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Many organizations believe they have a “good” internship program. Interns are placed. Tasks are assigned. Hours are completed. On the surface, everything appears to be working. But here’s the real question: Is your internship program actually developing talent—or just managing it? Because those are not the same thing. The Hidden Gap in Internship Programs […]
Internship programs are often treated as add-ons. But when designed intentionally, they become powerful engines for workforce development, leadership cultivation, and long-term organizational growth. The problem? Many organizations scale interns before they scale structure. The Result of Scaling Without Structure Adding more interns without strengthening supervision systems, learning outcomes, documentation processes, and university partnerships […]
In 2014, I began a simple practice that became one of the most consistent rituals in my leadership journey. Each month, I shared three words – a short mantra to guide reflection, intention, and focus. Not long essays. Not complicated frameworks. Just three words. And somehow, that simplicity became powerful. Over time, it created […]
April is a significant month for me. Because where others see separate observances…I see a leadership pipeline. April is: National Internship Awareness Month• Stress Awareness Month• Financial Literacy Month And at the intersection of all three is a conversation we are not having enough in leadership spaces. As a social work leader who has supervised […]
People ask me why I named my framework S.O.F.T. Leadership™. Because “soft” isn’t what the world taught me to be. As an eldest daughter… The reliable one. The dependable one. As a social worker… Who experienced compassion fatigue and burnout. As a Black woman… Who inherited unfair societal limitations and cultural conditioning Softness didn’t feel […]
Sometimes the leader knows before the leader-in-the-making does. S.O.F.T. Leadership™ requires stewardship. Years ago, I hired a recent graduate for their first full-time role after completing an MPA. During the interview, they shared a bold goal: they wanted to help change the education system — including higher education. Their role included facilitating multiple weekly […]
Nonprofit leaders, We all understand that donors and foundations want to see where their money is going. And truthfully? When we accept funding, we accept a level of access. But access should never come at the cost of program disruption, interrogation, or client exploitation. S.O.F.T. Leadership ™ requires ethical leadership and that is something different. […]
March is Social Work Month and Women’s History Month. For most of my career, I focused on doing the work – not documenting it. I did my job well, because what else would I do? My work spoke for itself… just not always in rooms I wasn’t in. Over the years, I supervised diverse […]
As we close out Black History Month and near the start Women’s History Month and Social Work Month I’m reminded that I went into social work to become a leader and an entrepreneur. – Community Economic Development I went into social work to build and lead an intergenerational community connecting seniors and young people […]