September 14, 2025 • 31 mins
Leadership today faces a crisis of trust and engagement. A staggering 70% of employees feel disconnected from their organization's mission, while only 24% trust their leaders—meaning three out of four employees have lost faith in leadership. With 63% of current leaders reporting burnout and likely to leave their positions within two years, we're witnessing unprecedented leadership instability.
My new book, "First Light: The Brave Path to Authentic Leadership," addresses this crisis through the BRAVE Blueprint Strategy—a framework designed to transform how we approach leadership in today's digital world. BRAVE stands for Beliefs, Results, Audience, Value, and Edge—essential components that form both mirror and guide for leadership transformation.
Your beliefs illuminate the path when vision fails, serving as the foundation for every decision. Results challenge you to own outcomes and measure meaningful transformation rather than just activity. Understanding your audience helps align your voice with those you're uniquely positioned to serve. Value articulation clarifies the specific transformation you create, while your Edge—often found in vulnerabilities or challenges—makes you memorable and distinctive as a leader.
This journey requires confronting your doubts directly rather than running from them, transforming fear into growth. Leadership isn't about avoiding challenges but converting them into wisdom and strength. The world hungers for authentic leaders who demonstrate genuine conviction rather than convenient positioning, vulnerability alongside strength, and the courage to stand for something meaningful.
Organizations led authentically outperform their competitors by three times in employee engagement and twice in customer loyalty. True leadership extends beyond financial metrics to enriching the human experience. The question isn't whether you can lead—it's whether you'll be brave enough to lead authentically.
Join me on this transformative journey. "First Light" will be available this September through 5StarBDM.com and Amazon. Beyond the book, I'll be hosting a free masterclass where we can navigate this leadership journey together. Because the world doesn't need more leaders with titles—it needs more leaders with light.
Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Follow The Brand! We hope you enjoyed learning about the latest trends and strategies in Personal Branding, Business and Career Development, Financial Empowerment, Technology Innovation, and Executive Presence. To keep up with the latest insights and updates, visit 5starbdm.com
.
And don’t miss Grant McGaugh’s new book, First Light — a powerful guide to igniting your purpose and building a BRAVE brand that stands out in a changing world. - https://5starbdm.com/brave-masterclass/
See you next time on Follow The Brand!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Good day, good day business owners, entrepreneurs,
thought leaders and corporations, and welcome to the Black
Business Network.
My name is Grant McGaugh, ceoof Five Star BDM and host of the
award-winning Follow Brandpodcast and TV series, and I am
your business moderator for thisday on the Black Business
Network.
The Black Business Network is a24-hour business network
(00:30):
showcasing Black businesses,business owners, entrepreneurs
and thought leaders worldwide,and we have speakers from North
Carolina, london, singapore,africa, japan and cities all
over the United States,singapore, africa, japan and
cities all over the UnitedStates.
The Black Business Network is aglobal community sharing its
business knowledge to empower,inspire and educate businesses
(00:54):
about business, and I will beyour speaker for this segment on
the Black Business Network, andI want to introduce you to my
new book that I've just releasedor will be released here in
September, called First Lightthe Brave Path to Authentic
Leadership, and this book isabout igniting your leadership
(01:19):
journey from a careerperspective, and I made this as
a narrative, this affectionalnarrative, but it's based in
real world principles, becauseleadership today, I feel, is in
a crisis, and this book is a wayto get more light into
(01:42):
leadership today so we know whatthe purpose can be and what you
can do to actually dig in andbecome a greater leader for
yourself.
A lot of people don't realizethat today, about 70 percent 70
percent of our of employeestoday are disengaged, meaning
(02:04):
they're disconnected from theirorganization's mission and their
leadership, and 24% trust inleadership.
This is kind of like what youcall a historic low when it
comes to how many peopleactually believe in the
leadership of the business ororganization that they're
(02:26):
involved in.
That means three out of four ofyour employees do not trust in
your leadership.
That should be a stark number.
That's something that needs tohave your attention.
63% of leaders report burnoutand they're concerned leaving
(02:48):
their positions within two years.
So 63% of the leaders that arein position today will
experience turnover.
So if you're experiencingturnover and you don't have
(03:27):
trust in the current leadershipthat's already in place and over
70% of the people that areemployed in the organization are
disengaged, that is a crisis.
To see how we can correlate andlessen that particular gap, and
this is based on my trademarkmethodology the brave blueprint
strategy.
The brave blueprint strategy isfor every leader, every leader
and this is what I'm imploringthem to do.
You've got to meet where yourshadow is.
(03:47):
I just told you about it.
It's a great shadow that's inthe leadership today.
This is what is being projectedout into our world.
It's a lot of clouded, darkentities that are just there,
(04:09):
but they are not being authenticand they're not integrating
true leadership principles intowhat they're looking to
accomplish.
So what you're going to find inthe pages of First Light and
this will come out withinSeptember, so be looking for it
especially you'll find it on theFive-star BDM website.
We'll have a masterclass aroundit as well but this framework
(04:29):
becomes both your mirror andyour guide to leadership
transformation, because we allhave room for growth.
So BRAVE is an acronym.
So brave is an acronym it'sB-R-A-V-E.
(04:53):
It's an acronym that I use alot of different ways, whether
it's become bold or it's becomeyour brand identity.
In this case, we're talkingabout beliefs beliefs in the
world of what do you stand for?
What do you stand for right?
What is your point of view inlight of what you are leading in
today, whether it's in yourbusiness or your career?
What are your core values?
