The Leadership Drives Podcast

Sirena's journey to founding Roc the Peace is one of tremendous courage and turning tragedy into something meaningful. On the other hand, she was open about her leadership challenges: what does a leader do when the organization turns into something very different from their initial vision for it?#communityviolence #communityorganizations #urbancommunities

Sirena's journey to founding Roc the Peace is one of tremendous courage and turning tragedy into something meaningful. On the other hand, she was open about her leadership challenges: what does a leader do when the organization turns into something very different from their initial vision for it?
#communityviolence #communityorganizations #urbancommunities

Shemekka is a the kind of woman and professional who cannot be limited to one label or category. While she is an author, coach, speaker, and business owner with serious magnetism, her focus on and commitment to her business, clients, and community are laser sharp.#blackwomenentrepeneurs #racialjustice #ministry

Shemekka is a the kind of woman and professional who cannot be limited to one label or category. While she is an author, coach, speaker, and business owner with serious magnetism, her focus on and commitment to her business, clients, and community are laser sharp.
#blackwomenentrepeneurs #racialjustice #ministry

We work and live in a culture where the image of what it means to be a professional is often steeped in classism, formality, distant coldness, and hierarchical power dynamics. These expectations are even more strident if you are a mathematician! As Dr. Washington shares glimpses into her career and her leadership style with the Data Science Initiative, we can easily see that she is anything but formal and cold. Her humility, confidence and authenticity is a breath of fresh air among the many profiles of leadership.
#AllLeadershipIsPersonal

We work and live in a culture where the image of what it means to be a professional is often steeped in classism, formality, distant coldness, and hierarchical power dynamics. These expectations are even more strident if you are a mathematician! As Dr. Washington shares glimpses into her career and her leadership style with the Data Science Initiative, we can easily see that she is anything but formal and cold. Her humility, confidence and authenticity is a breath of fresh air among the many profiles of leadership.
#AllLeadershipIsPersonal

Can you be effective in a role and on a team, even if you don't think building relationships is a big deal? After all, you can do the actual job, right? While some leaders don't care as much about how you get the job done as long as you get it done: Kelly isn't that leader. She insists on building a team that is characterized as by respect, comradery, and strong connections.

Can you be effective in a role and on a team, even if you don't think building relationships is a big deal? After all, you can do the actual job, right? While some leaders don't care as much about how you get the job done as long as you get it done: Kelly isn't that leader. She insists on building a team that is characterized as by respect, comradery, and strong connections.

What do you do when your organization provides an incredibly important service, but your organization struggles to compete in the area of wages? One thing is for sure: you can't afford to let your leadership team leave figuring it out to HR! Shari shares with us how Jewish Home Life tackles this issue so that it can better serve its employees and the families that have come to rely on them.

What do you do when your organization provides an incredibly important service, but your organization struggles to compete in the area of wages? One thing is for sure: you can't afford to let your leadership team leave figuring it out to HR! Shari shares with us how Jewish Home Life tackles this issue so that it can better serve its employees and the families that have come to rely on them.

What is the last place you think of when you think of leadership? I bet cemeteries didn't even make the list! However, in a place Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta, the stakeholders demand great leadership, and their Executive Director, Richard Harker, delivers!. It is an active cemetery, a garden, a city park, and all in one and its eternal residents include people from all walks of life, from enslaved people, Margaret Mitchell, former Mayor Maynard Jackson, golf legend Bobby Jones, Morris Brown College Founder Wesley John Gaines, 6 Georgia governors and 25 other Atlanta mayors.

What is the last place you think of when you think of leadership? I bet cemeteries didn't even make the list! However, in a place Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta, the stakeholders demand great leadership, and their Executive Director, Richard Harker, delivers! It is an active cemetery, a garden, a city park, and all in one and its eternal residents include people from all walks of life, from enslaved people, Margaret Mitchell, former Mayor Maynard Jackson, golf legend Bobby Jones, Morris Brown College Founder Wesley John Gaines, 6 Georgia governors and 25 other Atlanta mayors.

When an organization has a large and powerful mission and a growing team that is located across an entire country, how does it achieve alignment and make sure everyone is on the same page? How does an organization prevent the rise of lone rangers who will pursue their own agendas at the expense of the organization? At the end of the series, I’ll share my thoughts. As you listen to the episode, take note of what these four leaders have in common! 

