Leadership Development

Is Your Internship Program Developing Talent or Just Managing It?

Leadership Development, Professional Development /

  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 […]

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The Return of “These 3 Words”: A S.O.F.T. Leadership™ Practice for 2026

Leadership Development, Personal Development /

  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

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Why Is It Called S.O.F.T. Leadership™?

Leadership Development, Social Work /

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

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Black History Month: 28 Black Inventors Who Shaped the Modern World

Leadership Development /

  Innovation as S.O.F.T. Leadership™ in Action Black History isn’t just American history; Black History is innovation history. The infrastructure of modern life — transportation systems, medical advancements, communication technology, public safety, agriculture, and global computing — exists because Black innovators identified problems others overlooked and created solutions the world now depends on. Traffic signals.

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From Self-Love to Sustainable Succcess: Embodying the S.O.F.T. Leadership™ Way

Leadership Development, Personal Development /

  Self-love in leadership isn’t a feeling — it’s a practice. And in the context of S.O.F.T. Leadership™, it becomes the foundation for sustainable success, not just temporary relief.  Why Self-Love Is a Leadership Competency We’ve spent decades learning that leadership is measured by output — hours logged, results delivered, battles survived. But what if

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Self-Love, S.O.F.T. Leadership™, and Sustainable Success

Leadership Development /

  February is often framed as a month of love— but rarely the kind women in leadership are taught to practice with themselves.   For high-performing leaders, especially Women of Color, self-love has been mischaracterized as indulgence instead of infrastructure.   But under S.O.F.T. Leadership™, self-love is essential. It is wise. It is protective. It

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From Survival Mode to Sovereign Mode: A S.O.F.T. Leadership™ Shift

Leadership Development /

  For years, leadership conversations have framed growth as a move from surviving to thriving. While well‑intentioned, that framing often misses what high‑performing leaders are actually navigating. Many leaders are not struggling because they lack resilience, motivation, or skill. They are navigating success that has been shaped by survival mode—a way of leading that prioritizes

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Sesame Street as a Blueprint for S.O.F.T. Leadership™

Leadership Development /

  When I teach and talk about S.O.F.T. Leadership™, I’m not asking leaders to abandon rigor, results, or responsibility. I’m asking them to return to what actually works. Here’s how Sesame Street mirrors my S.O.F.T. framework: Strategy: Asking Before Acting On Sesame Street, understanding always comes before instruction. That’s Strategy in S.O.F.T. Leadership™—leading with curiosity

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