(05:15):
What is the foundation forevery decision, the foundation
for every interaction, thefoundation for the initiative
that you are undertaking?
I want you to think about that.
A leader's beliefs are thefirst light that pierces the
(05:36):
darkness of doubt, and theyilluminate the path when vision
fails.
This is your belief, right whena healthcare CEO redefined her
organization this is someonethat I know personally from a
cultural perspective they do soby clarifying the values and
(05:58):
they look at that.
When they clarify the valuesand then you have buy-in on both
sides of the ball, you're goingto see an increase in her
particular cases, an increase inpatient outcome.
That's something they want tomeasure across all those metrics
.
But it all comes back to yourbeliefs.
What is your beliefs?
And are your beliefs driftingfrom the point of view or your
(06:23):
passion of why you're doingthings and truly take a look at
that and see what the disconnectcould be.
And then you want to take alook at the results that you're
getting right and you need toown your outcomes.
It's so easy to blame someoneelse, blame something else,
(06:43):
something external, but take alook at the outcomes that you're
truly getting today.
What are those outcomes?
Because a leadership's impactis measured by transformation,
not just activity.
Authentic leaders focus onmeaningful change rather than
(07:04):
motion.
Just for motion to doing things, to be doing busy work, to say
you're busy.
It's about measuring actualtransformation and change and
embracing the accountabilityaround, taking accountability
for that transformation and thatchange.
And you want to be able tomeasure what matters.
(07:25):
Measure what matters to youremployees or to your clients,
that you're working with, yourbusiness partners and your
customers.
You want to be able to measureand be accountable for what
that's about.
So hold yourself to standardsbefore you're holding others I
think that's very, veryimportant and then be able to
(07:47):
track that quantitatively andmake sure you're measuring the
right things.
Now, when it comes to the aidthat we just went through
beliefs, we just talked aboutresults.
Now we're going to talk aboutthe audience.
You know who do you serve best.
Now we're going to talk aboutthe audience.
You know who do you serve best.
(08:09):
Look to align your voice withthe right audience.
That's going to maximize yourinfluence.
Authentic leaders understandthat their ideal audience isn't
everyone.
It's those that they'reuniquely positioned to transform
.
So you have to understand theaudience and the influence that
(08:30):
you're trying to accomplish andif your leadership resonates,
then it will address thosespecific needs rather than just
general generic platitudes.
And you see this a lot.
I see this a lot, especiallylike in the political arenas and
things like that is that theyhave very generic platitudes and
you see this a lot.
I see this a lot, especiallylike in the political arenas and
things like that is that theyhave very generic platitudes.
They say the same thing overand over again, probably for the
(08:52):
last two or three decades.
I don't see a lot of majorchange.
But true leadership resonatesbecause they are actually
impacting change and they'retaking accountability for that
change and they're measured onthat change and they can truly
deliver on their message becausetheir story has now become the
current currency that revealswhat the impact of whatever it
(09:17):
was your product or your service, your department, what it is
that you are delivering.
And if you can articulate thatvalue proposition with clarity,
you're going to be able toattract followers, true
followers who genuinely needyour specific wisdom and
approach.
You want to be clear with theaudience, audience.
(09:37):
Clarity is very important whenit comes to leadership, so you
define who most needs yourunique perspective and
leadership approach and youdeliver value constantly.
That's the next phase of thistransformation that we're
talking about, this blueprintstrategy that I'm talking about,
(09:58):
or my new book that is comingout.
It's the value that it bringsto you.
You've got to find value inthis Value definition.
That's articulating a specifictransformation that you create
for those that you lead.
It's very, very important tounderstand the values that you
are bringing to the table, andif you have not defined it for
(10:21):
yourself, it's very difficult todefine it for someone else, or
you're taking that out ofsomeone else's playbook and not
your own playbook.
This particular book is goingto take you through a journey.
It's a journey through self, ajourney of facing in your true
(10:42):
fears that you may have and alsothe true gaps that you have in
your own character, that you maynot want to face, but you have
to come face to face with it andby doing so, you find a new
(11:03):
foundation of identity that youdraw strength from, that you
draw power from, that you'reable to protect and serve in
your leadership style and thecapacity to create change.
It's so, so important to getthe passion that it takes and to
(11:24):
lead from a position of powerwithin your own self.
This is going to give you theedge, which is the last part of
what I'm talking about now inthe brave framework Edge.
You got to be able to executeon this.
Why do people remember you.
(11:46):
Your edge is what makes youmemorable and distinctive as a
leader, and it often is found inunexpected places, like in your
vulnerabilities or in yourchallenges and your unique
perspectives.
Your edge is often the scarthat you've been hiding.
(12:07):
If you look at onto my websiteand you see certain things in my
about section in the story thatI'm telling, you see where I
became very vulnerable throughan episode with my own father
and actually seeing his tragicdeath before my own eyes in
relation to a healthcaredelivery system in which I felt
that failed him, you know, forsomething as simple as a broken
(12:30):
leg that then develops into ablood clot, which just develops
into a death.
That was a vulnerable point formyself, but it became the
challenge that I said hmm, am Ijust going to sit here and take
this and, just you know,overcome or have to live with it
without doing anything aboutthat?
Or can I take a uniqueperspective, like you know what?
(12:52):
This is not right and what canI do to write that scale for
someone else?
How can I then take my originstory, the origin of when I
became First Light right, theorigin story of yourself, to
then help others?
That is the purpose of personalbranding, in my particular
(13:14):
definition, is that you'retaking your skillset and you're
utilizing it for the purpose ofserving others.
