In this third installment of the Leadership Revival Series, L. Michelle Smith brings the journey full circle. After exploring history & culture in Part 1 and applied science in Part 2, today’s episode takes us into the final pillar of the Call & Response Leadership Revival Framework: leadership theory.
This episode weaves together research, lived experience, and a deeply personal full-circle story that became a turning point in the creation of Call & Response: 10 Leadership Lessons from the Black Church (Amistad Books/HarperCollins, Feb 2026).
You’ll hear:
Why leadership theory is finally naming what many leaders have lived for generations
How self-work, relationship work, and world work become the backbone of leadership with heart
A powerful reading of L. Michelle’s essay, “When You Receive the Language for What You’ve Lived”
A moving sidebar featuring her early connection with Abby West, now VP & Editorial Director at Amistad Books
A special clip from Episode 161, “The Sound of Progress,” exploring storytelling, sound, community, and cultural leadership
How one unexpected conversation led directly to the acquisition of Call & Response
This is the episode where everything clicks — the moment theory, story, science, and culture meet in a single, resonant truth:
Leadership isn’t changing. It’s returning.
To community.
To connection.
To courage.
To heart.
And this episode marks that return.
IN THIS EPISODE
Part 3 of the Leadership Revival Series
Leadership theory explained through a cultural, scientific, and human lens
What it means to “receive the language for what you’ve lived”
Why narrative and sound have always been leadership technologies
How L. Michelle’s relationship with Abby West helped bring Call & Response to life
The moment everything came full circle
ABOUT THE BOOK
Call & Response: 10 Leadership Lessons from the Black Church
By L. Michelle Smith
Amistad Books / HarperCollins | JVL Media
Releases February 10, 2026
Pre-order & learn more: lmichellesmith.com/callandresponse
FOLLOW & CONNECT
Website: lmichellesmith.com
Instagram: @lmichellespeaks
LinkedIn: L. Michelle Smith
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