What Black Families Teach Us About Leadership — If We Question the Question

What would happen if you stopped building teams and started building connections?

In this powerful episode, Nikki Pounds, speaker, Goldman Sachs alum, founder of HR Unequivocally, and author of The Leader Who Cares teaches us that teams that are connected have more fun. And fun is the fruit of trust. When Nikki Pounds told me about her siblings, I was instantly inspired. Six siblings. 60+ years of unity. Never once estranged. Not one falling out.

Nikki brings her signature warmth and wisdom as she shares how family, unity, and intentional connection shape her leadership and business philosophy.

Together, we explore:

• Family as Strategy. Her father built a business with $32 and her mother’s support at 2am. That blueprint, persistence + partnership is the same one we need in business. Money is not the foundation. Connection is.

• Boundaries are Love. In her family, siblings ask permission before giving advice. “Can I share something with you?” That’s a model for psychological safety because boundaries create belonging and when they aren’t supported with accountability, they are rarely enforced.

• Question the Question. Nikki’s TED Talk reminds us: assumptions show up in the smallest phrases. “When are you getting married?” “When’s the next child?” We do the same in the workplace: “When will you get promoted?” “Why aren’t you leading yet?” These narrow questions push people into boxes. The better question? “What’s exciting for you right now?” Open questions unlock authentic leadership.

• Black Cultures Are Not a Monolith. Even twins aren’t identical in their experiences. The same is true across African, Afro-Latin, Caribbean, and African American communities. Leaders who flatten us into “sameness” miss the richness of legacy and difference.

Here’s the deeper connection: The way you honor your family is the way you build your culture at work.

• If you celebrate birthdays with intention, celebrate wins at work with intention.

• If you don’t cross boundaries at home, don’t cross them at work.

• If you check assumptions at the dinner table, check them in your boardroom.

Nikki’s story of her entrepreneurial family, her insights on HR strategy, and her call to laugh more and take ourselves less seriously remind us all that connection is the foundation of care, culture, and transformation.

Listen to the episode and share your biggest insight or learning moment.

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Or email with feedback or questions: leadership@clearcommunicationsolutions.com

Produced by Breadfruit Media

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