This is what I'm doing rightnow with all of you, and I'm
hoping that this new book, asit's come out, becomes a
masterclass for others when itcomes to authentic leadership
(13:35):
and what it takes to lead in adigital society, a digital
society where anyone couldalmost become anything that they
want through video, throughaudio, through text, photography
.
But are they authentic in whatthey are saying and what they
are doing, and is there a proofpoint to that?
(13:58):
Let's hold everyone accountablewhen it comes to these types of
things, and it's okay not toknow everything.
What is not okay is to not beauthentic in what you are saying
and what you are doing and whatyour true beliefs are.
And if you're looking at thetrue results, what are you
(14:20):
really measuring as impact?
Because if we look at thesenumbers, we always boast.
You always hear, especially inthe US, they boast about
financial gain or you know thefinancial report, the P&L.
But when you look at thesenumbers, if your employees are
(14:40):
saying I'm disconnected from you, 70%, that's a number.
70% of the workers feeldisconnected.
So these numbers.
What are you measuring?
24% don't believe in theleadership that you have.
24% of all the workers in theUnited States don't believe in
the leadership that's taken themto that work.
If the only thing that you'rereporting on is the numbers, the
(15:06):
only thing that you'rereporting on is the numbers.
The only thing that you'rereporting on is what's in your
wallet.
Is that the only thing that'simportant?
And then you look at.
Every time I look around,there's a new leader saying
pretty much the same thing 63%of leaders.
There's a turnover.
The new executive usually saythe same thing we made X amount
(15:28):
of billions of dollars.
Well, that's great and fine, butwhat did you do with it?
That's what I'm saying.
All right, great, you made alot of money.
What did you do with that?
Because that money comes frompeople, that money comes from
resources on this earth.
(15:48):
What are you doing to put thoseresources back into play?
And if your only measurement isto make more money, I question
you on that, on your leadership.
I question you on that aboutwhat is it that you're really
doing?
What are you doing for thehuman drama, the human dilemma?
How are you enhancing the humanexperience if your only point
(16:14):
of measurement is the money inyour own wallet?
I question that because I lookto the end of the day of the
measurement of people, my trueresource, my true human
intelligence, my true HIcomponent.
(16:34):
Because if I'm not enrichingeverybody in my society, what am
I doing, especially those thatare enriching me?
If I am being enriched, if I goout and anybody goes out and
they buy a bottle of Coca-Colain any city in the United States
, how are they being enriched bythat same corporation?
(16:55):
Are they just taking thatresource that you've freely
given them for an exchange forflavor and not enriching their
education, not enriching theirjob opportunities, not enriching
their healthcare, not enrichinganything about what they truly
believe in?
Are you enriching their beliefs?
That's a question, isn't it?
(17:20):
I feel it is.
So that's why I have come outwith this book, because I
believe that we need to enrichthe human experience and we use
our resources, like money, inorder to do that.
But you first have got to getback to your roots and your
purpose of who you are and whatyou stand for in true light.
(17:48):
Who you are and what you standfor, and what is the purpose in
which you feel you're on thisearth and what is that purpose
for?
And are you delivering on thatpurpose?
Are you delivering on theresults?
Are you delivering on theoutcomes?
Are you finding like?
(18:09):
This is who I am.
This is why I'm on this earthand this is what I am delivering
.
Because if you're not, then weneed to make a reset about what
your true values are and how istrue value measured and what is
that true value all about?
(18:29):
Because I want to seeadvancement in human culture.
I want to see human cultureextend and exceed from where it
is right now and get above justthe physicality of life, get
into the emotional, mental andspiritual realities of what we
(18:50):
all live in and dwell in,because we're not just a
collection of data.
And the more that we understandthat, we understand what our
world can deliver for us,meaning from a technological
standpoint, from AI, you willfind out that artificial
intelligence, which is anextension of human intelligence,
(19:12):
delivers on data that is areaction or a mirror of human
life.
It's not human life of itself.
So the true value is in thehuman life, correct?
Yes, yes, it is.
And the more that we can reflectand see on that like okay, I
now have more clarity aroundwhat it is that I'm looking to
(19:36):
accomplish, that I am the truevalue in the equation of life.
I am the true value in theequation of life.
I am the true value and when Icreate activity and there's a
reaction to that activity, Ineed to be accountable for that
right and I need to drive it toa differentiated experience that
(19:57):
enriches my environment.
That applies to everyone.
It doesn't matter how you wantto look in the different
political landscapes orleadership landscapes, or the
corporate America orentrepreneurial world or
individuals or education.
There is a purpose in which youmust take on the challenge of
(20:22):
achieving that goal.
And when you start looking at,you know the purpose of in the
political world is to helpothers and to actually maintain
the community as a whole and tolead people to a higher goal.
And if it's not doing that,that's a problem.
(20:43):
So you need to look at your ownself and say, well, what am I
doing to enrich my community?
What am I doing to enrich myfamily?
What am I doing to enrichmyself?
And what I'm doing as you lookin the past, is there a
disconnect between what youtruly believe in and what you're
(21:09):
actually doing?
We need to be accountable forthat right and if we look at the
results that we have, we haveto question what are our true
beliefs?
Because, ultimately, theresults that you get form from
(21:29):
your real beliefs, not whatyou're telling yourself, what
you're telling others.
It is what it is and that's whyI always challenge corporate
America and their beliefs.
What is the social impact goalthat you should have for
yourself, not just yourfinancials?
Your financials are definitelyimportant.
