Letter from the Editor

There’s a popular line: “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” What I appreciate most about the sentiment behind this quote is how it contains both the promise of hope and a call to action. Those two themes resonate strongly with the articles in this issue of The Executive Leadership Council’s research journal. In The “Great Resignation” and Black Professionals in Corporate America, Justina Victor illuminates the opportunity this reflective moment is giving employers to see what factors are driving the turnover and retention of Black talent. In Generativity and Relational Wealth: Using Stewardship to Open the Door to Prosperity, Dr. LaTanya White shows how promoting Black dynastic wealth requires leveraging the concept of stewardship to increase the generative intent – and not just the corporate success – of Black professionals.

This issue contains specific calls to action for corporate directors. In Overseeing Effective Corporate Strategy Implementation: A DEI Case Study, Dr. Akosua Barthwell urges corporate directors to apply the same rigor they use for more general strategic business initiatives to their DEI work, while in The Importance of Supply Chain in the Board Room, Shelley Stewart, Jr. provides a compelling argument for how all directors and C-suite executives need a more-than-basic understanding of supply chain management if they want to effectively pursue their ESG, risk management and revenue goals.

Lastly, two articles provide guidance for future Black professional success. Amanda Rey and Dr. Ramien Pierre’s Your Brand on Purpose is a reminder of how job execution is not enough to ensure workplace success, while Dr. Peter James points out the six proficiencies that will lead to success in his article, Developing 21st Century Leadership Skills. My hope is that you find both pearls of inspiration and actionable tactical advice in the pages of this journal issue.

Christopher Butts, Ed.D.

Vice President/Chief Learning Officer for the Institute for Leadership Development & Research The Executive Leadership Council