Introduction to Authentic Leadership
Taryell Simmons: What if leadership isn't about titles or being the loudest voice in the room? What if leadership is really forged through adversity, shaped by identity, and redefined through the challenges life places before us? Welcome to another episode of Rise Urban Nation, where we unite, uplift, and ignite stories from entrepreneurs, changemakers, and leaders shaping our communities. Today, we're joined by leadership consultant, speaker, and author Lance Parker, whose book, The Road to Leadership, explores the lessons, setbacks, and experiences that shape authentic leaders. Lance, welcome to Rise Urban Nation.
Lance Parker: I appreciate you having me, man.
Taryell Simmons: I'm really looking forward to this conversation. It's been a long time since I've discussed leadership in this way, especially exploring Black leadership.
Lance Parker: Absolutely. When it comes to Black leadership, historically we speak about it, but we rarely dive deep into the layers. Whether it's governing organizations, managing relationships, or leading our families, we often avoid peeling back that onion to address generational challenges. I look forward to this conversation.
Early Life and Finding Purpose
Taryell Simmons: Before the consulting, the book, and the expertise, who was Lance Parker?
Lance Parker: I was a young man trying to find his way in Fort Worth, Texas. I was a knucklehead and got into a lot of trouble, but I always found myself leading the pack—whether into trouble or toward something positive. My very first job was in janitorial services at a water park, picking up trash and cleaning bathrooms. Eventually, I transitioned into behavioral health as an interventionist at a school district, helping educators implement effective behavioral interventions and mental health support for students.
Taryell Simmons: How did that transition from janitorial work to behavioral health happen?
Lance Parker: I was a scholarship track and field athlete at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona. My sprints coach, Bruce Frankie, who was also an educator and principal, saw potential in me that I didn't see in myself. He encouraged me to mentor youth. Around the same time, I met Bishop J.D. Fowler, who mentored me spiritually when I had one foot in trouble and one foot in God's calling. Coach Frankie even had me do my very first speaking engagement at an athletic banquet. That planted the seed for speaking at national conferences and universities today. Later, I moved back to Texas and worked across inpatient psychiatry, addiction recovery, and federally qualified health centers, becoming a healthcare operations and leadership executive.
The Adversity That Redefined Leadership
Taryell Simmons: What defining moment or challenge changed how you lead?
Lance Parker: Early in my career, during a difficult board meeting at an institution in Texas, colleagues threw me under the bus over responsibilities that were actually theirs. That adversity fueled my decision to pursue a doctorate in education focusing on organizational leadership. Later, as a mid-level healthcare manager in East Texas, leadership focused entirely on metrics rather than patient care quality. I learned that as a middle manager, you must implement organizational directives with feedback from frontline workers—the nurses, medical assistants, and front desk staff. When you value their input, operational outcomes improve dramatically.
Human-Centered Leadership and Psychological Safety
Taryell Simmons: Break down what human-centered leadership means to you.
Lance Parker: Human-centered leadership is the philosophy of recognizing that you are leading humans and considering people when making strategic organizational decisions. It rests on six core principles: empathy, psychological safety, trust and authenticity, employee development, inclusive decision-making, and well-being and resilience. The most vital among these are psychological safety, well-being and resilience, and inclusive decision-making.
Taryell Simmons: Why is psychological safety so essential in the workplace?
Lance Parker: If a leader cannot create psychological safety for their team, it is because they are not psychologically safe within themselves. Through my Psychological Defect Model, I explain how unresolved attachment issues, fear of rejection, and past trauma cause leaders to lead from manipulation, control, or insecurity rather than authenticity. Psychologically safe leaders welcome constructive criticism, encourage diverse perspectives, and cultivate healthy dialogue without feeling personally threatened.
Taryell Simmons: You also mentioned psychological equity. What does that mean?
Lance Parker: Psychological equity means operating from sustainable clarity and alignment in your decision-making ecosystem. It requires assessing whether our actions add longevity and health to ourselves and the people around us, rather than acting out of mere repetition or unexamined emotional triggers.
Dismantling Insecurity and Cultivating Trust
Taryell Simmons: How do great leaders build genuine trust?
Lance Parker: By dismantling insecurity. An insecure leader cannot trust anyone and inevitably resorts to micromanagement. Insecurity distorts perception and causes leaders to ruminate over decisions or desperately seek external recognition. Great leaders possess self-assurance, empower their team members with real authority, and prioritize developing their people. A mentor once told me that if you have governed someone for five to ten years and they haven't advanced, you are the problem. True leadership is about producing fruit in others.
Emotional Intelligence and Embracing the Process
Taryell Simmons: What role does emotional intelligence play in leadership?
Lance Parker: Emotional intelligence requires understanding what your team members need emotionally and extending empathy. If an employee is grieving the loss of a parent, an emotionally intelligent leader adjusts expectations, offers bereavement support, and provides grace. It starts with self-regulation and knowing yourself.
Taryell Simmons: What inspired your book, The Road to Leadership?
Lance Parker: During my doctoral research on workplace interventions during COVID-19, I noticed immense mental distress and imposter syndrome among professionals and executives. The book combines academic insights, spiritual reflections, lived experiences, and interactive journaling exercises. As my grandmother always told me, "The seeds you plant only grow from the water in which you pour." Leadership is a lifelong process. You cannot cut corners; you must embrace the journey and heal your internal wounds to walk in your true calling.
Taryell Simmons: Where can listeners find your work and upcoming book?
Lance Parker: You can connect with my consulting firm, Sarah Linda Consulting, on LinkedIn and at our website, sarahlindaconsulting.com. My book, The Road to Leadership, releases July 7th on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