It's a part of the equation,but it's not the goal.
(21:53):
What is the true goal?
Who is your true audience?
Is it just a few people thatbenefit from that limited belief
that you might have, or can youget a greater value?
I think right now, life isshowing the human world that we
(22:15):
can have a greater value forourselves and how we can arrive
at a different result if wetruly hone into our true beliefs
about ourselves and what westand for and what we're about.
I don't want to be on a soapboxtoday, but I truly want you to
(22:36):
understand what this journey offirst light is all about and
what my book is truly all aboutUnderstanding your self-doubt,
understanding the challenges ofleadership and identity.
By facing your doubts directlyrather than running from them,
(22:59):
you can transform fear intogrowth.
You can use it as fuel.
Let's talk about the mountainof resilience, which is a
central journey in first lifethat follows the ascent through
adversity, and all of you mostpeople I know in the human drama
have some type of adversity,some type of challenge that
(23:22):
you're dealing with and is withyou every day, and it begs you
to overcome it.
That is resilience.
Every step upward buildsleadership capacity and
perspective, turning yourchallenges into opportunities
for transformation and change.
Purpose and we always stand onthe ridge, the cliffhanger, the
(23:44):
ridge of transformation themoment when leaders, they catch
their first glimpse of higherpossibility, and this vantage
point reveals the landscape ofpotential that was previously
hidden by limited thinking andself-doubt.
(24:05):
Purpose is king.
If we have a society led bypurpose and that purpose is
built upon true beliefs, youwill get better outcomes and
better results.
Better outcomes and betterresults.
Now, these are just categories.
These are mirrors that I puttogether in a fantastic journey
(24:27):
that's fictional but yet, asyou've heard me state, they're
rooted in reality and they'reabout real struggles that every
authentic leader must navigate.
The journey isn't about avoidingchallenges leader must navigate
.
The journey isn't aboutavoiding challenges, but
transforming them into sourcesof wisdom and strength.
So people ask me, why now?
(24:53):
Why this matters now?
Because leadership isn'tpositional, it's very, very
personal and in today's digital,distracted and disrupted world,
authenticity cuts through thenoise and people are hungry for
leaders who demonstrate genuineconviction rather than a
(25:17):
convenient positioning.
Convenient positioning,vulnerability alongside strength
, consistent values across allcontexts and the courage to
stand for something meaningful.
Organizations with authenticleadership outperform their
competitors by 3x in employeeengagement and 2x in customer
(25:39):
loyalty.
We all get better together whenwe have true leadership and
that leadership is cascadedthroughout the organization,
that everybody takesaccountability for their point
of leadership, their point ofview, their beliefs, the results
that they're getting.
Everybody has buy-in, not oneperson right.
(26:06):
So where does your brave journeybegin?
What does that look like foryou?
Because the world doesn't needmore leaders with titles, it
needs more leaders with light.
And First Light is more than abook.
It is your guide, your mirror,your moment to transform your
(26:29):
leadership journey.
And I implore you to read thebook and it'll be out in
September and you just go to 5Star BDM that's 5 Star BDM B for
brand D for developerinfomasterscom, and you will see
the links to get the book.
It'll also be available onAmazon and Amazon Kindle.
Read the book, begin yourtransformation and complete the
(26:53):
brave framework within it.
I want you to apply theblueprint to your own life.
Use the brave assessment toidentify your leadership
strengths and then join thecommunity.
I will have a community.
There'll be a free masterclassthat you can join that we're
going to take this leadershipjourney together, right?
(27:16):
So the question isn't whetheryou can lead.
It's whether you'll be braveenough to lead authentically, if
that is your choice.
If you've listened to what I'vesaid today, you'll see that I'm
just not talking about myself.
I'm talking about yourself, inwhich you need to do the hard
(27:42):
work and take a look and takesome time Truly, take some time
especially we got a long weekendTake some time and reflect on
the results of your own life tothis point.
Are these the results that youwere looking for?
And if they are not, what arethe beliefs that you have?
(28:04):
What are your beliefs that haveled to these results?
What are the activities thatstem from your beliefs that get
you to the results, and are youauthentic in those beliefs?
And I'm not talking about yourreligious beliefs, your
spiritual beliefs and thingslike that.
(28:25):
Those are external for the mostpart.
How do you relate to that?
What are your authentic beliefs?
How do you believe these thingswill turn out for you when you
take a leap of faith in what youare doing and be honest with it
(28:46):
and you have to say to yourselfyou know what that's on me.
I got these results.
I am accountable for where I amand if I'm going to make a
change, am I going to get to theNorth Star, the goal that I
want to champion for myself?
These are the goal that I wantto champion for myself.
(29:06):
These are the things that Ineed to start putting into my
life and these are the things Ineed to start taking out of my
life.
You have plenty of examples oftrue leadership.
Some of them have been in thepast.
Some of them are in the present.
You have plenty of examples ofpoor leadership.
As was stated in what I statedearlier, we have many examples
(29:31):
of poor leadership 70% employeedisengagement.
24% don't trust, or only trust,in the leadership that is in
today.
63% of the leaders always turnover new faces.
Somebody has to step up.
You need to step up in your ownlife, because when you can rule
(29:51):
your own life, then you canhelp others, whether it's your
friends or your families, thebusiness and the peers that you
work with but you have to becomeaccountable for who you are.
I want to thank the BlackBusiness Network for having me
on today and I truly appreciatethat.
I want to remind everyone thatthis is a fundraiser for high
(30:13):
school students going to collegeor K-12 entrepreneurs.
