I remember the first time I felt free as a leader. I had been hired to take a project from a concept/proposal to full implementation. The person who had written the proposal fully trusted me to implement based on my expertise. I had never felt so creative in my career! It was wonderful and overwhelming at the same time.
Juneteenth was a moment in history where folks also likely felt conflicted. Can you imagine being ecstatic to be free from enslavement while also being overwhelmed about learning how to navigate the world on your own? Or being joyful about the end of slavery but enraged that the news had not been shared with you for two whole years? Still, from early on after enslaved folks in Texas learned of their freedom, they established Juneteenth celebrations, including buying the historic Emancipation Park. In the spirit of Juneteenth and our collective freedom, this post shows what Emancipation Park, a living symbol of freedom, offers us today.
1. The Myth of “Ready” Leadership
Myth to Bust: Good leaders wait until they’re completely prepared
Our ancestors show us that we don’t have to wait for permission or the perfect conditions to lead. The leaders who bought the Emancipation Park pooled their resources to make the purchase. No one person or family could afford to buy the land on their own. Can’t you see the Black women cooking food or knitting items to sell to help raise the funds? From Mama Sojourner to Mama Coretta Scott King, we have consistently seen ancestors show us what it means to lead in even the most impossible circumstances. When we wait for this idea of ‘readiness’ it can keep us playing and leading small. Self-doubt and negative self-talk because of imposter syndrome are examples of how this plays out for many of the Black women I work with.
What is one area of your leadership that you’ve been holding back because you don’t feel ready? Is there one step you can take to move forward in that area this week?
2. The Freedom to Fail Forward
Myth to Bust: Strong leaders never show uncertainty
It took more than 150 years for Juneteenth to gain global recognition. Even here in Texas our celebrations have ebbed and flowed. Emancipation Park, though purchased by Black folks, hasn’t always had the capital needed to be the home of Juneteenth celebrations. Those years where there weren’t enough resources to maintain the park or expand the vision were long and hard. At times, there was critique and criticism of the leadership of the Park. But still, the Park remained. In 2017, the Park was rededicated after several capital investments brought to life a reimagined vision. Today, the Park has a beautiful campus that operates year round offering programming in a historic Black community and welcomes people from across the world.
Who has invested in your leadership during a time of difficulty? How did this investment help you ‘fail forward’ toward where you are aspired to be in your leadership?
3. Leading Through Complexity
Myth to Bust: Good leaders have all the answers
In 2021, when Juneteenth became a federal holiday in the U.S., we were in the midst of a significant, though short-lived, racial reckoning. Today, in 2025, the current leader of the country is already insinuating that he’s ready to take that federal holiday away. As the U.S. continues to debate the need for equity, inclusion and belonging in the public sphere, Black folks remain focused on leading through uncertainty. We don’t know what will come but we know the work must get done. Staying focused on our goals, our strategic plans, and on our communities despite all the difficulties swirling around us is a superpower we inherited. We hold the complexities of joy, anger, uncertainty, and resolve like our ancestors before us.
How do you show up as a leader during times of uncertainty in your organization and/or the world? In what ways do you show your team and community that they can count on you to keep them moving forward?
4. Community Over Perfection
Myth to Bust: Leadership is about individual excellence
In the U.S. we celebrate individual accomplishments almost at the expense of collective wins. In many organizations, individuals will be acknowledged for how they’re perceived or how well they’re liked at the expense of the team that was needed to fully execute the work. No one person can save a project, family, or community on their own. Even if one person had an outsized influence, it is rare to say that only one person did everything. Community and collective efforts are messy. They come with challenges both interpersonal and systemic. When we can decenter individual excellence in service to the work of the group, so much more is possible. More ways of seeing and being. More hands and feet to do the work. Emancipation Park would not exist without the collective. Even if one family gave or raised more money than the others, the story that we tell here in Houston is that these four came together to purchase the park. It’s a significant reframe to think about leadership as how well we’re able to bring people together for a common purpose or goal.
In what ways can you prioritize collective progress over individual perfection? How can you normalize community and the messiness that comes with coming together?
5. The Radical Act of Rest
Myth to Bust: Strong leaders never stop, never slow down
Burnout and overwhelm are so common today we have books and workshops to help our teams recover from the work cultures we’ve created. Often, I have clients say they’re in five or more back to back meetings a day. No lunch breaks, barely taking breaks to use the restroom. Logging into work after a long commute home and tending to their households. This way of working is one of the most negative things to come out of the global pandemic of 2020. Freedom, or emancipation, is something that the Park symbolizes for us all. We know that freedom ain’t free, so there is often a cost to our liberty. The truth is that having boundaries around work and capacity is dangerous for many. Boundaries have been weaponized against clients who were subsequently skipped over for promotions because they were no longer seen as being ‘all in’ (which was code for working late nights and on weekends). This is why Ancestor Audre Lorde said that rest is an act of political warfare. If necessary, we have to be willing to fight and sacrifice to get it.
What commitments can you make to increase your ‘rest’ at work?
- [ ] Add at least 15 minute buffers between meetings
- [ ] Take a daily non-working lunch break
- [ ] Limit after hours work to emergencies only (i.e. loss of money, life, health, housing)
- [ ] Give feedback and offer solutions to supervisor about the work culture
What can slowing down to rest open up for you? For others on your team/in your community/in your family?
Conclusion: A Juneteenth Leadership Declaration
I believe that today, freedom in leadership for Black women looks like healthy boundaries, collective care, and unspeakable joy. Yes, we will continue to show up during times of uncertainty and challenge, but we will do so while centering our humanity and wellbeing. Never forget that our ancestors claimed their freedom through collective action, well before they were ‘established’ or respected outside of their community. They stepped forward with boldness to create what our community needed to remind us of who we are and what we can accomplish. It’s my hope that every client and reader will be free to lead with the same clarity of purpose.
Ready to embrace your own leadership freedom? Download the #LeadFree Leadership Guide to start dispelling myths that are holding you back.
Want to go deeper? Join us for our June 27 Quarterly Review where we’ll focus on leadership freedom – reflecting on where you’ve been playing it too safe and creating space for more authentic leadership. If your household has been impacted by the nationwide layoffs of 2025, reach out to receive a special code to attend for free.
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