When Tom helps a client, he not only brings a wealth of experience, compassion, and skill to the table, but wisdom.”

Richard Blackaby, President of Blackaby Ministries International and author of over 40 books

“One of the best things we can do as Christian leaders is seek wisdom, understanding and sound judgment. I can’t think of a better coach to help do that than Tom.”

Todd Hopkins, Founder & CEO, Strategic Thinking Network

My Books

Inner Threat:  Combatting Christian Leadership’s Natural Enemy

A gripping novel about a new CEO whose first week in the job spirals into scandal — a story about the enemy leaders wrestle with from the inside.

Servant Leader Strong:  Uniting Biblical Wisdom and High-Performance Leadership

Three years of digging through Scripture, distilled into a biblical playbook for leading with both strength and humility.

Through Colored Glasses: How Great Leaders Reveal Reality – A Biblical Leadership Fable

A quick-read leadership fable about a CEO who can’t see his own motives — and the reckoning that finally forces him to.

Leading from the Lions’ Den: Leadership Principles from Every Book of the Bible

One surprising leadership principle drawn from every single book of the Bible — 66 chapters, 66 lessons.

My Recent Devotions

My availability & coaching rates.

I intentionally limit how many clients I take on so each person gets real attention, and currently have a few spots open. If it makes sense to work together, we’ll build a customized strategy to help you meet your goals. Once we get going, we’ll talk once or twice a month with a concurrent email dialogue. These engagements usually run a minimum of 4–6 months, with a monthly fee of $2,000–3,500.

Ready to talk?

Tell me what’s going on, and let’s find out together if coaching is the right next step.
From there, I’ll give you a clear picture of the monthly investment (fees range from $2,000–3,500/month for two calls and unlimited email support, with discounts available for ministry and nonprofit leaders.)

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