Executive Presence Without Compromise: How to Lead Authentically and Powerfully
I remember the first time I was told I needed to “check” my executive presence. I was the only Black man in the room. I was leading well, driving outcomes, and getting results. But after a high-stakes meeting, a senior executive pulled me aside and said, “You’re doing great, but… you could work on your […]
What Would You Do If You Had the Respect You Deserve at Work?
I once worked with a brilliant team leader—sharp, strategic, and deeply committed to her staff. She carried her department through a leadership vacuum, led key projects, and earned glowing reviews from her team. But when she spoke up in executive meetings? She was cut off.Dismissed.Told she was “too passionate.” Meanwhile, less experienced colleagues—mostly men—got handshakes […]
Three Leadership Types Who Need to Hear Me Speak: The Fixer, The Savior & The Commander:
Over the years, I’ve spoken to thousands of leaders—from Fortune 500 execs to frontline supervisors. And no matter the industry, I always seem to run into the same three types of leaders. They’re not evil. They’re not malicious. In fact, most of them mean well. But here’s the truth: Good intentions don’t equal great leadership. […]
Why Leading Through Uncertainty Begins with Your Story
The Ground Is Shifting—Are You Leading or Reacting? The past 12 months have rewritten the rules of business leadership. More than 260,000 federal employees have exited due to early retirement incentives, leaving critical gaps in agencies like the VA, CMS, and CDC. At the same time, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) has triggered […]
How to Build Events That Actually Change Culture
The Leadership Event Mistake That’s Keeping Your Culture Stuck How to build events that actually change culture, not just schedules Every leader wants to use their event to inspire change. You bring your teams together, invest in programming, and design an experience that feels energizing and engaging. But here’s the truth most organizations never admit: […]
The ROI of a Great Keynote: Why It’s More Than Applause
A powerful keynote doesn’t just inspire. It transforms your entire organization. Every executive wants their event to be memorable. You invest in the venue, the agenda, the entertainment, and the networking. But here’s the truth most leaders overlook: The biggest driver of event ROI isn’t your panelists.It’s not your swag bags.It’s not even your breakout […]
Boring Speakers Are Bad for Your Culture
The Risky Move No One on Your Planning Team Wants to Admit Boring keynote speakers are costing you more than you think After being a professional speaker for 20 years, here is what I know for a fact. Every meeting planner wants to create an unforgettable experience. You focus on the perfect venue, top-tier catering, […]
Leadership Burnout Is a Culture Issue—Not a Capacity Issue
This Isn’t About Working Too Hard. It’s About Working in the Wrong Environment. Let’s set the record straight: burnout isn’t a result of doing too much. It’s the byproduct of doing your best in a broken system. If you’re drained, disengaged, or doubting your future as a leader, it’s not your fault. And it’s not […]
Your Diversity Strategy Isn’t Broken. Your Leadership Is.
Let me say something that might make you uncomfortable:Diversity doesn’t fail.Leaders do. If you’ve ever said, “We tried a DEI strategy, but it didn’t work here,” chances are your strategy wasn’t the problem.The problem was the people responsible for making it stick. It’s Not About the Program. It’s About the People. You can hire a […]
Rank-and-Yank: Why Forced Ranking Is Fueling Your Turnover
Want to ruin collaboration, breed distrust, and send your top performers packing? Simple: force your employees into a ranking system, pit them against each other, and fire the “bottom” tier every year. That’s rank-and-yank—and it’s not leadership. It’s lazy management. Used by some of the biggest names in business during the ‘90s and early 2000s, this […]