It's Expo as a fundraiser forstudents and you may go to
wwwblackbusinessexpousacom todonate to the scholarship fund.
I use the Cash App that's onthe screen below.
That is $BBXUSA.
Our goal is to give laptops upto $5,000 to 10 students and
(30:35):
students.
You can register online atwwwblackbusinessexpousacom.
Every dollar counts, so we wantto remind you to donate to the
scholarship fund and we want tothank our Black Business Expo
USA sponsors for August 2025.
They include NC100, moodyCapital Partners, suede Soul,
(30:57):
lotus for Safe Coaching andTraining.
Carolina, virginia MinoritySupplier Development Council.
Step Management, the Hello LLC.
Barbara H Smith LLC.
Margie McLean FoundationIncorporated.
Genius is Common EarthEssentials.
Milani County Global.
Five Star BDM Media Banks LLC.
Executive Women's SuccessInstitute.
The Quality Coaching Company.
(31:17):
Superwoman Business Services.
Creative Force Studios.
Lee Entertainment Artistic AppDesign.
Black Business Expo USA Geniusis coming and I'll see you on
the other side.
Good day, good day business owners, entrepreneurs,
thought leaders and corporations, and welcome to the Black
Business Network.
My name is Grant McGaugh, ceoof Five Star BDM and host of the
award-winning Follow Brandpodcast and TV series, and I am
your business moderator for thisday on the Black Business
Network.
The Black Business Network is a24-hour business network
(00:30):
showcasing Black businesses,business owners, entrepreneurs
and thought leaders worldwide,and we have speakers from North
Carolina, london, singapore,africa, japan and cities all
over the United States,singapore, africa, japan and
cities all over the UnitedStates.
The Black Business Network is aglobal community sharing its
business knowledge to empower,inspire and educate businesses
(00:54):
about business, and I will beyour speaker for this segment on
the Black Business Network, andI want to introduce you to my
new book that I've just releasedor will be released here in
September, called First Lightthe Brave Path to Authentic
Leadership, and this book isabout igniting your leadership
(01:19):
journey from a careerperspective, and I made this as
a narrative, this affectionalnarrative, but it's based in
real world principles, becauseleadership today, I feel, is in
a crisis, and this book is a wayto get more light into
(01:42):
leadership today so we know whatthe purpose can be and what you
can do to actually dig in andbecome a greater leader for
yourself.
A lot of people don't realizethat today, about 70 percent 70
percent of our of employeestoday are disengaged, meaning
(02:04):
they're disconnected from theirorganization's mission and their
leadership, and 24% trust inleadership.
This is kind of like what youcall a historic low when it
comes to how many peopleactually believe in the
leadership of the business ororganization that they're
(02:26):
involved in.
That means three out of four ofyour employees do not trust in
your leadership.
That should be a stark number.
That's something that needs tohave your attention.
63% of leaders report burnoutand they're concerned leaving
(02:48):
their positions within two years.
So 63% of the leaders that arein position today will
experience turnover.
So if you're experiencingturnover and you don't have
(03:27):
trust in the current leadershipthat's already in place and over
70% of the people that areemployed in the organization are
disengaged, that is a crisis.
To see how we can correlate andlessen that particular gap, and
this is based on my trademarkmethodology the brave blueprint
strategy.
The brave blueprint strategy isfor every leader, every leader
and this is what I'm imploringthem to do.
You've got to meet where yourshadow is.
(03:47):
I just told you about it.
It's a great shadow that's inthe leadership today.
This is what is being projectedout into our world.
It's a lot of clouded, darkentities that are just there,
(04:09):
but they are not being authenticand they're not integrating
true leadership principles intowhat they're looking to
accomplish.
So what you're going to find inthe pages of First Light and
this will come out withinSeptember, so be looking for it
especially you'll find it on theFive-star BDM website.
We'll have a masterclass aroundit as well but this framework
(04:29):
becomes both your mirror andyour guide to leadership
transformation, because we allhave room for growth.
So BRAVE is an acronym.
So brave is an acronym it'sB-R-A-V-E.
(04:53):
It's an acronym that I use alot of different ways, whether
it's become bold or it's becomeyour brand identity.
In this case, we're talkingabout beliefs beliefs in the
world of what do you stand for?
What do you stand for right?
What is your point of view inlight of what you are leading in
today, whether it's in yourbusiness or your career?
What are your core values?
(05:15):
What is the foundation forevery decision, the foundation
for every interaction, thefoundation for the initiative
that you are undertaking?
I want you to think about that.
A leader's beliefs are thefirst light that pierces the
(05:36):
darkness of doubt, and theyilluminate the path when vision
fails.
This is your belief, right whena healthcare CEO redefined her
organization this is someonethat I know personally from a
cultural perspective they do soby clarifying the values and
(05:58):
they look at that.
When they clarify the valuesand then you have buy-in on both
sides of the ball, you're goingto see an increase in her
particular cases, an increase inpatient outcome.
That's something they want tomeasure across all those metrics
.
But it all comes back to yourbeliefs.
What is your beliefs?
And are your beliefs driftingfrom the point of view or your
(06:23):
passion of why you're doingthings and truly take a look at
that and see what the disconnectcould be.
And then you want to take alook at the results that you're
getting right and you need toown your outcomes.
It's so easy to blame someoneelse, blame something else,
(06:43):
something external, but take alook at the outcomes that you're
truly getting today.
What are those outcomes?
Because a leadership's impactis measured by transformation,
not just activity.
