A few years ago, we found a dearth of information about LGBTQ+ leaders in print. So did Layla McCay, psychiatrist, founder of the Centre for Urban Design and Mental Health, and author of Breaking The Rainbow Ceiling. Layla captured the experiences of LGBTQ+ leaders in the workplace to examine what was holding them back from making it to the top. Not only did she uncover hidden barriers, but also some surprising leadership strengths that came from the journeys of her contributors. In this episode we glimpse into Layla's personal journey and explore the LGBTQ+ leadership discoveries in her book.

Jim Fielding, author of All Pride, No Ego, former CEO, retail and media veteran, and current partner at Archer Gray, contains multitudes. Jim, Jimmy, James, and JD are just some of the names he's been called and all are a part of who he is as a successful executive who has faced personal and professional challenges on the way to finding his authentic self. In our conversation we cover how Jim integrated his many aspects, the advice he'd give to his younger self, how to test for critical leadership skills, found family at work, queer aging, and so much more. Jim may be a complicated unicorn, but that's given him a lot of wisdom to share!

As a Senior Advisor to the U.S. Special Envoy to Advance the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons, it's no surprise that Reggie Greer thinks big. Learning from an early age to be empathetic to those around him, despite his challenges existing at the intersection of being a black, queer, disabled man from a religious household, Reggie moved rapidly to positions where he could drive positive change. His work to bring people into the process, prevent disillusionment in government, and move folks from apathy to allyship is inspiring. Always one to find the silver lining despite the color of the clouds, Reggie's visibility as a public servant and beacon of optimism brings light to dark places.

Puerto Rican? Gay? Female? Left-Handed? (Sometimes this one matters to surgeons!) Which one of these is the reason you hate me? Surgeon, Professor, and Vice Chair of Faculty Development at City of Hope, Dr. Lorna Rodriguez has navigated them all, often many or all of them at one. With all the challenges, Lorna knows exactly what it is to be forged in fire, to navigate adversity and come out stronger on the other side. She's used her experiences to build collaborative environments where everyone's perspective contributes to better patient outcomes. She's even consciously re-coded the algorithms in her brain to address biases, enhance her safety, and support those around her.

No spoilers, but the path to authenticity and her gender identity taken by Executive Director of Film and Television for Hearst Magazines Jude Harris, is not one you might expect. She's using her uniqueness and perspective to help tell queer stories in a difficult market and paving the way for trans and queer executives to follow her trail. Along the way, there were a lot of difficult things to let go of, but empowered her to own her narrative. In addition to leadership insights, Jude penned a story, with advice that is "excellent for any dark day when all you can do is hope for a better future and start walking in that general direction," which is the epilogue to Forging Queer Leaders: How the LGBTQIA+ Community Creates Impact from Adversity.

In a life of many acts, Joanne Carroll knew she was one of the little girls from an early age, but didn't share it with the world until her late 50's. Once out, she discovered a passion for helping others; she was the one throwing starfish that had washed ashore back into the sea. It was a later realization that something must be wrong for so many starfish (trans people) to keep turning up in distress that pushed her advocacy work into another gear. Now in her mid 80's, Joanne continues tirelessly to work on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community in Pennsylvania, being named two years running as one of the 100 most influential LGBTQ leaders in the state. Note: This was our first live episode with audience questions, but we had some technical difficulties.

When asked to explain the benefits and the challenges of LGBTQ+ leadership, we're often stuck relying on anecdotes because data gathering is difficult in a world where we often remain hidden. Dr. Luke Fletcher and Dr. Shaun Pichler, authors of the new journal article Songs of the Self: The Importance of Authentic Leadership and Core Self Evaluations for LGBT Managers, join us for a discussion about developing the academic underpinning and gathering the data on what makes LGBTQ+ leadership so powerful. We also cover their personal journeys, how they developed into leaders and researchers, and where we go from here to continue building the case about the value of LGBTQ+ leadership.

For Transgender Day of Visibility, Queen Victoria Ortega explains how transgender people are contouring the American Dream into a more expansive and inclusive dream. Keys to her work are empowerment, community connections, skill development, and a sense of service. We explore how she set shame aside at an early age and used her family's penchant for critical thinking to become a celebrated multi-talented leader in her Los Angeles community and around the world. Believing in the power of storytelling developed within the community, she leverages her intersectionality to guide organizations and systems toward transformational change that is both meaningful and effective. Don't miss this one!

Athlete. Teammate. Friend. Mentor. Cybersecurity Expert. Workforce Developer. Dr. Safi Mojidi has excelled in a huge variety of roles. He is a community leader creating a future where cybersecurity is sound, respect of privacy is inherent, and technology is leveraged equitably for all. Importantly, he's using his experiences and challenges as a black man of trans experience to build the talented, technologically savvy, workforce of the future. His mentorship and skill-building passion help create a workforce where people from underrepresented communities are ready to deliver value on day 1 across a wide range of technical disciplines.

As someone with multiple minority statuses, Dr. A.C. Fowlkes, puts the onus on himself to create space for other individuals with multiple minority status. Having broken through a lot of glass ceilings, he's had a number of different times where he just wanted to throw in the towel. But understanding that if he didn't do something, people in the future, perhaps even his own child, would face the same barriers he's kept fighting to remove those challenges. Dr. Fowlkes has challenged stereotypes and false beliefs across industries, worked to help many of society's most stigmatized individuals, and is the author of the new book, Transgender Inclusion: All the Things You Want To Ask Your Transgender Coworker But Shouldn't.

