Untapped Leadership by Jenny Vazquez-Newsum Summary
Overview of Untapped Leadership
"Untapped Leadership" challenges traditional leadership paradigms by centering marginalized voices. Born from reflections on George Floyd's murder and COVID-19, Vazquez-Newsum's work asks: What if our most powerful leaders remain unseen? Discover why DEI experts call this perspective "essential" for tomorrow's organizations.
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Key takeaways
When the Leadership Playbook Was Written Without You
What if every leadership lesson you've ever learned was designed for someone else? Not metaphorically-literally. The frameworks executives memorize, the traits HR departments screen for, the behaviors that earn promotions: they emerged from studies conducted when women couldn't vote, when segregation was legal, when "leader" and "white man" were practically synonyms. We've spent decades refining these models, never pausing to ask whether we've been perfecting the wrong blueprint. The corporate world celebrates diversity while clinging to definitions of leadership that systematically exclude the very people it claims to welcome. Leadership theory didn't begin with objective science-it started with Thomas Carlyle's 1840s assertion that history belonged to "great men" blessed by divine favor. Women, people of color, anyone outside the elite? Simply not part of the equation. We might laugh at such obvious bias today, yet its DNA persists in how we idolize charismatic CEOs and favor candidates who "look the part." Francis Galton took this further, attempting to prove through eugenics that leadership flowed through bloodlines. Though we've rightfully discredited eugenics, its shadow lingers in assumptions about who naturally belongs in corner offices.
The Flawed Foundations of Modern Leadership Theory
The Invisible Architecture That Determines Who Leads
Why Diversity Initiatives Keep Failing and What Actually Works
The Hidden Expertise and Daily Survival of Marginalized Leaders
When Self-Doubt Becomes Both Burden and Strategic Advantage
Leading from Your Zone of Untapped Capacity
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"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
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"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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