Authentic leaders focus onmeaningful change rather than
(07:04):
motion.
Just for motion to doing things, to be doing busy work, to say
you're busy.
It's about measuring actualtransformation and change and
embracing the accountabilityaround, taking accountability
for that transformation and thatchange.
And you want to be able tomeasure what matters.
(07:25):
Measure what matters to youremployees or to your clients,
that you're working with, yourbusiness partners and your
customers.
You want to be able to measureand be accountable for what
that's about.
So hold yourself to standardsbefore you're holding others I
think that's very, veryimportant and then be able to
(07:47):
track that quantitatively andmake sure you're measuring the
right things.
Now, when it comes to the aidthat we just went through
beliefs, we just talked aboutresults.
Now we're going to talk aboutthe audience.
You know who do you serve best.
Now we're going to talk aboutthe audience.
You know who do you serve best.
(08:09):
Look to align your voice withthe right audience.
That's going to maximize yourinfluence.
Authentic leaders understandthat their ideal audience isn't
everyone.
It's those that they'reuniquely positioned to transform
.
So you have to understand theaudience and the influence that
(08:30):
you're trying to accomplish andif your leadership resonates,
then it will address thosespecific needs rather than just
general generic platitudes.
And you see this a lot.
I see this a lot, especiallylike in the political arenas and
things like that is that theyhave very generic platitudes and
you see this a lot.
I see this a lot, especiallylike in the political arenas and
things like that is that theyhave very generic platitudes.
They say the same thing overand over again, probably for the
(08:52):
last two or three decades.
I don't see a lot of majorchange.
But true leadership resonatesbecause they are actually
impacting change and they'retaking accountability for that
change and they're measured onthat change and they can truly
deliver on their message becausetheir story has now become the
current currency that revealswhat the impact of whatever it
(09:17):
was your product or your service, your department, what it is
that you are delivering.
And if you can articulate thatvalue proposition with clarity,
you're going to be able toattract followers, true
followers who genuinely needyour specific wisdom and
approach.
You want to be clear with theaudience, audience.
(09:37):
Clarity is very important whenit comes to leadership, so you
define who most needs yourunique perspective and
leadership approach and youdeliver value constantly.
That's the next phase of thistransformation that we're
talking about, this blueprintstrategy that I'm talking about,
(09:58):
or my new book that is comingout.
It's the value that it bringsto you.
You've got to find value inthis Value definition.
That's articulating a specifictransformation that you create
for those that you lead.
It's very, very important tounderstand the values that you
are bringing to the table, andif you have not defined it for
(10:21):
yourself, it's very difficult todefine it for someone else, or
you're taking that out ofsomeone else's playbook and not
your own playbook.
This particular book is goingto take you through a journey.
It's a journey through self, ajourney of facing in your true
(10:42):
fears that you may have and alsothe true gaps that you have in
your own character, that you maynot want to face, but you have
to come face to face with it andby doing so, you find a new
(11:03):
foundation of identity that youdraw strength from, that you
draw power from, that you'reable to protect and serve in
your leadership style and thecapacity to create change.
It's so, so important to getthe passion that it takes and to
(11:24):
lead from a position of powerwithin your own self.
This is going to give you theedge, which is the last part of
what I'm talking about now inthe brave framework Edge.
You got to be able to executeon this.
Why do people remember you.
(11:46):
Your edge is what makes youmemorable and distinctive as a
leader, and it often is found inunexpected places, like in your
vulnerabilities or in yourchallenges and your unique
perspectives.
Your edge is often the scarthat you've been hiding.
(12:07):
If you look at onto my websiteand you see certain things in my
about section in the story thatI'm telling, you see where I
became very vulnerable throughan episode with my own father
and actually seeing his tragicdeath before my own eyes in
relation to a healthcaredelivery system in which I felt
that failed him, you know, forsomething as simple as a broken
(12:30):
leg that then develops into ablood clot, which just develops
into a death.
That was a vulnerable point formyself, but it became the
challenge that I said hmm, am Ijust going to sit here and take
this and, just you know,overcome or have to live with it
without doing anything aboutthat?
Or can I take a uniqueperspective, like you know what?
(12:52):
This is not right and what canI do to write that scale for
someone else?
How can I then take my originstory, the origin of when I
became First Light right, theorigin story of yourself, to
then help others?
That is the purpose of personalbranding, in my particular
(13:14):
definition, is that you'retaking your skillset and you're
utilizing it for the purpose ofserving others.
This is what I'm doing rightnow with all of you, and I'm
hoping that this new book, asit's come out, becomes a
masterclass for others when itcomes to authentic leadership
(13:35):
and what it takes to lead in adigital society, a digital
society where anyone couldalmost become anything that they
want through video, throughaudio, through text, photography
.
But are they authentic in whatthey are saying and what they
are doing, and is there a proofpoint to that?
(13:58):
Let's hold everyone accountablewhen it comes to these types of
things, and it's okay not toknow everything.
What is not okay is to not beauthentic in what you are saying
and what you are doing and whatyour true beliefs are.
And if you're looking at thetrue results, what are you
(14:20):
really measuring as impact?
Because if we look at thesenumbers, we always boast.
You always hear, especially inthe US, they boast about
financial gain or you know thefinancial report, the P&L.
But when you look at thesenumbers, if your employees are
(14:40):
saying I'm disconnected from you, 70%, that's a number.
70% of the workers feeldisconnected.
So these numbers.
What are you measuring?
24% don't believe in theleadership that you have.
24% of all the workers in theUnited States don't believe in
the leadership that's taken themto that work.
