Listen to the Replay of Call and Response at TCU

There is something powerful about returning to a university campus to talk about leadership.

At Texas Christian University, our conversation around Call and Response: 10 Leadership Lessons from the Black Church (Amistad Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishing and JVL Media) was not just about a book. It was about formation. It was about where leadership really begins. About the spaces that quietly shape courage, discipline, and voice long before someone earns a title. The conversation was sponsored by the TCU Brite Divinity School and the TCU Bob Schieffer College of Communication, my graduate alma mater and where I currently serve on the Board of Visitors.

We explored the idea that the Black Church has functioned as a leadership laboratory for generations. Not simply as a place of worship, but as a place where people learned to speak with conviction, collaborate across differences, regulate emotion under pressure, and lead with both authority and empathy.

The questions from students and faculty were thoughtful and urgent. How do we build leaders who are heart-centered and rigorous? How do we cultivate emotional intelligence as a strategic advantage? What does it mean to practice power with rather than power over?

These are not abstract questions. They are shaping classrooms, companies, and communities right now.

Grateful to TCU for hosting a rich, honest exchange. If your campus or organization is thinking about the future of leadership, I would love to continue the conversation.

You can listen to it now. The audio is streaming on The Culture Soup Podcast®️ wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Enjoy Ep 200. from the beautiful Robert Carr Chapel at Texas Christian University in conversation with Rev. Dr. Shonda Jones, EVP and Dean of Brite Divinity School.

An edited video will stream across Youtube, Linkedin and Substack as well on Thursday, March 19, 2026.