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.

• 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

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

• Website: lmichellesmith.com
• Instagram: @lmichellespeaks
• LinkedIn: L. Michelle Smith
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