Middle management may be the hardest seat in any organization: accountable to the leaders above you, responsible for the team below, with authority that is real but limited. And roughly 80 percent of an organization’s people are led from that exact seat. Kelli King-Jackson, an executive coach with more than 800 hours coaching Black women in predominantly white spaces, joins Laura to reframe the middle as one of the most powerful positions in an organization, once you learn to influence rather than simply manage. She breaks down the real difference between influence and manipulation, how to manage up by understanding what your leaders actually care about, how to build trust with your team by “sharing the code,” and what introversion, neurodiversity, and AI all mean for the way Black women lead from the middle right now.
In this episode:
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Why the middle is uniquely hard, and uniquely powerful, for Black women, and how to stop experiencing it as only a squeeze
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Influence versus manipulation: managing up by learning how your leaders are persuaded, and translating for the team below
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Building trust downward by “sharing the code,” plus what introversion, neurodiversity, and AI now require of leaders in the middle
About Kelli
Kelli King-Jackson is the founder of Kelli King-Jackson, LLC, a social impact firm focused on coaching, leadership assessments, strategic advising, and facilitation. With more than 25 years of experience across nonprofits and philanthropy, she has coached Black women and femmes leading in predominantly white spaces for over 800 hours. Kelli is an ACC‑level coach, a 21/64 certified philanthropic advisor, and co‑founder of The Bayou Collective in Houston.
Connect with Kelli
Website: https://www.iamkelli.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kkingjackson
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Credits:
Learn about all Black Woman Leading® programs, resources, and events at http://www.blackwomanleading.com
Learn more about our consulting work with organizations at https://knightsconsultinggroup.com/
Email Laura: info@knightsconsultinggroup.com
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Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights – https://marshallknights.com/
Graphics: Dara Adams
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