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Kelli King-Jackson, ACC

Coaching for Black women leading in white spaces.

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Home » Blog

Blog

Freedom in Leadership

June 21, 2024

Thanks to my colleague, Jumi Falusi Samen for sharing the questions below. They inspired me to write my thoughts on Freedom Day and what freedom means to me as a Black woman in leadership.

1. Who are the [leaders] that embody values of justice, liberation and joy? What in their stories inspires the leadership legacy I strive to live and to leave?

The leaders who come immediately to mind are people like Desiree Adaway, Joy-Ann Reid, and my 94.5-year-old grandma. Desiree has led the way on equity and justice work. Joy-Ann has navigated the highs and lows of a mainstream career and remained authentically herself. My grandmother was raised in a small town in Livingston Parish, Louisiana, and moved north to Seattle with her seven daughters when my mom was 11 years old. These three women all embody some of what I deeply admire about being free Black women.

2. What are the connections between Black emancipation and my own freedom as a leader?

My great-grandparents were born in Orange, Texas in 1898. Orange is about two hours east of my home in Houston. I think a lot about their migration journey and mine as I research our family genealogy. My great-grandparents were religious leaders in partnership with ‘white saints’ in the South at a time when that wasn’t popular. I think of the courage it must have taken to establish and run their church during that time in that place. They were clear in their purpose and did not fear convention. That’s freedom.

My great grandparents’ leadership reminds me that coming from families of formerly enslaved parents, freedom was fresh. New. They didn’t take that freedom for granted and chose to push it to the limits of what was possible in that day and age. 

3. How am I choosing (now and in the future) to cultivate justice, liberation, and joy for Black people across my relationships, philanthropy and work?

One thing I’ve been striving for is more joy in my relationships. Not just checking in with my partner about bills or kids or whatever. But how is he doing? What is he excited about? What does he want to explore? That‘s new for me. Cultivation requires tending. Intentionality. I want to be free to be curious in all things. This means trying new things for our quarterly trips and reconnecting around things we both enjoy.

At work cultivating justice, liberation, and joy looks like not just following culture, but also being brave enough to set it when the culture is not working for my team. Checking in with my folks by giving regular feedback and asking for it too. With my philanthropy, I’ve been trying to be mindful about giving locally, donating time according to my skills and interests, and also sharing information about the organizations I support with my professional network. 

Recommitting to Our Leadership

May 15, 2024

In a recent LinkedIn post, I shared some questions I encourage leaders to ask themselves when recommitting to their leadership. Let’s explore them a bit more here.

  1. What needs to be renewed in you for your leadership to thrive?
    Think about what feels stale in your leadership. Are you burned out from too many commitments? Do you lack excitement for your current role? Is the state of the world or your personal life seeping into how you’re showing up as a team member or supervisor?

    People watch leaders. When your energy is low or distracted, your team will follow. If you can, reset by taking a mental health day or going on vacation. If that’s not available to you, consider a personal leadership retreat AKA go on a date with your leadership. Take your favorite journal, book, or podcast and go somewhere new (to you). Spend time remembering how you want to feel as a leader. What excites you about leading, and how can you get more of that in your weeks/days? Send a message to someone who’s team YOU, and ask them for time connect. When you meet, let them know where you’re struggling and ask them for support in a specific area or way. You don’t have to get back on track alone. Let your people show up for you.
  2. What is one thing you can do to recharge your ‘why’ for your leadership?
    I’m going to make this one simple. Each Sunday evening/Monday morning, plan a 30-minute meeting with YOSELF to map out your week. Start that session by writing out your why. This might be reading your word or mantra of the year or looking at your vision board. If you don’t have those, stop and pick a song or reading that represents who you want to be as a leader. On Friday afternoon, spend 15 minutes jotting down the highlights of your week and your lists of things for the next week. If nothing on your list is connected to your why, this ain’t the list! Having a weekly practice of connecting to your why keeps it charged, keeping it alive throughout the year.
  3. How can you refocus your attention toward your leadership goals?
    If your days have been overtaken by ineffective or outside-of-your-scope meetings, it’s time to stop the madness. First, assess why you received the invitation. Did your supervisor need you there to fill in for them? Does your direct report need feedback or encouragement? If you can get to the root of how you got invited, you can hopefully untangle yourself from future attendance.

    I know, some of y’all are in work cultures that value meetings over actual work. Even though it may feel pointless, push against the culture if you can do so safely. When you’re meeting with the person who needs to buy into you no longer attending a meeting, bring some solutions. Here are a few that might help:
    • “Can I send my Otter and then schedule a 15-minute download meeting with you?”
    • “JaNay Dones would be a great person to attend this meeting in my place; it’s a growth opportunity for them, and they are eager to learn this content area. I’ll book a time to get them caught up to speed.”
    • “This meeting is all report-outs and no action. I can help restructure the meeting and facilitate the first few to get us started. I recommend we send the reports out a day ahead and use the meeting time for strategy and decision-making. I can draft an agenda and send it to you for review before we roll out the new format to the team.”

I hope these three questions, and the examples offer practical ideas of where and how to start recommitting to your leadership. If you try one, let me know how it goes!

Black at Work: How Black Men Show Up for Black Women in Leadership

April 19, 2024

“A truth unsaid can still be felt.

What needs to be discussed, but hasn’t been said yet?

Clear the air.”

