An Interview with Dr. Lawanda Holliman, founder of Design High Performance™
By Sandra Archer Young
Dr. Lawanda Joseph Holliman is a retired U.S. Army colonel, the product of parents who, according to Holliman, taught her that “I could be anything I wanted to be as long as I did the work.” She is a proud CIU alumna, earning a Ph.D. in Organization Leadership in 2024. As the founder and CEO of the leadership development company Design High Performance™, Holliman supports leaders through workshops, corporate training, executive coaching, leadership advisory services, and more. Holliman shares what she has learned about leadership over the years in this Q&A.
Q: What was it like working through the ranks of the military as an African American female?
My first assignment was to Korea, where I arrived already Airborne qualified. I was assigned to what was then one of the most forward-positioned units in the U.S. Army prior to Desert Shield and Desert Storm. I was in my early 20s, leading soldiers who were in their 40s and 50s. Experience, age, and perspective did not naturally align and acceptance was not automatic. I entered an environment where I knew no one, and where my presence alone challenged expectations. In 1990, our unit operated in direct support of the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea. At the time, I was the only female officer in that space. Others would follow later, but at that moment, there were none.
Q: How did you feel?
Isolation best describes how it felt. Yet alongside that isolation was clarity. I had a mission. I had responsibility. And I was committed to doing the work with discipline, integrity, and resolve, regardless of comfort or consensus.
Q: What did the military teach you?
The Army taught me how to work across differences: different backgrounds, different belief systems, different communication styles, and different expectations. The military demands accountability and performance regardless of the circumstance. You can be set up for failure or set up for success. I chose to be set up for what I was supposed to be doing. I was taught that at home.
Q: What else did the military teach you?
As a logistician in the military, I recognized that in my responsibilities of equipping the force and making sure that the right equipment was in the right place at the right time with precision, if I didn’t have the right people there, what good is the equipment? If people didn’t feel safe, didn’t feel seen, heard, or understood, would they be willing to trust that I need you to do this and that? You learn life lessons quickly when you’re in life-and-death situations. I was also taught in the military to treat people well. I had soldiers who would go to bat for me, who I am still connected with to this day. Results matter, but people sustain those results; none of the work matters without people who feel trusted, capable, and necessary. So how we make people feel matters.
Q: How did you find out about CIU? Why did you decide to pursue a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership?
Being from Columbia, I was familiar with CIU. I attended Columbia College and I knew CIU as Columbia Bible College. My decision to attend CIU was spiritual. As I was walking one day, I clearly heard the Lord say, “This is where you’re going to go.” I obeyed. And I was not disappointed. My first class was Steward Leadership. I loved it. I started sharing with others that this is exactly what God wants from us — to understand that we don’t own, we are managers. That had been my philosophy in the military, but I didn’t have the terminology. I knew about servant leadership, but I had never really considered steward leadership. We integrated Scripture and the parable of the talents in Matthew 25. It was the perfect collision of the leadership discipline, the faith element and biblical scholarship.
Q: What is your definition of leadership?
Leadership is the disciplined stewardship of influence. Two of the three men with the talents in Matthew 25 multiplied their work, but one didn’t. That tells me that the one who didn’t go out and follow his master’s plan lacked discipline in his stewardship. People take shortcuts because they like short, quick answers. But leadership is the disciplined stewardship of the influencer, and we all influence people, whether we intend to or not. There’s this school of thought where people say “Oh, not everybody is a leader.” Well, says who? You’re either leading yourself or you’re leading others. And typically, it’s both.
Q: What role does faith play in creating leaders? In the business world, the word faith might not be understood or received.
I’ve been in some sticky situations. In the military, you can’t proselytize. But in my unit, while I may not have been invited to the parties, people came to me for prayer. So, they knew my faith.
Some people have faith in the divine or the universe. But the kind of faith that I’m talking about is the faith in Christ that provides a foundation for integrity, which is a very practical concept that humankind can understand.
Q: If you’re working with a secular audience, how do you find ways to talk about faith?
Faith anchors leadership in purpose, and we were all created for a purpose. People relate to that language. I try to make sure that I honor what I’m there for. If I am a Christian leader, then I meet people where they are, just as Christ did with the woman at the well.
Q: What do you believe is the biggest challenge facing Christian leaders today?
Sustaining integrity under pressure. Christian leaders are navigating polarized environments. There is an increased demand for performance along with the complexity of cultural tension. The challenge is learning to lead with truth and grace without compromising either. It’s delicate. But God is God all by Himself. I don’t have to hate you to love Him.
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