Who Holds You While YOU Lead? Relational Power, Trust, and the Work of Leadership

Leadership often focuses on what leaders hold: Responsibility. Decisions. Expectations. Pressure. Authority. Accountability. But this week, we’re turning the question in another direction. Who holds the leader? Who mentors you? Who tells you the truth? Who helps you grow? Who teaches you how to lead with wisdom, clarity, humility, and courage? Who trusts you? Who needs to experience your leadership as trustworthy? And who must not be sacrificed while you serve? I’m honored to welcome Dr. Rachel Edoho-Eket to Let’s Talk Power Live for a conversation about relational power, leadership, trust, mentorship, and the work of leading without losing sight of the people who matter most. This conversation matters because leadership is never only technical. It is relational. Leaders shape culture through the relationships they build, the trust they sustain, the people they develop, the families they serve, and the boundaries they model. Relational power is leadership power. It shows up in how leaders are mentored and how they pay that mentorship forward. It shows up in how leaders build trust with families — not only when there is a conflict, crisis, or concern, but before trust is urgently needed. It shows up in relational intelligence: the ability to listen, read context, repair harm, communicate with care, navigate disagreement, and understand how leadership decisions land on people. And it shows up in how leaders honor their own families while serving schools at a high level. That last part matters. Too often, leadership is framed as sacrifice. But if leadership requires people to consistently neglect the relationships that sustain them, then we have to ask what kind of model we are normalizing for the people watching us lead. This week, we’ll explore: What strong mentorship makes possible across a leadership journey. Why paying it forward is not just generosity, but leadership responsibility. How leaders build trust with all families, including families who may have been overlooked, misunderstood, or only contacted when something goes wrong. Why relational intelligence is not a soft skill, but a core leadership skill. How school leaders can serve with excellence while also protecting their own families, rhythms, and humanity. Because leadership is not only about what you carry. It is also about who holds you, who trusts you, who learns from you, and who experiences your leadership as a source of clarity, care, and strength. Let’s Talk Power Live Who Holds You While You Lead? Relational Power, Trust, and the Work of Leadership with Dr. Rachel Edoho-Eket Thursday, September 24th 5:30 PM ET Live on YouTube Relational power is leadership power.