Dr. HUME (Hume Johnson)
Leadership coach and professor emphasizing professional sovereignty, executive communication, and leader identity.
Own Your Expertise, Claim Professional Sovereignty
Hi, I’m a leadership coach and professor of communication + media studies. I am a strong believer in people development, personal leadership and professional sovereignty. I help mid-career professionals “mint their currency” i.e their expertise, intellectual capital, human skills and core values. My Goal: to empower leaders to own their value, position themselves as authorities in their niche, leverage their professional assets across sectors and claim what I call Professional Sovereignty™.
True Value Lies Beyond Credentials, Embrace Vulnerable Differentiation
Answering questions for a profile piece being done on me for Women's History Month. Pleased to have the opportunity to be reflective about the value I bring to the table beyond credentials. Credentials are safe; they exist outside us. But to demonstrate...
Empathy Beats Résumé: Memorable Leadership over Credentials
Two candidates, same role. Same question Candidate A: “I have five years of management experience and I’ve led teams of ten people.” Candidate B: “I learned early that people don’t work harder just because you tell them to. They work harder when they feel...
True Leadership Thrives on Relentless Coachability and Self‑honesty
Being coachable means you're willing to be honest with yourself. It means receiving feedback without defensiveness, sitting with discomfort, and staying open to seeing your blind spots. It means trading your ego for growth. The best leaders I know never stopped...
Credentials Open Doors; Personality Lands the Job
Your credentials got you in the room. They were never going to get you the job. Everyone in the final round has credentials. Stop leading with credentials. Your credentials are table stakes, not a differentiator. The interview starts where the resume...
Prioritizing Stakeholders Shapes Trustful Communication Strategies
What does it mean to prioritize stakeholders in your communication strategy? Today students in my COMM 360: Communication in Organizations class at RWU will explore that question with Weayonnoh Nelson-Davies, Esq., Executive Director of the Rhode Island Economic Progress Institute. Weayonnoh will...
True Leadership Begins with Confronting Your Own Self
We talk a lot about leading others - teams, organizations, movements, nations. But the most complex leadership challenge is far more intimate. It demands character, honest and deep self-reflection, and a willingness to confront who you are before you try to...
Credentials Signal Sameness, Not Standout Selection
When you answer a differentiation question with credentials, you're actually saying: "I am as good as the others." That's the argument you make when you don't want to be eliminated. It is not the argument you make when you want to be selected.
Choose Challenge Over Comfort to Foster Continuous Growth
If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you. One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again. - Abraham Maslow
Prioritize Internal Stakeholders; Communicate Hope, Purpose, Authenticity
Recently, my Communication in Organizations class at RWU heard from Theresa Matos Agonia, Chief of Staff at Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Two insights stood out: Internal stakeholders are the most important public. They must be intentionally prioritized. She also says leadership...
True Career Power Comes From Sovereignty, Not Branding
You don't need a better brand. You need Sovereignty. You can have a great personal brand and still feel like a passenger in your own career, waiting for permission, chasing recognition, tying your worth to a job title. Professional Sovereignty is the...
Structure Unlocks Clarity, Stops Rambling
Most people don’t ramble because they lack ideas. They ramble because they lack structure. Before you build slides, write paragraphs or even rehearse. Ask yourself: What pattern of organization best serves my message? Structure is not restrictive, It is liberating. When you choose...
Structure Your Talk: One Idea, Three Points, Clear Wrap
Many speakers think their audience will naturally follow their thoughts. So they ramble, and lose their point. Fix: Before speaking, answer these questions: 1. What is my central idea? 2. What three points support it? 3. What examples will clarify each point?4. How will...