If the only thing that you'rereporting on is the numbers, the
(15:06):
only thing that you'rereporting on is the numbers.
The only thing that you'rereporting on is what's in your
wallet.
Is that the only thing that'simportant?
And then you look at.
Every time I look around,there's a new leader saying
pretty much the same thing 63%of leaders.
There's a turnover.
The new executive usually saythe same thing we made X amount
(15:28):
of billions of dollars.
Well, that's great and fine, butwhat did you do with it?
That's what I'm saying.
All right, great, you made alot of money.
What did you do with that?
Because that money comes frompeople, that money comes from
resources on this earth.
(15:48):
What are you doing to put thoseresources back into play?
And if your only measurement isto make more money, I question
you on that, on your leadership.
I question you on that aboutwhat is it that you're really
doing?
What are you doing for thehuman drama, the human dilemma?
How are you enhancing the humanexperience if your only point
(16:14):
of measurement is the money inyour own wallet?
I question that because I lookto the end of the day of the
measurement of people, my trueresource, my true human
intelligence, my true HIcomponent.
(16:34):
Because if I'm not enrichingeverybody in my society, what am
I doing, especially those thatare enriching me?
If I am being enriched, if I goout and anybody goes out and
they buy a bottle of Coca-Colain any city in the United States
, how are they being enriched bythat same corporation?
(16:55):
Are they just taking thatresource that you've freely
given them for an exchange forflavor and not enriching their
education, not enriching theirjob opportunities, not enriching
their healthcare, not enrichinganything about what they truly
believe in?
Are you enriching their beliefs?
That's a question, isn't it?
(17:20):
I feel it is.
So that's why I have come outwith this book, because I
believe that we need to enrichthe human experience and we use
our resources, like money, inorder to do that.
But you first have got to getback to your roots and your
purpose of who you are and whatyou stand for in true light.
(17:48):
Who you are and what you standfor, and what is the purpose in
which you feel you're on thisearth and what is that purpose
for?
And are you delivering on thatpurpose?
Are you delivering on theresults?
Are you delivering on theoutcomes?
Are you finding like?
(18:09):
This is who I am.
This is why I'm on this earthand this is what I am delivering
.
Because if you're not, then weneed to make a reset about what
your true values are and how istrue value measured and what is
that true value all about?
(18:29):
Because I want to seeadvancement in human culture.
I want to see human cultureextend and exceed from where it
is right now and get above justthe physicality of life, get
into the emotional, mental andspiritual realities of what we
(18:50):
all live in and dwell in,because we're not just a
collection of data.
And the more that we understandthat, we understand what our
world can deliver for us,meaning from a technological
standpoint, from AI, you willfind out that artificial
intelligence, which is anextension of human intelligence,
(19:12):
delivers on data that is areaction or a mirror of human
life.
It's not human life of itself.
So the true value is in thehuman life, correct?
Yes, yes, it is.
And the more that we can reflectand see on that like okay, I
now have more clarity aroundwhat it is that I'm looking to
(19:36):
accomplish, that I am the truevalue in the equation of life.
I am the true value in theequation of life.
I am the true value and when Icreate activity and there's a
reaction to that activity, Ineed to be accountable for that
right and I need to drive it toa differentiated experience that
(19:57):
enriches my environment.
That applies to everyone.
It doesn't matter how you wantto look in the different
political landscapes orleadership landscapes, or the
corporate America orentrepreneurial world or
individuals or education.
There is a purpose in which youmust take on the challenge of
(20:22):
achieving that goal.
And when you start looking at,you know the purpose of in the
political world is to helpothers and to actually maintain
the community as a whole and tolead people to a higher goal.
And if it's not doing that,that's a problem.
(20:43):
So you need to look at your ownself and say, well, what am I
doing to enrich my community?
What am I doing to enrich myfamily?
What am I doing to enrichmyself?
And what I'm doing as you lookin the past, is there a
disconnect between what youtruly believe in and what you're
(21:09):
actually doing?
We need to be accountable forthat right and if we look at the
results that we have, we haveto question what are our true
beliefs?
Because, ultimately, theresults that you get form from
(21:29):
your real beliefs, not whatyou're telling yourself, what
you're telling others.
It is what it is and that's whyI always challenge corporate
America and their beliefs.
What is the social impact goalthat you should have for
yourself, not just yourfinancials?
Your financials are definitelyimportant.
It's a part of the equation,but it's not the goal.
(21:53):
What is the true goal?
Who is your true audience?
Is it just a few people thatbenefit from that limited belief
that you might have, or can youget a greater value?
I think right now, life isshowing the human world that we
(22:15):
can have a greater value forourselves and how we can arrive
at a different result if wetruly hone into our true beliefs
about ourselves and what westand for and what we're about.
I don't want to be on a soapboxtoday, but I truly want you to
(22:36):
understand what this journey offirst light is all about and
what my book is truly all aboutUnderstanding your self-doubt,
understanding the challenges ofleadership and identity.
By facing your doubts directlyrather than running from them,
(22:59):
you can transform fear intogrowth.
You can use it as fuel.
Let's talk about the mountainof resilience, which is a
central journey in first lifethat follows the ascent through
adversity, and all of you mostpeople I know in the human drama
have some type of adversity,some type of challenge that
(23:22):
you're dealing with and is withyou every day, and it begs you
to overcome it.
That is resilience.
Every step upward buildsleadership capacity and
perspective, turning yourchallenges into opportunities
for transformation and change.
