Traci Daniels

I attribute my success to the Lord, all day. I can't take any credit for it. God is my driving force, and without Him, I am nothing. He gave me a mind to persevere, and I'm not afraid of challenges. I don't easily back down, so if I believe in something, I'm going for it. When God tells me to do something, I know He's given me the strength to do it, even when it seems impossible. Everything I do is rooted in my faith, and to God be all the glory.

The best career advice I ever received came from my senior pastor, who happens to be my mother. In 2015, during a church meeting with many leaders in the room, she asked us all, 'Will you allow me to grow?' That question has been my mantra ever since. She was acknowledging that she had made decisions that others might question, but she was waiting on God. The question was asking if we would allow her to grow, because things are going to change as God opens things up, as we learn more, as we grow and mature. If we don't have that understanding that there is going to be change, something's wrong. That advice has impacted me academically and professionally, and it transcends through everything in my life. I've never let it go since 2015.

I would encourage young women to be authentically themselves. One thing I learned when I had to step up in the pulpit was that I was trying to be like my mom, but anyone trying to be like somebody else comes off as unauthentic, as a fake, as a phony. You have to figure out who you are in God, who you are in Christ. Know what the Word says about you, operate in that, and have all the confidence in the world, because God's got your back and God made you uniquely you. Never underestimate the power of your voice, your authenticity, your uniqueness, your vision, or your value. Walk confidently in who you are becoming, even though you're still growing. Be confident in where you are right now, and don't allow fear, rejection, or comparison to hold you back. Comparison is a thief of almost everything. I'm big on reminding women that finding their purpose and walking in their purpose is bigger than a trend, a title, or anybody's applause. Build a life rooted in faith, discipline, wisdom, and authenticity, and be willing to grow through the challenges instead of being defeated by them.

My biggest challenge is to stay consistent. The world is changing every day, and things that we used to know so well, we don't know anymore. Life looks different for various reasons. It's about staying consistent, staying ready, staying ready to grow, and being willing to grow. Life is making us stretch outside of our comfort zones and think outside of the box with AI and technology. In the NAACP, I'm seeing real-time how all the generations are collapsing together. You have people who have been through the struggle, who marched on Selma, who have been advocates for over 50 or 60 years, and they're looking at it one way with passion. But we live in a different society and day where we don't live in the same time, so we have to think about how we can reach other people, be more of an advocate, be more present, and not stay trying to live in the past.

It's important for me to be ethical and faith-driven. Integrity is essential to me, because if you're a leader without it, you can turn toxic. I did my whole dissertation on navigating toxic leadership in the Pentecostal Church because I witnessed leadership turn toxic organizationally, and I would never want anyone to experience that. I lead with love and compassion, and service is definitely important to me. Being accountable and doing everything with a spirit of excellence matters deeply. I'm very sensitive to being a leader that leads with love, compassion, integrity, empathy, and understanding. I'm not afraid to say when I'm wrong, because everybody can be wrong and nobody's perfect. Let's acknowledge it and stop acting like somebody's perfect except you.