{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"078: L. Michelle Smith on Leadership, the Black Church, and Thriving in Your Magical Middle","description":"On this episode of Gen X Amplified, I am joined by bestselling, award-winning author, Fortune 100 C-Suite advisor, and certified global executive coach, L. Michelle Smith. L. Michelle is the founder and CEO of no silos communications and the creator and host of The Culture Soup Podcast\u00ae, heard in over 70 countries. She has spent over 25 years helping leaders do the deep, transformational work that moves the needle \u2014 making VP before 30 and SVP before 40. She is also the author of the powerful and timely new book \u201cCall & Response: 10 Leadership Lessons from the Black Church,\u201d published by Amistad\/HarperCollins in collaboration with JVL Media \u2014 the company co-founded by Academy Award and EGOT-winning actress Viola Davis, Julius Tennon, and Lavaille Lavette. In this episode, L. Michelle and I discuss: L. Michelle\u2019s remarkable professional journey \u2014 from making VP before 30 and SVP before 40, to running her own agency for nearly a decade, to becoming one of the most sought-after leadership strategists and executive coaches in the country The two pivotal moments that sparked the book \u2014 including a stunning black-and-white photograph handed to her by her mother on the eve of Thanksgiving, and a question asked after a keynote that garnered 25 million social media impressions The Call & Response Leadership Revival Framework \u2014 built on three pillars: history and culture, applied science, and leadership theory \u2014 and how those three work together Why this is emphatically NOT a faith-based leadership book \u2014 and why that distinction matters deeply The ten leadership lessons spanning three domains \u2014 Self, Relationships, and Impact \u2014 and how each one is anchored in neuroscience and positive psychology The central tension of the book: can the Black Church still sustain the leadership pipeline it once produced? How the book speaks directly to mid-career professionals navigating what I call the \u201cMagical Middle\u201d \u2014 and which leadership lesson they most often overlook And so much more!   L. Michelle\u2019s Personal Theme Song \u201cMama Said Knock You Out\u201d by LL Cool J Resources L. Michelle Smith\u2019s Website\/Book Hub About L. Michelle Smith L. Michelle Smith is a bestselling, award-winning author, Fortune 100 C-Suite advisor, and certified global executive coach who operates at the apex of science, culture, and heart-centered leadership. She is the founder and CEO of no silos communications llc, a media and consulting company that develops high-performing executive leaders, with a specialty in women and women of color. Positive psychology and neuroscience-informed, and credentialed by the International Coaching Federation, she runs an international coaching and consulting practice where she works with professionals and organizations to create learning and coaching experiences that inspire exceptional lives and leadership. She has more than 25 years as an award-winning strategic communicator, making VP before the age of 30 and SVP before 40. She ran her own agency for nearly a decade, serving clients from Fortune 500 companies across industries. She is the creator, executive producer, and host of The Culture Soup Podcast\u00ae, heard in 70+ countries, which debuted at #6 on Apple Podcasts in a business category. Her second show, Her Next Power Move, delivers evidence-based leadership insights on Substack. Her new book, Call & Response: 10 Leadership Lessons from the Black Church (Amistad\/HarperCollins, in collaboration with JVL Media), is already a bestseller \u2014 and one of the most important leadership books of the year.   Thank you for listening! Thank you so very much for listening to the podcast. There are so many other shows out there, so the fact that you took the time to listen in really means a lot! ","author_name":"Gen X Amplified with Adrion Porter","author_url":"http:\/\/genxamplified.com","html":"