Totally, eminently qualified was how Senator John McCain describe our guest, Eric Fanning, during his confirmation to be Secretary of the Army. In a career that weaves in and out of senior roles in government and industry, currently as CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association, Fanning was often the first gay person to occupy those heights. Yet that rarely comes up publicly, the focus is on his qualifications. Still, his sexual orientation played an important role in the way he developed as a leader. Being gay gave him perspective on himself and those he served that helped shape him into a leader of teams capable of incredible things and thriving through change.

Engineer, test pilot, public servant, and CEO only begins to describe Amanda Simpson's career and leadership flight path. She's flown over 60 different types of aircraft, but the most perilous takeoff may have been the one to finding her authentic self. Amanda's journey is filled with moments where she kicked open doors for other transgender people to follow her and was simultaneously recognized for her many professional accomplishments. Amanda's passion is evident in everything she pursues. Her commitment to technical excellence, developing strong teams, and building a trajectory to the future is an inspiration to all leaders.

Featuring returning guest Blake Dremann as our host for this episode, the Forged in Fire team looks back at our first season. There we so many insightful guests, amazing storytellers, and heroes on the show this season. Learn what surprised us, what we learned about making a podcast, and what our light-bulb moments were! We also ask for your feedback as we look to make Season 2 even better than the first.

As the first Executive Director of the Human Rights Campaign Fund, Vic Basile led a significant coalescence of the LGBTQ+ rights lobbying community during the AIDS crisis and fought prejudice and bigotry on Capitol Hill. In his new memoir, Bending Toward Justice: A Memoir of Two Decades of LGBT Leadership and the Founding of the Human Rights Campaign​, he tells the story of those challenging years and sets the stage for the continued growth of the organization into today's Human Rights Campaign. We dive into his lessons learned and how he grew into the roles he needed to fill in order to create an effective organization that addressed both the needs of the LGBTQ+ community and the legal voids that drove those needs.

In a storied career across many fields, Jamison Green has impacted countless lives, particularly those of transgender men. His 2004 memoir, Becoming a Visible Man, became the publisher's bestselling book of all time and was updated to a second edition in 2019. Jamison has successfully led nonprofit organizations, changed anti-discrimination laws, reformed insurance exclusions and diagnostic protocols, and published articles and books on many aspects of transgender health and rights. His indefatigable energy motivates his writing and speaking engagements and spills into his storytelling. The sum of all that work is Jamison delivering hope for a better and more just existence to the lives of so many.

Colorado's first transgender state legislator, Brianna Titone, is now in her third term. Recently, in a moment that blended her leadership and personal journey, Brianna's authenticity and the power of her representation shown through in a moment where she dared some house colleagues to look at her as they advocated for anti-LGBTQ+ laws. Her presence, and her ability to listen, build bridges, and get results, has led her to be the first transgender legislator elected by peers to a leadership position. Brianna's story is one of an inspirational leader who serves as a link in the chain, building off the accomplishments of other leaders and creating the conditions for future LGBTQ+ leaders to be far more commonplace and to reach far greater heights.

Storytelling is an art and Ron Oden has mastered the craft in a way that draws you in. Ron was the first gay African American to be elected Mayor of an American city when he won in Palm Springs in 2003. He has many identities: professor, administrator, pastor, public servant. There's no doubt service to others is a theme in everything he does. You might not expect a story about an enormous chicken to be in the midst of a grand sweep of history, with Ron weaving a tale more than 150 years long in the interview, but it connects so many elements of racial injustice, speaking out, and creating a better future. Ron was recently elected to the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute’s Hall of Fame for his long history of activism and service. Don't miss this conversation!

She's not yet on a Starfleet recruiting poster, but Leah Lauderback's journey to the stars has not been without hardship either. As the first out LGBTQ+ person to achieve the three-star rank of Lieutenant General and having been instrumental in the stand-up of the United States Space Force, Leah has boldly led teams into new frontiers and shattered barriers everywhere she's been. Getting there wasn't easy as she had to hide a major part of her identity for years under Don't Ask, Don't Tell and risked everything whenever she confided in someone she thought was a friend or ally. Listen in to find out how she became the humble leader she is and how she's pushing for continuing change and a brighter future.

Before becoming a Senator in Aruba, Miguel Mansur considered himself a citizen of the world. Leaving the island at 14, and living in multiple countries, it felt like an escape from homophobia and stigmatization. Yet, he still faced struggles with depression and substance abuse even in more accepting places. Even then, there was still a draw to return home and an economic article he wrote during the COVID pandemic was the spur for a dramatic return. Miguel founded a political party, ​Accion 21, and won his first election to the Aruban Parliament. Listen to his inspirational journey to authenticity where he rises to meet 21st century challenges in order to build the world he hopes to see.

In his new book, The Souls of Queer Folk: How Understanding LGBTQ+ Culture Can Transform Your Leadership Practice, Dr. Joel A Davis Brown uncovers the cultural values and leadership dimensions of the queer community. He also examines what we can all learn from LGBTQ+ leadership wisdom and how to avoid critical missteps. Sound a lot like what we're all about on this show? It is! Join us as we explore how Joel developed into the leader, researcher, and storyteller he is today and as we get to 'nerd out' about LGBTQ+ leadership development! ​ To learn more about Joel and his work, check out his company at pneumos.com