We are excited to share with you the next interview in our “Beyond the Page” series featuring Gloria Custodio.
What happens when racial and cultural differences show up in coaching relationships? Social leadership coach Gloria Custodio brings her multifaceted experience spanning law, business, education, and nonprofit leadership to tackle this critical question during a time of heightened political polarization.
Gloria introduces us to the powerful distinction between cultural competence and cultural humility. While competence suggests mastery—a checkbox approach to understanding differences—humility embraces ongoing curiosity about both our own and others’ identities. This approach perfectly aligns with coaching’s foundation of openness, wonder, and comfort with not knowing. As Gloria explains, cultural humility creates not just safe spaces but brave spaces where authentic exploration thrives.
The conversation takes a fascinating turn when Gloria shares her personal journey using loving-kindness meditation to transform her reactions to politically charged symbols in her community. Rather than avoiding or condemning those with different views, she cultivated genuine curiosity about what their perspectives meant to them. This inner work enabled her to hold space for clients navigating political polarization without being overtaken by her own reactions—a skill increasingly essential for coaches today.
Perhaps most practical is Gloria’s approach to identity-informed coaching. She suggests asking open-ended questions like “How does your identity play into this?” rather than making assumptions about which clients have “culture” worth exploring. This gives clients autonomy to bring forward whatever aspects of their identity feel most relevant in the moment, whether racial, gender, cultural, or religious. Coaches are encouraged to show themselves the same grace they extend to clients when navigating these sometimes uncomfortable conversations.
Subscribe to Beyond the Page for more conversations that expand your coaching toolkit and challenge you to create more inclusive, effective coaching relationships. As Gloria reminds us: “Integrity in coaching means showing up authentically and being open to learning so every client feels seen, heard and valued.”
In this episode, I talk with Gloria about her article published in our June 2025 issue.
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