The Art of Authentic Leadership: What They Don't Tell Black & Brown Women
Live with THRIVE Podcast | Episode Show Notes
Featuring Special Guest: Dr. Natasha Turman, Leadership Scholar & Educator
Hey Sis,
Have you ever been told you're "standoffish" or "hard to read" at work—when really, you were just trying to figure out how much of yourself was safe to share?
Have you ever wondered why "being authentic" feels so much more complicated for you than it seems to be for everyone else?
If so, this episode is going to feel like a long exhale.
I sat down with my Spelman sister Dr. Natasha Turman—a scholar, educator, and leadership expert—to unpack what "authentic leadership" really means for Black and Brown women navigating spaces that weren't designed with us in mind. And let me tell you: this conversation changed how I think about my own leadership journey.
The Real Talk on Authentic Leadership
We hear "be your authentic self" all the time. It sounds simple. Empowering, even.
But here's what Dr. Turman's research reveals: the ability to show up as your full, unapologetic self in leadership is a privilege—one that's not equally afforded to everyone.
For Black and Brown women, authenticity in leadership isn't just about being genuine. It's about constantly calculating: How much of myself can I safely bring to this space? Will my leadership be received—or will it be filtered through stereotypes and assumptions about who I am?
"Context matters. How real and unapologetic I get to be depends on the space I'm operating in. That will determine whether I feel like I can bring my whole self and be received genuinely—or if it's going to be boxed into whatever stereotype and preconceived notions you have of who I am."
— Dr. Natasha Turman
Key Takeaways from This Episode
1. Code-Switching Is a Skill, Not a Weakness
For too long, code-switching has been framed as something negative—like you're being "fake" or losing yourself. Dr. Turman reframes it powerfully: code-switching is an asset, not a liability.
Your ability to read a room, understand your audience, and adjust how you show up? That's a leadership skill. It's strategic. It's protective. And it doesn't make you any less authentic.
"I am a boss because I can hold all these things at the same time. That is a skill set." — Dr. Natasha Turman
2. Impression Management: The Invisible Labor We Carry
Code-switching and impression management go hand in hand. While everyone manages impressions to some degree, for women of color it carries extra weight.
We're not just trying to appear competent—we're working to ensure no one questions whether we belong. That's exhausting. It's labor-intensive. And it's real.
Acknowledging this doesn't mean we're complaining. It means we're naming something that often goes unspoken—and that naming has power.
3. The Fire vs. Water Framework
This was one of the most powerful metaphors from our conversation. When navigating leadership spaces, you have two choices:
Be Fire: Burn bright. Disrupt. Make your presence known. But remember—fire doesn't always let you control what burns down, and you might find yourself alone on a limb with no allies or support.
Be Water: Ebb and flow. Fill into spaces strategically. Understand the context you're navigating. Build alliances. Get your goals accomplished without burning yourself out in the process.
Neither approach is wrong. Sometimes you need to be fire. Sometimes water is what the moment requires. The key is having the wisdom to know which one to choose—and that in itself is a form of authentic leadership.
4. Strategic Is Not the Opposite of Authentic
Here's the reframe that hit me the hardest: Being strategic doesn't mean being fake. It means being intentional.
You can be fully yourself AND choose how much of yourself to share based on the context. That's not inauthenticity—that's wisdom. That's protecting your peace. That's ensuring you have the capacity to keep showing up.
5. You Don't Need Permission to Call Yourself a Leader
Dr. Turman shared a striking observation: when she asks her students if they'd call themselves leaders, only about a third raise their hands—and those who don't are overwhelmingly women and people of color.
We often wait for someone else to give us the title. But if you're affecting change, supporting others, and implementing ideas—you are already leading. You don't need external validation to claim that.
When You're Navigating Challenging Spaces, You Have Three Options
- Disrupt it. Challenge the status quo directly. (There's a cost to this.)
- Leave it. Walk away and find a space that's better aligned. (There's a cost to this too.)
- Navigate it strategically. Stay, build alliances, and work the system while protecting your peace.
As Dr. Turman puts it: "Choose your hard." All paths have costs. The key is knowing which one aligns with your capacity, your values, and your goals in this season.
A Personal Note from Dr. Alison
When I became a principal years ago, people called me "standoffish" and "stuck up." At the time, I didn't have the language to explain what I was actually doing: figuring out how much of my real self I could safely give while maintaining my job and leading in a way people weren't accustomed to seeing from someone who looked like me.
This conversation with Natasha gave me language I wish I'd had a decade ago. And I hope it does the same for you.
About Our Guest
Dr. Natasha Turman is a renowned scholar and advocate committed to interdisciplinary research and practice in the fields of gender, diversity, and critical leadership development in higher education. A proud Spelman College alumna with advanced degrees including doctoral work at the University of Michigan, Dr. Turman's research centers on how women of color navigate leadership spaces—and how we can reframe the skills we use as assets rather than deficits.
Her Article: "Authentic Leadership: Centering Context to Critically Examine Authenticity" is available open-access (linked below).
Connect with Dr. Turman: LinkedIn
Listen to the Full Episode
This conversation goes deep into regionality and leadership, generational differences in how we show up, and so much more Spelman sister wisdom. You don't want to miss it.
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Resources Mentioned
- "Authentic Leadership: Centering Context to Critically Examine Authenticity" by Dr. Natasha Turman (Open Access)
- "Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?" by Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum
- "The Possessive Investment in Whiteness" by George Lipsitz
- Community Cultural Wealth Framework by Dr. Tara Yosso
Ready to Lead on Your Own Terms?
If this conversation resonated with you, I want you to know: you're not alone in feeling the weight of navigating leadership while carrying all of your identities.
Through THRIVE Life Coaching, I help high-achieving Black and Brown women find clarity, reclaim their capacity, and lead with intention—without losing themselves in the process.
Keep thriving, Sis.
Dr. Alison Harris Welcher
Founder, THRIVE Life Coaching