When an organization has a large and powerful mission and a growing team that is located across an entire country, how does it achieve alignment and make sure everyone is on the same page? How does an organization prevent the rise of lone rangers who will pursue their own agendas at the expense of the organization? At the end of the series, I’ll share my thoughts. As you listen to the episode, take note of what these four leaders have in common! 

While some women allow their fears and insecurities to discourage them from pursuing challenging roles, Dr. Laurel Harry did not and is Pennsylvania’s newest Secretary of Corrections. From her first position with the PA DOC to her current post, her career path demonstrates her commitment to people. She takes seriously her duty to improve the lives, outcomes, and experiences for the people under her charge, no matter which side of the wall they’re on.

While some women allow their fears and insecurities to discourage them from pursuing challenging roles, Dr. Laurel Harry did not and is Pennsylvania’s newest Secretary of Corrections. From her first position with the PA DOC to her current post, her career path demonstrates her commitment to people. She takes seriously her duty to improve the lives, outcomes, and experiences for the people under her charge, no matter which side of the wall they’re on.

Can you imagine what you would be like if you’d spent the last 40 years of your life and career as a jail warden? What about being a female warden for 40 years in a very Republican town when you’re a liberal in a very liberal state? You probably can’t imagine, and neither could we! After spending a little over a year as a retiree, Sandy Mueller, invited us into her home to share how she went from studying psychology and dance in college and wound up working her way into the warden’s office. Simultaneously, she is everything you expect and everything you don’t: candid, politically savvy, confident, and a proud potty mouth.

Can you imagine what you would be like if you’d spent the last 40 years of your life and career as a jail warden? What about being a female warden for 40 years in a very Republican town when you’re a liberal in a very liberal state? You probably can’t imagine, and neither could we! After spending a little over a year as a retiree, Sandy Mueller, invited us into her home to share how she went from studying psychology and dance in college and wound up working her way into the warden’s office. Simultaneously, she is everything you expect and everything you don’t: candid, politically savvy, confident, and a proud potty mouth.

If you were blindfolded and eavesdropping on a conversation among a jail warden, a social worker, and a chaplain, do you think you could tell which speaker was the jail warden? If Warden Karen Taylor was one of the speakers, I don’t think you could. Warden Taylor is a career corrections professional with more than 26 years of experience, and she is focused on corrections rather than punishment. Her efforts to address the root causes of recidivism has set her on a path to figuring out how to make sure that people who are jailed in her county get what they need so that they don’t come back. As you listen to this leadership drive, you’ll hear why leaders from the Biden Administration and White House wanted to know so badly what she’s doing and how that they paid her a visit.  

If you were blindfolded and eavesdropping on a conversation among a jail warden, a social worker, and a chaplain, do you think you could tell which speaker was the jail warden? If Warden Karen Taylor was one of the speakers, I don’t think you could. Warden Taylor is a career corrections professional with more than 26 years of experience, and she is focused on corrections rather than punishment. Her efforts to address the root causes of recidivism has set her on a path to figuring out how to make sure that people who are jailed in her county get what they need so that they don’t come back. As you listen to this leadership drive, you’ll hear why leaders from the Biden Administration and White House wanted to know so badly what she’s doing and how she's doing it that they paid her a visit.   

When you think about the people who are leaders in law enforcement and correctional institutions, is love the first thing that comes to mind? If you answered no, you would not be alone! Nevertheless, it is through the lens of love and compassion that Cyn Link viewed her work. Over the course of a career spanning more than 25 years, going from corrections officer to superintendent, she came to believe the human connection with their people is a leader’s core obligation and perhaps the foundation of their legacy. As you listen to this leadership drive, consider whether you think it is possible to effectively lead people without love.

Would churches be better managed if pastors saw themselves as CEOs running businesses? How would churches be different if the members debated and chose specific values instead of simply agreeing to the broad language of their doctrine or denomination? Well, Rev. Dr. Hunt does see himself as a CEO of a medium-sized business and he has pushed his Baltimore congregation to adopt specific values. As you listen to how he leads his church and the results that he’s gotten, consider whether you think such structure is appropriate for a religious institution. 

