Leadership lessons from my conversation with Dr. Kendra Washington Bass and Kelly Peaks Horner

The 18th-century English author Samuel Johnson called curiosity “the thirst of the soul.”  If you are a lifelong learner, like me, I really want you to subscribe to my #healthywealthyWise playlist on YouTube. I created this playlist so you can hear from the interesting leadership experts and coaches from the Leading With Purpose podcast.

In April, we spoke to the dynamo partnership of Dr. Kendra Washington Bass and Kelly Peaks Horner. They are the author of the book Unwrapped, The Pursuit of Justice for Women Educators. What started as a conversation about the inequities for women in education turned into a conversation about two women who bonded over this inequality and became friends for life.

The Facts

According to the National Center for Education statistics, 77% of public school teachers were female and 23 % were male in 2020–21 – the most recent year for which there is data. It’s worse at the elementary school level where only about one in ten teachers (11 percent) are male.

The statistics around leadership positions, executive directors and school superintendents, have stats like these, “slightly more men were principals than women until around 2000. Since then the numbers have flipped: about 55 percent of principals are now women, about 45 percent are men.” For women of color, this stat decreases to 5% according to their book.

The Purpose: How Do We Show Up as Women in the Room?

Part of our legacy as women is that we are natural nurturers. We also have to learn how to advocate for ourselves under a male hierarchy. Our next challenge is finding women to serve as mentors to help us navigate our careers. When you couple these challenges with toxic workplaces and no accountability at the leadership level it’s no wonder that women are driving from the back seat in leadership in all industries, but especially teaching.

One of the key ideas discussed during our podcast and in their book, were the questions, “How do we show up as women when we’re in the room? and “How can we expect to change the trajectory of women leaders if we don’t know how?”

The Lucy Leadership Project

The Lucy Leadership Project, created by them, begins the shift in the women in education leadership dynamic. Based on their book, you can join the project as a reader, book club, attend events and become a Lucy Leader yourself with their courses.

Other Ways to Show Up

One of my questions to them was where do you start to “show up” for women? Here’s what that said:

• Know your origin story.
• Disrupt the system.
• Be brave.
• Less fear. More compassion.
• Practice Femtorship.
• Be a leader.
• Create your own community.

Join the Unwrapped Community

My journey as a podcast host is wonderful. It allows me to get the stories of people, especially entrepreneurs, who are making a difference into the world. So in a world where gender income disparities exist, Dr. Kendra Washington Bass and Kelly Peaks Horner’s dedication to advocating for women educators is inspiring. Their book, “Unwrapped, The Pursuit of Justice for Women Educators,” and the Lucy Leadership Project are powerful catalysts for meaningful change for women educators. I encourage you to join their communities.

Join me in celebrating this leading with purpose team and let’s commit to fostering a more inclusive and equitable future for all. Listen to the full podcast here and don’t forget to subscribe.👍🏾👂🏾😊

If you want to share your leadership journey with me and the Leading With Purpose podcast, click here to be a guest, https://linktr.ee/leadingwithpurposepodcast.