The Souls of Queer Folk: How LGBTQ+ Experiences Can Reshape Leadership. This was originally recorded on 21 January 25, prior to President Trump signing two anti-DEI executive orders.
In this episode Judith Germain speaks to Dr Joel Davis Brown about LGBTQ+ leadership and his book “The Souls of Queer Folk”. They discuss the challenges around intersectionality and how different identity groups are often viewed and treated in the UK versus the US. They explore how the LGBTQ+ community has navigated these issues and the importance of honouring diverse perspectives.
You can listen to Episode 467 on any of the popular podcast platforms or apps (including Spotify, and Audible). If you prefer to listen to your browser you can do that below. Enjoy!
Key Takeaways
- LGBTQ+ wisdom and experiences offer valuable leadership lessons applicable to all
- Transformational leadership requires internal self-examination and growth to create positive external change
- Diversity of thought and lived experiences strengthens teams and organisations
- Attempts to erase or suppress LGBTQ+ identities are harmful and limit societal progress
Topics
LGBTQ+ Leadership Insights
- LGBTQ+ people have developed resilience and wisdom from navigating uncertain, complex environments
- Coming out process builds self-awareness skills applicable to authentic leadership
- Queer communities have created chosen families and support systems, modeling innovative community-building
- LGBTQ+ leaders have driven positive neighbourhood/urban revitalisation (e.g. South Beach in 1980s)
Transformational Leadership
- Focuses on positively transforming both the individual and environment
- Requires leaders to examine and transform themselves internally
- Contrasts with transactional leadership focused only on external outcomes
- LGBTQ+ experiences of self-discovery and authenticity align with transformational approach
Diversity and Inclusion Challenges
- Some U.S. states (e.g. Florida) banning LGBTQ+ content in schools
- Erasure of LGBTQ+ identities is a form of oppression and “death” of self
- Intersectionality often poorly understood, especially in UK context
- Stereotyping/tokenising of minority groups limits their full contributions
Global Citizenship and Leadership
- Leadership should be “decolonised” from purely business/corporate contexts
- Global awareness and humility needed to learn from diverse perspectives
- LGBTQ+ community spans all countries, races, ethnicities – offers global insights
In this conversation Joel explains how the LGBTQ+ community’s experiences with navigating adversity and uncertainty, have cultivated valuable leadership skills and insights that can benefit all of society. He discusses how LGBTQ+ people have transformed communities and how their wisdom and resilience offer important lessons in transformational leadership.
Dr Joel Davis Brown is a top corporate diversity and inclusion expert who holds a BA in political science and a JD from the University of Virginia Law School and has worked with leading organisations across six continents. This includes Apple, Charles Schwab, General Mills and many more.
Dr Joel Davis Brown can be found on LinkedIn here. His website is here.
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