078: L. Michelle Smith on Leadership, the Black Church, and Thriving in Your Magical Middle

On this episode of Gen X Amplified, I am joined by bestselling, award-winning author, Fortune 100 C-Suite advisor, and certified global executive coach, L. Michelle Smith.

L. Michelle is the founder and CEO of no silos communications and the creator and host of The Culture Soup Podcast®, heard in over 70 countries. She has spent over 25 years helping leaders do the deep, transformational work that moves the needle — making VP before 30 and SVP before 40.

She is also the author of the powerful and timely new book “Call & Response: 10 Leadership Lessons from the Black Church,” published by Amistad/HarperCollins in collaboration with JVL Media — the company co-founded by Academy Award and EGOT-winning actress Viola Davis, Julius Tennon, and Lavaille Lavette.

In this episode, L. Michelle and I discuss:

• L. Michelle’s remarkable professional journey — from making VP before 30 and SVP before 40, to running her own agency for nearly a decade, to becoming one of the most sought-after leadership strategists and executive coaches in the country
• The two pivotal moments that sparked the book — including a stunning black-and-white photograph handed to her by her mother on the eve of Thanksgiving, and a question asked after a keynote that garnered 25 million social media impressions
• The Call & Response Leadership Revival Framework — built on three pillars: history and culture, applied science, and leadership theory — and how those three work together
• Why this is emphatically NOT a faith-based leadership book — and why that distinction matters deeply
• The ten leadership lessons spanning three domains — Self, Relationships, and Impact — and how each one is anchored in neuroscience and positive psychology
• The central tension of the book: can the Black Church still sustain the leadership pipeline it once produced?
• How the book speaks directly to mid-career professionals navigating what I call the “Magical Middle” — and which leadership lesson they most often overlook
• And so much more!

 

L. Michelle’s Personal Theme Song

• “Mama Said Knock You Out” by LL Cool J

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Resources

• L. Michelle Smith’s Website/Book Hub

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About L. Michelle Smith

L. Michelle Smith is a bestselling, award-winning author, Fortune 100 C-Suite advisor, and certified global executive coach who operates at the apex of science, culture, and heart-centered leadership.

She is the founder and CEO of no silos communications llc, a media and consulting company that develops high-performing executive leaders, with a specialty in women and women of color. Positive psychology and neuroscience-informed, and credentialed by the International Coaching Federation, she runs an international coaching and consulting practice where she works with professionals and organizations to create learning and coaching experiences that inspire exceptional lives and leadership.

She has more than 25 years as an award-winning strategic communicator, making VP before the age of 30 and SVP before 40. She ran her own agency for nearly a decade, serving clients from Fortune 500 companies across industries.

She is the creator, executive producer, and host of The Culture Soup Podcast®, heard in 70+ countries, which debuted at #6 on Apple Podcasts in a business category. Her second show, Her Next Power Move, delivers evidence-based leadership insights on Substack.

Her new book, Call & Response: 10 Leadership Lessons from the Black Church (Amistad/HarperCollins, in collaboration with JVL Media), is already a bestseller — and one of the most important leadership books of the year.

 

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