Leadership is a Responsibility

Leadership is more than a position. It is a responsibility to the people affected by a leader's decisions.

In Leadership Is a Responsibility, scholar-practitioner Dr. Marisol Capellan examines the human consequences of organizational power through her journey from childhood in the Dominican Republic to a career in U.S. higher education, alongside the lived experiences of Black women and Afro-Latinas in the workplace. Blending memoir, interviews, and leadership research, Capellan explores the gap between institutional commitments to inclusion and the day-to-day decisions that shape employees' opportunities and well-being.

Across fifteen chapters, the book considers career advancement, access to mentorship and authority, invisible workplace barriers, racism and sexism, motherhood and work, and the ways race, gender, and socioeconomic background intersect in professional life. It examines how leaders influence trust, belonging, psychological safety, and organizational culture-and why written values are no substitute for accountable action.

The final section makes a practical case for responsible leadership. Capellan encourages managers to examine their decision-making, seek perspectives beyond their own, put people first, confront exclusion, and take responsibility for the consequences of their choices. She also offers guidance for women navigating professional challenges while protecting their careers and well-being.

Written for current and emerging managers, organizational leaders, HR and talent-development professionals, educators, students, and readers interested in workplace equity, Leadership Is a Responsibility asks: How do your decisions affect the people you lead?