Authentic leadership: insights from Takayla King on International Women's Day

Takayla King is Head of Belonging at Box and a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion. With her extensive experience and expertise, Takayla leads impactful initiatives to break down barriers faced by women worldwide.

As we celebrate International Women's Day, let us draw inspiration from Takayla's commitment to creating inclusive spaces where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered. Her dedication serves as a reminder that fostering diversity is not only essential but also beneficial for organizations striving towards success in today's global landscape.

Hi Takayla, thank you for chatting with us. To start with, can you share how being an LGBTQ+ woman shaped your leadership style and ability to mentor and support other women in the workplace? 

Authenticity is a core value for me. As a black, queer woman, entering the corporate space was a little daunting - compounded by being a first-generation college graduate. In the beginning, there were numerous ways I hid parts of myself to fit in at work, and it impacted how I showed up personally and professionally. Now - my why (personally and professionally) - is to create space for individuals who live at various intersections, such as LGBTQ+ folks, women, trans, and non-binary folks - to show up authentically - whatever that looks like for them.

I recognize that there are some individuals who cannot show up as they are for various reasons; with that, I feel my role is to be an advocate for those folks, commit to continuous learning and show up as an ally. Experiencing challenges in the workplace has only deepened my core value of showing up authentically to empower others.  

Have you experienced any specific barriers or biases as an LGBTQ+ woman in the workplace? How have you navigated these, and what advice would you give to others facing similar challenges? 

A particular bias that can exist in terms of intersectional identities is that one speaks for all and the pressure to continuously educate those around us. This bias can be particularly harmful as experiences differ across various identities, and it’s important that we do not invite generalizations of communities.

In those circumstances, I think it’s important to speak from my own experiences versus feeling pressured to speak for an entire community. I also try to use these opportunities to amplify the voices of other folks in the community and invite them to the table for conversation. For individuals who find themselves in positions where they are being asked to continuously educate others about your experience and the experience of others - I recommend that you take a pause and check in with your own capacity to do so, as it is not your responsibility to be both the educator and voice for your community and/or others.

Do you have any personal or professional role models who have inspired and influenced your journey, especially on International Women's Day? 

Audre Lorde has a quote, “May I live conscious of my debt of all the people who make life possible,” I am reminded of that quote every day- as I have been fortunate to have many formal and informal individuals in my journey who have made my life possible - both professionally and personally.  From a personal perspective, my mom will always be an individual who has inspired and influenced my journey as she ensured that she created a space of acceptance, love and empowerment for me so that I can live my life authentically. This is something that I carry forth and hope to create for others in my life, both personally and professionally.