Outside the Echo: Juneteenth

Hello again, friends—thanks for joining me.

Last time, I challenged you to “Escape the Echo” by finding a new book, podcast, colleague, or philosophy to challenge your day-to-day perspective. If you tried that, will you reply and let me know how it went, and what you discovered?

This issue comes just days ahead of Juneteenth—the annual commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States following the Civil War. Long celebrated by African American communities, the historical day has only more recently begun to be recognized popularly.

I want to use this space to highlight its importance, and to reflect on a thoroughly influential figure in my own life: the Reverend Randy Taylor, who marched alongside Martin Luther King, Jr. in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, and who instilled in me early on the understanding that we must fight for the rights of those around us.

I hope you enjoy this special issue, and please share with your friends and colleagues if you feel inclined!

Welcome back to the Leader’s Playground! Let’s dive in.

The Legacy of Rev. Randy Taylor

In 1972, I was lucky enough to have dinner with Martin Luther King, Jr.’s parents. Of course, at seven years old I wasn’t able to fully appreciate the importance of that occasion. But I do now.

My unlikely childhood path crossed with these incredible people because of Randy Taylor, Head of the United Reformed Church. He and his family were like my adopted home in the US.

They were lovely people: Randy was heavily involved with the Civil Rights Movement, marching in protests (including MLK’s March on Washington) and leading the Church in support of desegregation and social progress. Randy used his position as a religious leader in the southeast to create change and drive toward progress. They held dinners at their house to spur conversation among community and governmental leaders both local and national.

A little history:

My father’s father, Professor A M Hunter (Archie Macbride), was a Professor of Theology at the University of Aberdeen, where he taught Randy and a number of other American students who came over for school decades ago.

Randy and his wife, Arlene, were pregnant with their first child while Randy was enrolled at Aberdeen, and my grandfather and grandmother wanted to see the young couple in comfortable living accommodation during that significant time.

My grandparents invited Randy and Arlene to live with them during the pregnancy and after the baby, Katherine, arrived. The four of them grew very close over the years and the Taylors always remembered the kindness of my Grandparents.

Decades later, when I was a boy, my family went to the US and visited with the Taylors, in Atlanta, one Christmas. That’s when we had dinner at their home, along with the King family (Martin Luther King, Jr.’s parents). The Kings were friends of Randy through his work with Central Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, Georgia, and found deep connection in their shared civil rights efforts throughout the South.

Reflecting on that time now, and on our relationship with the Taylors, I’m grateful to have had an outstanding leader who modeled the values of compassion, connection, and conviction.

It was only as I grew up with this family over the years that I understood—through Randy’s actions and the community he created—what it really meant to break open your own echo chamber and be able to bring in dissenting voices to challenge you.

The Leadership Tales Podcast

Today on the Leadership Tales Podcast, I am joined by an amazing leader and former US Navy SEAL, Rob Newson. Rob’s career spans a wide range, from Special Operations military deployments, working in the White House, to recently holding position as a VP of Strategy and Vision with the Philadelphia 76ers basketball team. Through it all, Rob has a red thread connected to the ideals of honor, integrity, and service.

Today, Rob is focused on advocacy for a growing issue—the countless number of otherwise healthy young men and women who are developing rare forms of cancer that can be linked to their military service, particularly those who served in Special Ops. After his own experience with cancer, Rob became an anti-cancer catalyst to connect others with treatment, advocacy, and community.

Leaders will be delighted to hear Rob share the roles that vulnerability and accountability have in Special Operations and how these same lessons can be applied to your own teams. You won’t want to miss this fascinating conversation on leadership and teamwork with someone as as steeped in team and service as Rob!

Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts—and if you can, please leave a review. Each review helps put our show in front of more listeners, which means more opportunities for those who need them.

And if you know of someone you think would be a great guest on the show, reply and let me know about them. I want to share stories from leaders making a positive difference in the world—and the more tales we tell, the better.

Until next time...

This month’s topic—Escaping the Echo—feels especially meaningful to me, and I love that it aligns with Juneteenth too. Randy Taylor was like a father to me in the US, and his wisdom and grace set an invaluable example for me early on about what it means to listen and learn from others, especially those whose experiences differ unimaginably from our own.

I’ll be back next month to talk about different types of leaders, how to discover which type you are, and how to utilize this information to grow and improve your work and your organization.

Thanks again for joining me, and please do forward this on to a friend who may enjoy it—the best way to gain wisdom is in community. The more, the merrier!

See you in two weeks.

Cheers,

Colin

To learn more about my book, Be More Wrong: How Failure Makes You an Outstanding Leader, click here.