James Clear

I have rarely felt supported by Black men in my leadership. I’ve never written or talked about this publicly but it’s my truth. I’ve had Black men walk away from work II was leading without a word of feedback or complaint. I’ve supervised Black men who refused to follow my lead. I’ve received silence when celebrated by others for good work. It’s not that I haven’t had these experiences with Black women leaders; it’s been rare. In my experience, Black women have championed me. Openly told me they wanted me to win. Pulled me to the side to give me correction and feedback.

As a leader, I’ve felt deeply held by Black women.

Recently, other Black women have shared that they too are having difficult leadership experiences with Black men.

Let’s be clear. Black women don’t want special treatment. They want to be acknowledged for the value they bring to the teams they work on and lead. They want to bring fresh ideas and not keep the same stale leadership and management norms in place. They don’t want to find out that their male counterpart is making thousands more than them while doing less work. They don’t want to be scolded or iced out when they don’t co-sign toxic bro behavior from their Black male colleagues. To not have Black men see and value what Black women bring to the table is a disappointment that hits different.

“We need the Black men in our leadership circles to unpack how misogyny shows up in their leadership.”

We need the Black men in our circles to unpack how misogyny shows up in their leadership written in black text on a red and white background.

I admit that I’ve felt frustrated and have avoided talking about this with the Black men in my circle.  Then, I received an email from a Black man I barely know.  He’s been doing some internal work thanks to the leadership of Dr. Yanique Redwood.  Dr. Yanique is the author of “White Women Cry and Call Me Angry,” a book chronicling her experiences as a Black woman leading in white spaces.  One of the by-products of her book is a convening for Black men, facilitated by her husband.  (You see that?!  This Black woman has a supportive partner helping other Black men show up for Black women.)  The email I received asked me a series of questions that can be summed up as “do you have feedback for me about how I show up for Black women.”  I didn’t know how I wanted to respond until I sat down to write this post. 

Instead of spewing off a bunch of assumptions, I want to counter the inquiry with a series of reflection questions.  As a coach, I deeply believe that the answers we’re looking for are inside of us.  So, I hope my questions below invite Black men who read them to do their work to find the answers.  I hope they’ll consider these questions as they lead with Black women on their teams, in collaborations, and in their lives.  If they do, I believe Black men and women can co-create the organizational cultures and leadership teams necessary for the future. 

Reflection Questions

  • Do you have a partner at home holding the family down while expecting the Black women on your team to work long, unreasonable hours?
  • Are you paying the men on your team more money, even if the Black women have more education, experience, and outcomes?
  • When was the last time you sponsored a Black woman by saying her name at a networking or visibility opportunity she doesn’t have access to? Or extended/requested she receive an invitation to the opportunity?
  • Do you have a bias toward team members who emulate the leadership status quo in your organization?
  • Do you amplify the leadership of Black women who are excelling?
  • What, if anything, about the leadership of Black women (presence, approach, etc.) triggers you?
  • Are you uncomfortable with Black women having more power than you? Being more educated than you? Making more money than you?
  • Do you believe that Black women get special treatment? If so, does that belief impact your professional relationship with Black women in leadership?
  • Have you nominated a Black woman for an award?
  • Have you checked to make sure the Black women on your team know the promotion pathways in your organization?
  • How often has your feedback to Black women included mention of tone or attire? Tangible examples of their work performance?
  • Do you harm Black women by allowing company policies to be undermined by failing to address negative workplace practices?
  • How can you show solidarity for Black women in leadership?

I hope these questions provoke insight for the Black men who read it.  If it does, let me know in the comments below.

For the Black women who resonate with this post, I’m curious: what would repair look like? How can Black men you work with show that they value your leadership?

Historically Courageous Leaders: Black Women Leading the Way Then and Now

March 20, 2024

Black women are historically courageous leaders whose journeys make the way for us all to thrive. Our courage is not rooted in exceptionalism but in the ancestral wisdom that lives within us. The experiences of our foremothers lives in us and helps us to find ways to survive the most unjust conditions and systems.  

The fact that the journey of Black women as leaders is intertwined with the struggles for freedom and justice should not be forgotten. From the abolitionist movements led by women like Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth to the Civil Rights era propelled by figures like Claudette Colvin and Coretta Scott King, to contemporary leaders like Monica Roberts and Kimberle Crenshaw, Black women have been at the forefront of social change, often risking their lives to fight for the rights of their communities. 

In today’s workplaces, the legacy of Black women’s courage continues to reverberate. As Black women, we face challenges in and outside the workplace because folks don’t see us for who we truly are, or they don’t give us the respect we deserve. But that doesn’t stop us. Despite facing systemic barriers and pervasive discrimination, Black women persist as leaders, innovators, and change-makers. We keep on pushing forward, bringing our unique perspectives and talents to the table.

We lead with courage knowing that the struggles we experience as leaders are not badges of honor. 

Being courageous includes carving out the time to tend to ourselves. That’s why in my work with clients I emphasize that there is honor and strength in rest. There is honor and strength in slowing down. There is honor and strength in heading to the yellow light so we can sit down and just be.

As we reflect on the historic courage of Black women leaders, it’s essential to recognize that our journey is ongoing. While progress has been made, systemic barriers and inequities persist, requiring continued courage and community to overcome. By honoring the legacy of historically courageous Black women and amplifying the experiences of their contemporaries, we can create workplaces and societies where all individuals, regardless of race or gender, can thrive and lead with courage.

Courage knows no bounds. As we navigate the challenges of today and shape the future of tomorrow, let us stand in solidarity, uplift one another, and continue the journey toward a more just and equitable world.

How have you shown courage recently?  

Edited by Chiugo Akujuobi

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