Leading Below the Surface: How to Build Real (and Psychologically Safe) Relationships with People Who Are Different from You - Paperback

by Latonya Wilkins (Author)

True connection at work isn't a luxury, it's a necessity. In Leading Below the Surface, award-winning author, professor, and executive coach LaTonya Wilkins offers a powerful alternative to performative corporate norms, challenging leaders to reimagine how organizational culture is built and sustained.

Drawing on lived experience, neuroscience, social psychology, and cutting-edge leadership research, this book is a call to action for those who want to lead with purpose, build real trust, and cultivate teams that connect. Through compelling storytelling and grounded, actionable strategies, Wilkins shows how below the surface leadership creates deeper relationships, encourages belonging, and strengthens organizational resilience.

This updated edition expands on the original insights with new stories, practical tools, and reflections on how inclusive, human-centered leadership drives results and renews organizational culture from the inside out.

Whether you're a rising leader or a seasoned executive, this book is your compass to lead more courageously; without compromising who you are.