Change in leadership sounds inspiring—until you live it. Behind every policy win, reform effort, or equity initiative lies a personal story of risk, resistance, and resilience.

This week, I joined Dr. Brian Perkins on The Perkins Platform, now in its fourteenth year of bringing global thought leaders into dialogue about the challenges of leadership, to discuss “The Not-So-Subtle Costs of Change Leadership.”

In this candid 36-minute conversation, we talk about what happens after the press releases fade: the loneliness of leading equity work, the emotional toll of staying the course, and the professional consequences that can come when you push too hard against the status quo. We also explore how leaders can stay grounded in purpose when the cost of conviction feels high.

Drawing on my own journey, from scholar and advocate to dean and provost, I share the realities of changemaking in spaces that often prefer quiet compliance over courageous truth. Leadership, I argue, is not about popularity or comfort. It is about persistence, reflection, and the ability to keep walking even when the path narrows.

Dr. Perkins and I also discuss strategies for staying whole while leading:

• Building trusted networks of solidarity and mentorship
• Practicing transparency and empathy as leadership tools
• Recognizing when resilience must be paired with rest
• Learning to transform isolation into insight

If you’ve ever led change inside an institution—education, government, or otherwise—you’ll recognize the paradox we unpack: how those who seek to expand opportunity often face the sharpest resistance. Yet, as I note in our conversation, progress is rarely painless, but it is always possible.

🎧 Listen to the full episode here:

• Spotify
• Amazon Music
• iHeartRadio
  or find The Perkins Platform below or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Embracing Yourself As An Imperfect Leader – The Perkins Platform

In this episode, I sit down with Jim Brown, seasoned leadership coach, consultant, and author of The Imperfect CEO, for a candid conversation about what he has learned from years of working alongside executives and leadership teams. Jim shares why effective leadership is not about having all the answers or projecting perfection, but about developing the self-awareness, discipline and humility to keep growing. Drawing from both his consulting experience and the lessons in The Imperfect CEO, we explore the realities of leading people, navigating difficult decisions, learning from mistakes and becoming comfortable with the inevitable imperfections that come with leadership. It is a practical and refreshing conversation for anyone who carries the responsibility of leading others.

1. Embracing Yourself As An Imperfect Leader 34:34
2. Supporting Smart and Capable Children 42:59
3. Leading Cognitively Diverse Teams 32:34
4. When Leadership Becomes a Moral Decision 37:01
5. Stay True to You: Being Yourself Amidst Pressure to Lead Others 33:07

True leadership requires courage, community, and conviction. I hope this conversation offers both insight and encouragement to those who are walking that difficult—and necessary—path of change.

Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig is a global leader in public scholarship whose work connects research, civic action, and public understanding. His Cloaking Inequity platform has reached more 1 million readers in 200 countries, while his LinkedIn account and newsletter Without Fear or Favor have drawn 1.5 million views in just six months. His research and commentary have been cited by The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Associated Press, USA Today, and Education Week. He has appeared on Al Jazeera, ABC, CBS, PBS, NBC, NPR, Univision, Latino USA, Democracy Now!, and MSNBC, helping millions connect evidence to action. Through courage, clarity, and communication, he transforms scholarship into a civic force that advances democracy and the common good.