What does it take to lead — REALLY lead — in today's world? What makes an excellent leader, and how can you become one? And in the midst of social, geopolitical, and economic crisis, what does leadership look like?
Today's guest is Dr. Christie Smith, founder of The Humanity Studio and author of the new book, ESSENTIAL.
In this episode we talk about:
ABOUT CHRISTIE:
Dr. Christie Smith is the founder of The Humanity Studio™, a multi-media leadership advisory company that works to improve the way we live by revolutionizing the way we work. She has over 35 years of experience advising the C-Suite of Fortune 500 companies, and has held global leadership positions at Deloitte, Apple, and Accenture as a highly respected expert in leadership, talent management, organizational design, workforce management, change management, and executive team performance. She is a highly sought-after speaker on business strategy, leadership and culture, DEI, people analytics, and the impact of workforce technologies and AI. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Fortune, Forbes, and CNN; and she has been recognized as a Top 50 Diversity Leader and on Fast Company’s Queer 50 list. Christie received her doctorate in Clinical Social Work with a focus on leadership and culture from New York University. Her new book, ESSENTIAL: How Distributed Teams, Generative AI, and Global Shifts Are Creating a New Human-Powered Leadership (with Kelly Monahan; Wiley, 2025) is out now.
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SHOW NOTES:
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(Reading WYS for the new year in your book club? Email Katie at katie@womenagainstnegativetalk.com and let us know!)
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How do you start to make change happen with people when you'd rather call them out or cancel them altogether? Are calling out or cancelling ever effective? And...is there a different way to actually make change happen (that minimizes the chances of burning out or losing your mind in the process)?
Today on the WANTcast we are talking to LEGENDARY human rights activist Loretta J. Ross, author of the new book CALLING IN: How To Start Making Change With Those You'd Rather Cancel. In this groundbreaking conversation, we'll talk about:
and more!!
**CW: this conversation contains mention of rape
**Want to read along? Check the "transcript" option in your podcast player!
BIO:
Loretta J. Ross is an activist, professor, and public intellectual. In her five decades in the human rights movement, she’s deprogramed white supremacists, taught convicted rapists the principles of feminism, and organized the second-largest march on Washington (surpassed only by the 2017 Women’s March). A cofounder of the National Center for Human Rights Education and the SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective, her many accolades and honors include a 2022 MacArthur Fellowship and a 2024 induction into the National Women’s Hall of Fame. Today, Ross is an associate professor at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, and a partner with 14th Strategies Consultants, with which she runs “Calling In” training sessions at organizations around the country.
Loretta has co-written three books on reproductive justice: Undivided Rights: Women of Color Organize for Reproductive Justice in 2004; Reproductive Justice: An Introduction in March 2017; and Radical Reproductive Justice: Foundations, Theory, Practice, Critique in October 2017. Her newest book, Calling In: How to Start Making Change with Those You'd Rather Cancel is available TODAY, wherever books are sold.
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SHOW NOTES:
Calling In courses + education
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Buy your copy of WANT YOUR SELF here
(Reading WYS for the new year in your book club? Email me at katie@womenagainstnegativetalk.com and let me know!
Follow Katie on Instagram
Love the WANTcast? We would be so grateful if you would SUBSCRIBE, RATE, and REVIEW the pod on iTunes!