In the sphere of leadership certain voices rise above the rest, offering not only insights but also a blueprint for success. Among these luminaries, Dr. Jeanne Porter King, the author behind the groundbreaking work Leading Well: A Black Woman’s Guide to Wholistic, Barrier-Breaking Leadership, stands out as a source of inspiration and wisdom.
Dr. Porter King is an author, consultant, pastor, and leadership coach specializing in women’s leadership. A trusted teacher and guide who has taught leadership at both the undergraduate and seminary levels, Dr. Porter King is the founder and president of TransPorter Group Inc., a consulting company focused on leadership development. She is passionate about developing existing and emerging women leaders. Her goal is to encourage and empower more Black women to lead well. She lives in South Holland, Illinois, with her husband, Pastor Carl E. King.
“I’m empowering black women to lead from the overflowing well of the Holy Spirit,” says Dr. Porter King. “Black women are gifted, prepared, and poised to lead, but they often experience resistance—both from external forces and from within.”
VBD: Tell us a bit about your story and why you decided to write Leading Well?
I understand the challenges women leaders face, whether in corporations or the church—from being overlooked for advancement because they were deemed relational but not strategic enough for leadership or being labeled as aggressive for being assertive and direct. Navigating that line for women is stressful and sometimes downright disheartening. Those challenges are heightened for women of color, particularly Black women, and too many of us pay a toll for leading while Black and a woman.
I have several books on women and leadership. Still, I wanted to address the racial and gender justice issues associated with women’s leadership. Specifically, Leading Well was conceived after two of my closest friends died a month apart, each from rare cancers, at relatively young ages. These friends were Black women leaders of faith at the top of their game. Competent and charismatic, my friends led with clarity, conviction, and care for their institutions and those they served. I couldn’t shake the thought that their deaths were a wake-up call for me, and I started exploring the impact on our whole being of leading while Black and a woman and what our faith had to offer.
Read More about Dr. Jeanne: Subscribe to VBD Magazine’s January 2024 Issue (Free)
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjeanneporterking
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