Navigating Your Leadership Journey: Tailored Tips for Black Men in Mid-Level Roles
By Dominic George · April 26th 2025

Happy Saturday! Word Count: 1424…10.58 minutes. Copy edited by Dominic George

Welcome to this week’s edition of the Vision Leadership for Life newsletter, designed with the specific challenges faced by Black men in mid-level leadership positions in mind. We understand the unique journey you’re on, and our goal is to provide practical insights to help you thrive in your professional evolution. So, lets dive into today’s topic and Elevate Your Leadership.

Black Men in Leadership: Why Playing It Safe Is Costing You And How To Lead With Real Power

It’s time to stop leading for appearances, and start leading for real power: Too many of us, as Black men in leadership, are trapped performing for systems that were never designed to see our full humanity. We spend years polishing our tone, smoothing our presence, trimming our truths, all to survive.

But let’s get real: At what cost?

When you lead from fear instead of purpose, you don’t just shrink yourself, you reinforce the very systems you’re meant to disrupt. You dilute your power. You defer your impact. And, many times you end up becoming a participant in your own invisibility.

We were never built to blend in, fold, and vanish. We were built to shift the culture.

Your authenticity is not a liability. Your story is not an inconvenience. Your voice, your values, your vision, they are your superpowers. It’s time to reclaim them. Because the truth is, every moment you spend leading for appearances is a moment lost where you could have been leading for transformation.

It’s time to stop managing your image and start moving with intention.

It’s time to stop blending in and start building out.

It’s time to step fully into The Authentic Edge.

Define your purpose, then let it guide every decision you make. At Vision Leadership for LIFE, we don’t teach survival strategies. We coach transformation. Our leadership isn’t about chasing titles, it’s about owning our authentic power, without apology.

Three moves to lead with real power:

1. Reclaim Your Authenticity.

2. Lead From Within.

3. Redefine Your Success.

What is Real Power? 

Real power isn’t about titles, corner offices, or curated LinkedIn profiles. Real power is the ability to lead from the deepest parts of who you are, unapologetically and effectively. It’s the ability to move systems, inspire change, and influence outcomes without sacrificing your integrity or humanity.

Real power is when your leadership is an extension of your values, not a performance for someone else’s comfort. It’s when your very presence creates new possibilities for everyone watching.

Real power isn’t given, it’s owned. And it’s time for you to own yours. 

Additional Tip for Black Men: Lead from your core, not the company’s script. Stop letting job titles and corporate scripts dictate your leadership identity. Real power comes from anchoring yourself in who you are, not who they expect you to be.

So my advice: Move from performing for approval → to leading from conviction. Make decisions that align with your personal values, even when they stretch the system you’re operating within.

Reclaim Your Leadership Edge with The Authentic Edge

Reclaim Your Authenticity: You were never meant to shrink to fit. Every time you edit your presence to make others comfortable, you dull your edge. Your lived experience, your voice, your brilliance, they’re not liabilities. They’re leadership assets.

Show up as YOU.

Not the safe version. Not the digestible version. The real you.

When your leadership is rooted in authenticity, your influence becomes undeniable. People follow leaders they feel, not leaders they fear. Your Challenge: Reflect on these 2 questions. Where have you been playing small to “fit”? And, what would leading fully as yourself look like this week?

Next, lead from within. Leadership isn’t about titles, it’s about truth. The strongest leadership flows from your internal compass, not external validation. Systems will try to define your leadership by optics. You have to define it by values.

Trust your voice. Own your values. Because if you don’t, someone else will. So, once you’ve transitioned into that mindset, go through this reflection. What’s a core belief you refuse to compromise, no matter how high you climb?

Leadership that lasts is leadership build from within. When your internal compass is clear, no boardroom can throw you off course.

Lastly, redefine your success. Stop chasing their version of “winning.” Success isn’t about likes, titles, or proximity to power. It’s about impact, legacy, and living your purpose without dilution.

It’s time to break free.

• Choose purpose over performance.

• Choose impact over image.

• Choose legacy over likes.

When you redefine success on your own terms, you stop hustling for seats at tables, and start building your own. So, my question to Black men in leadership is, what does true success look like if you define it for yourself - not for the world?

Write it down. Revisit it. Let it fuel every move you make.

Additional Tip for Black Men: Own Your Presence, Fully and Without Apology. Your mere presence challenges and changes narratives. Real power is walking into every room with the awareness that you belong there, without shrinking, posturing, or seeking validation.

Here’s the Shift:

Move from shrinking to fit → to expanding to lead. Occupy spaces with full self-awareness and self-respect, refusing to negotiate your wholeness to make others comfortable.

Closing Thoughts:

In summary, the bigger truth: When you lead from purpose, you don’t just elevate your career, you shift systems. You become a catalyst for cultural change. You inspire teams that thrive. You leave institutions better than you found them. This is leadership that lasts. Not leadership that demands code-switching and compromise. Not leadership built on survival and self-erasure. Not leadership that wins you a title, but costs you your soul.

This is The Authentic Edge.

And Black men, it’s time you claimed it fully.

My upcoming leadership blueprint for Black men ready to reclaim power and legacy is dropping soon. This is the blueprint for Black men ready to stop surviving leadership, and start redefining it on their own terms.

In it, you’ll learn:

• How to reclaim your authentic voice

• How to build legacy-level leadership that lasts

• How to lead high-stakes teams without burning out

• How do you balance vulnerability and strength in your leadership

Subscribe to the Vision Leadership for LIFE newsletter now for early access, if you want the insider blueprint before it drops, exclusive insights, and first access when pre-orders go live.

Fellas, your journey is both unique and powerful. If you’re ready to start leading from your authentic edge, then your on the roadmap for greatness. When you’re leading from within, you are not only advancing your career but also paving the way for future leaders.

Feel free to reach out for personalized coaching or share your success stories.

Your success is our shared triumph.

Real Talk:

• Stop worrying about appearances.

• Start leading with real power.

You don’t have to lose yourself to lead. You just have to reclaim who you are, and lead from there.

Have a POWERFUL Day!

Dominic George

Founder, Vision Leadership for LIFE, LLC

Intellectual Property Notice:
© 2025 Vision Leadership for LIFE, LLC. All rights reserved.
The content, concepts, and original expressions in this newsletter are the exclusive intellectual property of Dominic George and Vision Leadership for LIFE, LLC. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without prior written permission. This newsletter is intended for personal development and leadership growth. Respect the work. Honor the source.

The Authentic Edge™ framework and related materials are proprietary to Vision Leadership for LIFE, LLC.