EP 109: Leadership, Boards & The Power of Reflection with Dr. Keith Dorsey

In this episode, our spotlight series continues with our veteran guests. Host Dr. Lola Adeyemo sits down with Dr. Keith Dorsey — a board strategist, researcher, executive advisor, and author of The Boardroom Journey — to explore how identity, service, and intentional growth come together to form a successful and fulfilling professional journey. From the U.S. Air Force to nearly three decades in corporate America to doctoral research on corporate board diversity, Dr. Dorsey’s story is a masterclass in clarity, reinvention, and using lived experience to create impact. He brings a rare intersection of perspectives as a veteran, a Black executive, a turnaround specialist, a multi-board member, a global search leader, and now a portfolio-career strategist whose work is centered on leadership, governance, and generational impact. In This Episode, You’ll Hear: ✅ Identity & Intersectionality in Leadership How Dr. Dorsey’s intersections — from military service to corporate leadership to academia — inform how he shows up, leads, and serves today. ✅ Three Career Chapters & the Power of Reinvention A journey from the Air Force ➡️ corporate executive ➡️ board strategist and researcher — and why he calls this season not retirement, but rewirement. ✅ Education Beyond the Classroom Why he earned his bachelor’s degree in his 40s, how he completed an MBA surrounded by other executives, and what it means to be a lifelong learner in the real world — not just on paper. ✅ Becoming a Turnaround Specialist How investing in himself, reading voraciously, and studying his craft helped him lead large teams, solve people/product/process problems, and transform underperforming business units. ✅ What a Portfolio Career Really Is He breaks down how he built a career that includes board service, executive advising, writing, speaking, consulting, and research — all aligned under a single theme of leadership and governance. ✅ Reflection, Pruning & Finding Your Joy His philosophy on reflection, identifying what energizes you, pruning what doesn’t, and uncovering your “secret sauce” to guide your next chapter. ✅ Reverse Engineering Success Why successful people do what others won’t — and how clarity + intentional action can make your goals inevitable. ✅ Food, Culture & Conversation What he would bring to share with colleagues — and how even a simple meal can spark connection, inclusion, and rich conversation. About the Guest Dr. Keith Dorsey is a board strategist, researcher, and executive advisor with decades of leadership experience across military service, corporate America, executive search, and governance. He is the author of The Boardroom Journey and has published work in Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review, Forbes, Directors & Boards, and more. Dr. Dorsey holds a doctorate in Organizational Change and Leadership from USC and an MBA from Pepperdine Graziadio Business School. 🔗 Connect with Dr. Dorsey on LinkedIn🔗 Explore The Boardroom Journey About the Host Dr. Lola Adeyemo is a workplace inclusion strategist, author, and CEO of EQImindset.She helps organizations strengthen ERG/BRG programs and build cultures of belonging through strategy, storytelling, and systems change. 🔗 Connect on LinkedIn: Dr. Lola Adeyemo Want to Go Deeper? For HR & DEI Leaders:Need ERG/BRG strategy support or fractional partnership?📩 [email protected] For Immigrants & First-Gen Professionals:Join the free community for networking, resources, and peer support:👉 www.immigrantsincorporate.org Want to Dive Deeper into this Conversation and Engage? Follow on Substack for extended reflections, storytelling, and community insights tied to every episode. Your story matters. Keep thriving in your intersections. — Dr. Lola Adeyemo Send us Fan MailSupport the showThank you for listening to Thriving in Intersectionality with Dr. Lola Adeyemo.This podcast explores how identity, lived experience, and leadership intersect in today's workplace and beyond. Through conversations with leaders, founders, educators, entrepreneurs, and changemakers, we uncover stories and insights that help people thrive across the many intersections of their lives.💬 Have a thought about this episode? Send a Fan Mail message directly through Buzzsprout. I'd love to hear what resonated with you.❤️ If you find value in these conversations, consider becoming a supporter of the show. Your support helps us continue amplifying diverse voices, meaningful stories, and leadership insights from across industries and experiences.⭐ Follow, share, rate, and review the podcast to help others discover these conversations.📬 Continue the conversation - read the companion reflections on Substack🌍 Immigrants and first-generation professionals can join our free community at:www.immigrantsincorporate.orgConnect with Host Dr. Lola Adeyemo on LinkedIn.Keep thriving in your intersections. Your story matters.