Purpose and we always stand onthe ridge, the cliffhanger, the
(23:44):
ridge of transformation themoment when leaders, they catch
their first glimpse of higherpossibility, and this vantage
point reveals the landscape ofpotential that was previously
hidden by limited thinking andself-doubt.
(24:05):
Purpose is king.
If we have a society led bypurpose and that purpose is
built upon true beliefs, youwill get better outcomes and
better results.
Better outcomes and betterresults.
Now, these are just categories.
These are mirrors that I puttogether in a fantastic journey
(24:27):
that's fictional but yet, asyou've heard me state, they're
rooted in reality and they'reabout real struggles that every
authentic leader must navigate.
The journey isn't about avoidingchallenges leader must navigate
.
The journey isn't aboutavoiding challenges, but
transforming them into sourcesof wisdom and strength.
So people ask me, why now?
(24:53):
Why this matters now?
Because leadership isn'tpositional, it's very, very
personal and in today's digital,distracted and disrupted world,
authenticity cuts through thenoise and people are hungry for
leaders who demonstrate genuineconviction rather than a
(25:17):
convenient positioning.
Convenient positioning,vulnerability alongside strength
, consistent values across allcontexts and the courage to
stand for something meaningful.
Organizations with authenticleadership outperform their
competitors by 3x in employeeengagement and 2x in customer
(25:39):
loyalty.
We all get better together whenwe have true leadership and
that leadership is cascadedthroughout the organization,
that everybody takesaccountability for their point
of leadership, their point ofview, their beliefs, the results
that they're getting.
Everybody has buy-in, not oneperson right.
(26:06):
So where does your brave journeybegin?
What does that look like foryou?
Because the world doesn't needmore leaders with titles, it
needs more leaders with light.
And First Light is more than abook.
It is your guide, your mirror,your moment to transform your
(26:29):
leadership journey.
And I implore you to read thebook and it'll be out in
September and you just go to 5Star BDM that's 5 Star BDM B for
brand D for developerinfomasterscom, and you will see
the links to get the book.
It'll also be available onAmazon and Amazon Kindle.
Read the book, begin yourtransformation and complete the
(26:53):
brave framework within it.
I want you to apply theblueprint to your own life.
Use the brave assessment toidentify your leadership
strengths and then join thecommunity.
I will have a community.
There'll be a free masterclassthat you can join that we're
going to take this leadershipjourney together, right?
(27:16):
So the question isn't whetheryou can lead.
It's whether you'll be braveenough to lead authentically, if
that is your choice.
If you've listened to what I'vesaid today, you'll see that I'm
just not talking about myself.
I'm talking about yourself, inwhich you need to do the hard
(27:42):
work and take a look and takesome time Truly, take some time
especially we got a long weekendTake some time and reflect on
the results of your own life tothis point.
Are these the results that youwere looking for?
And if they are not, what arethe beliefs that you have?
(28:04):
What are your beliefs that haveled to these results?
What are the activities thatstem from your beliefs that get
you to the results, and are youauthentic in those beliefs?
And I'm not talking about yourreligious beliefs, your
spiritual beliefs and thingslike that.
(28:25):
Those are external for the mostpart.
How do you relate to that?
What are your authentic beliefs?
How do you believe these thingswill turn out for you when you
take a leap of faith in what youare doing and be honest with it
(28:46):
and you have to say to yourselfyou know what that's on me.
I got these results.
I am accountable for where I amand if I'm going to make a
change, am I going to get to theNorth Star, the goal that I
want to champion for myself?
These are the goal that I wantto champion for myself.
(29:06):
These are the things that Ineed to start putting into my
life and these are the things Ineed to start taking out of my
life.
You have plenty of examples oftrue leadership.
Some of them have been in thepast.
Some of them are in the present.
You have plenty of examples ofpoor leadership.
As was stated in what I statedearlier, we have many examples
(29:31):
of poor leadership 70% employeedisengagement.
24% don't trust, or only trust,in the leadership that is in
today.
63% of the leaders always turnover new faces.
Somebody has to step up.
You need to step up in your ownlife, because when you can rule
(29:51):
your own life, then you canhelp others, whether it's your
friends or your families, thebusiness and the peers that you
work with but you have to becomeaccountable for who you are.
I want to thank the BlackBusiness Network for having me
on today and I truly appreciatethat.
I want to remind everyone thatthis is a fundraiser for high
(30:13):
school students going to collegeor K-12 entrepreneurs.
It's Expo as a fundraiser forstudents and you may go to
wwwblackbusinessexpousacom todonate to the scholarship fund.
I use the Cash App that's onthe screen below.
That is $BBXUSA.
Our goal is to give laptops upto $5,000 to 10 students and
(30:35):
students.
You can register online atwwwblackbusinessexpousacom.
Every dollar counts, so we wantto remind you to donate to the
scholarship fund and we want tothank our Black Business Expo
USA sponsors for August 2025.
They include NC100, moodyCapital Partners, suede Soul,
(30:57):
lotus for Safe Coaching andTraining.
Carolina, virginia MinoritySupplier Development Council.
Step Management, the Hello LLC.
Barbara H Smith LLC.
Margie McLean FoundationIncorporated.
Genius is Common EarthEssentials.
Milani County Global.
Five Star BDM Media Banks LLC.
Executive Women's SuccessInstitute.
The Quality Coaching Company.
(31:17):
Superwoman Business Services.
Creative Force Studios.
Lee Entertainment Artistic AppDesign.
Black Business Expo USA Geniusis coming and I'll see you on
the other side.
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