About Dr. Robin Johnson

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Dr. Robin Johnson, founder of EQUEST, Inc. is a Harvard Business School trained Ph.D., and wrote an award-winning dissertation on diversity, work-life balance and empowerment.  Dr. Johnson has been an executive educator, mentor, and author in leadership development for women, LBGT and African-American managers for over 20 years.  She works with individuals, corporations, non-profits and entrepreneurs to help them enhance their effectiveness and empowerment in our multicultural world. 

My CV gives people the bare outlines of my qualifications to research, consult, teach and write about leadership and diversity, but not necessarily much information about what motivates me to do so. As an African-American woman raised poor in the United States, there were so many invitations to pay attention to the hurts – past and present – associated with subordinate status.  So in my own life I’ve had to work hard to be psychologically balanced.  Ever aware of the dynamics of difference and dominance in our society, I also have deep gratitude for my many blessings, so many of which emerged from the very experiences associated with having had a “lesser” social identity and societal subordinate status in many ways.  From personal experience I learned that all of us—each and every one of us—can become leaders if we set our intentions and dance our true dance.

Indeed, despite (or maybe because of) the tumult of my upbringing, I managed to find a way to become a leader in my own life. I became student body president of my high school, graduated from Brown University, worked the fast track as a multilingual international financial professional and earned a master’s degree and doctorate from Harvard. I lead-teach in many ways in my life today – even when I am not the nominal-positional leader.  I have lived the philosophy:  “Right where you are, do what you can. Look for the places where you can say: ‘Yes!' and make a positive difference."

Perhaps most satisfying of all, I have found a way to translate my personal experience into professional pursuits.  In my years as an educator, international business manager, and consultant I have known and studied a wide range of diverse leaders around the world.  Few people have my breadth of interest in leadership diversity or experience with leadership in so many different walks of life.  I am also very moved by the instances of everyday leadership that surround us, but are invisible even to the people making such significant differences in our world.  So I’ve decided to contribute to making their work more visible, and simultaneously to encourage people who might not otherwise see their actual or potential leadership - to intentionall lead, now, right where they are.