This week’s Leadership Tidbits with Coach Tee Wilson features the highly distinguished and accomplished Dr Karen Bankston. Dr. Bankston came on air more than prepared to drop some knowledge on what it takes to become a thriving and strong leader.

Before we dive into a few of her leadership tidbits, here’s a few things you need to know about her. Dr. Karen Bankston is a fellow of the American College of Health Executives and national leader in the promotion of diversity and inclusion in educational and health care settings to reduce health disparities and inequalities. Capitalizing on her skills and experience, Dr. Bankston provides national organizations with support for change management, performance improvement and leadership as the President/CEO of KDB and Associates Consulting Services, LLC. She is an adjunct professor in the doctoral program at the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing and serves on the Executive Committee of the UC Black Faculty Association. A highly favored speaker, Dr. Bankston has been actively involved in numerous boards, including the United Way of Greater Cincinnati, Legal Aid Society and the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber Agenda 360, as a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Steering Committee. In regards to her educational history, Dr. Bankston received her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from Kent State University, her Master’s Degree of Science in Nursing/ Psych-Mental Health Nursing from Kent State University, and her Doctorate of Philosophy from The University of Cincinnati. These are just some of the many facts and accolades of Dr. Karen Bankston.

Through this interview, Dr. Bankston shares with us how she was able to create her seat at the table as an African-American female leader, while advising upcoming leaders, “When you get your seat at the table, it is important to not only be at the table, but to make sure your presence is known.” Growing up during the civil rights era, Bankston found herself more often than not, to be the “only” in the room. She was often the only woman or the only African-American. Because of this, she recognizes that for young black leaders specifically, it is difficult to remain authentic as you step into numerous rooms where you are expected to code switch and overcompensate. To remain authentic, she shared, “know what you value, and value what you know.” She explained that during the earlier parts of her journey, she spent her time getting to know herself and what she stood for in order to retain her authenticity as her journey continued.

Overall, here are some leadership tidbits to take away from Dr. Karen Bankston: To be an effective leader Bankston advises those interested in leadership to accept and know oneself, stay focused, reflect often, remember you need others to help you, and always believe in yourself as you move forward.

Check out the full podcast to hear more of Dr Bankston’s thoughts!!