What It Means to Thrive as a Black Leader
At Wisdom Works, we believe thriving is a business imperative and a new standard for leadership. We are committed to bringing the science and human insights about thriving to life for the evolution of leaders and organizations worldwide.
In the first of this series on What it Means to Thrive as a Leader of Color, we feature the voices and wisdom of leaders who identify as Black, African, and of African Descent to learn what it means for them to thrive personally and professionally.
Wisdom Works CEO Renee Moorefield moderated a discussion with Dr. Carol Labor, Founder of HER Wellness, Aaronde Creighton, Chief Diversity Officer for The Leadership Circle, and Zee Clark, Author of Black People Breathe and a Fortune 500 Executive Coach, on how they thrive as leaders and whole people, plus foster thriving cultures at work and within their communities. These esteemed leaders shed light on how, as part of an often-marginalized community, they uniquely lead wellbeing in their roles as managers and coaches, beginning with themselves.
What our panelists covered during the webinar:
- What it means to thrive, personally and professionally, as a Black, African, and of African Decent leader.
- The challenges and stressors Black, African, and of African decent leaders face within the workplace and society.
- Unique considerations for fostering work environments where Black, African, and African Descent Leaders can thrive.
- Insights and strategies from Black, African, and African Descent leaders for leading teams and communities where everyone can thrive.
Aaronde Creighton
Chief Diversity Officer, The Leadership Circle
Aaronde Seckou Creighton is the Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) of The Leadership Circle. As CDO, he creates the companies strategic approach to Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (JEDI-B) and supports our community of practitioners in JEDI-B work. As CDO, he is also a member of the Leadership Circle Leadership Team, helping to guide the global organization and serves clients directly as a consultant, executive coach, and facilitator. Aaronde holds a Master of Science in Positive Organization Development & Change, is a Professional Certified Coach and a graduate of the Georgetown University Executive Certificate in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion program. Personally, Aaronde makes his home in Atlanta, Georgia, with his wife and daughters. He is a founding member and Board Chair of Coaching for Everyone, an organization focused on providing coaching services and training to Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) professionals.
Zee Clarke
Author of Black People Breathe, Fortune 500 Executive Coach
Zee Clarke is a breathwork and resilience expert and the author of the groundbreaking book, Black People Breathe. Trained in India, she is a Harvard MBA that went from leading teams at Fortune 500 companies to teaching powerful tools to improve our mental health and well-being in the workplace. Her Breathwork@Work program helps companies support their entire workforce in reducing stress, boosting productivity and prioritizing self-care. Her Black@Work program focuses on helping people of color manage the chronic stress and professional development challenges resulting from microaggressions and systemic racism. Companies like Google, Visa, and AMC Networks are supporting the wellbeing of their teams with these programs. Zee has been featured in many leading publications including Fortune, Forbes, Oprah Daily, ABC, CNBC, Ebony, Essence, and Fast Company.
Dr. Carol Labor
Founder, HER Wellness
Dr. Carol Labor is the Adviser on Mental Health (Presidential Appointment) in Sierra Leone, Founder of HER Wellness- a gender centered consultancy, Vice-Chair of Africa CDC’s High Level Advisory Committee on NCDs and Mental Health, and Board member of African Association of Threat Assessment Professionals. Dr. Carol has over 3 decades of expertise in gender-focused education, Mental Health, and Psychosocial Support. As a SGBV survivor and Resilience Coach, she pioneers multisectoral wellness programs and conducts impactful research at the intersection of gender, mental health, and trauma. Dr. Carol uses trauma-informed pedagogy to design scalable interventions that support the mental wellbeing of vulnerable populations inclusive of women and girls; persons living with HIV; and survivors of SGBV. Her global reach includes women and girls from countries including, but not limited to Sierra Leone, Liberia, Haiti, Ghana, Turkey, Syria, China, Jamaica, Mexico, Iraq, Rwanda, Kenya, South Africa, England, and the United States.
MODERATOR: Renee Moorefield
CEO, Wisdom Works Group
Renee Moorefield, PhD, is CEO of Wisdom Works, a social enterprise working with global companies since 1999 to bring scientific and cross-cultural insights of human thriving to life in work cultures, brands, and leadership. She is also Executive Director of Be Well Lead Well®, a platform of resources, a pioneering wellbeing leadership assessment and database, and a worldwide network of professionals dedicated to evolving healthier, more sustainable leadership. Renee is on advisory boards for the wellness nonprofit, Global Wellness Institute, and the John W. Brick Mental Health Foundation. For over three decades, her inspiration has been to fuel a global movement of leaders who make thriving a priority at work, at home, and in every aspect of society.