When you think about urban centers and images of violence that are often used to describe those communities, do you ever wonder, “Why are they harming each other? Why do those communities struggle so much?” Frankly, if you’ve never asked the question, you are odd person out!  Dr. Nadine Finigan Carr has taken questions like these to heart and has dedicated her career to understanding the causes of and remedies for violence in urban communities.  She is lending her expertise to the City of Baltimore as the University of Maryland at B’more’s inaugural director of the Center for Violence Prevention. 

How many people begin their careers set on a particular direction and ultimately pivot because their soul finds its sweet spot? How many people do you know who accept that moving across the country, multiple times, is the only way they’re going to get to do the work that they really want to do? Mark has crisscrossed the country in pursuit of personal and professional happiness and has landed in the role that he’s spent the last decade positioning himself for. As you reflect on your career and other weighty decisions you’ve made, are you clear about what you want and what is driving you? Are you willing to pivot to get to your sweet spot?

Marcus Allen, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Independence Region located in Center City Philadelphia shared his journey with us! As he has grown, so has the organization. Could it be that the more self-aware a leader is, the more successful their team is? Moreover, Marcus’ transparency about how he manages his board and internal operations gives valuable insights into how a leader must balance charisma, strategy, and authority so that their teams actually gets to do the work of advancing the mission of their organization. 

Have you ever wondered, "What would our organizations be like if leaders lived their values even when they knew their perspective was unpopular and might come at a cost?" In a world where many people are worried about cancel culture, the Rt Rev Dr. Shannon-MacVean Brown is a remarkable in her boldness about how she sees herself, what God has called her to do and what it means for her to lead the Episcopal Church of Vermont as a Black woman. As you listen, can you imagine what our organizations would be like if there were more leaders like the Rt Rev Dr. Bishop?

What does the leader of the organization do when feelings of overwhelm begin setting in? If you don't know, you might want to ask Christine Lloyd-Newberry. When many leaders are sheepishly asking, "How many pieces are in the box?", Christine is excited about the puzzle-making of being executive director. She is passionate about the work and honest about the challenges she faces. Her story is a gift to the leader who feels like they are expected to promise the world and build Rome in a day.

How do you balance being inclusive and also believing everything isn’t for everybody? Can you be part of an organization that focuses on the needs on a particular group and be a part of a group that aims to meet the needs of everybody without betraying either group or hypocrisy? LaNeshe Miller-White shares with us how she does just that as she leads Theater in the X, a Philadelphia Theater Company, that centers the Black experience while she also leads Theater Philadelphia, a regional organization whose mission is to support all theater groups. Can you own your values as clearly as LaNeshe has owned hers?

Can you have a healthy relationship (whether as a family member, romantic partnership, a coworker, or just a friendship), with someone who uses drugs? I used to answer this question with my personal/family experiences front and center in my mind. After my interview with Carla, I still do; however, my perspective has changed.  Can Carla change your mind?

Carla Sofronski, Co-founder, Pennsylvania Harm Reduction Network - 

What makes a professional woman who is a wife, mother, and career social worker walk away from every aspect of her life, except her children, to start over? What makes such a woman a highly sought after therapist for men?  Dr. Alonda Alloway did just and is just that!  She gives us a glimpse into the work she put in to take her life and career off the

path that everybody else thought she should be on in order to be true to who she is and always has been.  Do you have the courage to be who you are and accept the challenges and risks that come along with you?  Is the work toward peace of mind worth disrupting the ease of monotony?

How much longer will you walk down the path that isn't making you happy before you decide to do something different and take control of your life? Michelle and Kenya give us a taste of the labor and emotional work it takes to reorient their lives so that they can spend more and more of their time on what matters to them. Are you willing to devise a plan to get to peace and happiness, even if it requires work?

Where's the beef? Robert Burns, the leader of one of the largest foundations in the US shares the connection between his work and growing up on a cattle farm in the south. Whether we realize it or not, what we believe about people and life in general shows up in how we live and live. If you look back over your life, can you clearly see how you became who you are?

Is perpetual resistance a sign that your vision won't come to pass or a test of your commitment? In the face of a daunting task, this soul easily answers the question, "Is it worth saving?"

Do you have what it takes to lead in the face of hostility, rejection, and limited resources? Do you know when to keep fighting and when to throw in the towel? One woman's conviction to do the work she's called to do, no matter what.

Just because you love what you do, it doesn't mean that work is a breeze: how one leader follows her passion, takes on its challenges, and avoids burnout.