Angela Nicole Spranger

I attribute my success to being curious. I have always been intellectually curious, and that has led me into spaces in which remaining relationally curious became a form of emotional intelligence, and helped me to create safe spaces for myself and others to learn, grow, and move through change and conflict together. I would be remiss, though, if I didn't state that my success is not 'self-made,' but nurtured and nourished by a series of wonderful mentors and leaders in my life. From my mother, who supported and believed in me fiercely and encouraged me to try any academic pursuit that caught my attention, to extraordinary women like Delores McQuinn, Patrese Pruden, Dean Caroline Lattimore, Patricia Lancaster, and Dr. Renee Escoffery-Torres - women who modeled achieving the highest educational degrees while leading organizations and keeping all the moving parts in harmony. They taught me that true success comes from leveraging resources, empowering others, and collaborating effectively to grow and achieve together.

The best career advice I ever received came in the form of a challenge: What would happen if you stopped trying to prove you belonged? That question arrested me. It made me realize how much of my ambition was tied to survival—degrees earned to be 'twice as good,' overperformance to silence doubt, self-sacrifice in exchange for proximity to power. The advice gave me permission to lead from being, not bending. It marked the shift from performing to walking in purpose. I've carried that question ever since, especially when I feel the tug to shrink or appease. It's a reminder: I am already enough. That foundational shift also taught me practical wisdom that guides my work today: 'Plan your work and work your plan'—not from a place of proving, but from a place of purpose. And perhaps most importantly, 'Rest is not a reward'—it's a requirement. When you're leading from authenticity rather than survival, you understand that sustainable excellence requires both strategic discipline and intentional restoration. These aren't just productivity tips; they're acts of self-preservation and leadership modeling for others who are watching to see if it's possible to succeed without sacrificing your soul.

Don't confuse access with acceptance, and don't mistake survival for success. This industry will offer you rooms before it offers you respect—walk in anyway, but bring your boundaries with you. Know who you are before they name you. Stay rooted in your faith—because when titles shift, when people disappoint you, when systems betray you, it's your relationship with God that will hold you steady. Find your people: those who don't flinch when you take up space, those who will pull you back from the edge or push you forward when you hesitate. And when you find your people, remember to leave the ladder down. Your success isn't just about what you achieve; it's about what you make possible for others. And protect your rest. Burnout is not a badge of honor. Rest is resistance, and your joy is a strategy.

One of the biggest challenges in HR and DEI right now is the backlash. Organizations are pulling back under political pressure, rebranding equity work, or abandoning it altogether. But this moment is also an opportunity to deepen the work, to move from performative gestures to systemic change. Consulting in this climate demands clarity, courage, and a commitment to strategy over slogans. We're being called to embed equity into policy, to use data with integrity, and to design workplaces where all people can thrive. Technology is accelerating everything, but we must ensure that progress doesn't come at the cost of humanity. For me, the opportunity is to lead with both precision and purpose, staying rooted in my faith, clear in my ethics, and relentless in the belief that better is possible. The other critical challenge is that traditional approaches are failing across the board. Leadership bench strength is critically weak, succession planning models are obsolete, and most transformation efforts crash because they focus on technical fixes while ignoring human systems. Organizations are realizing that cookie-cutter solutions don't work, what transforms one company's culture may fail spectacularly elsewhere. This creates massive opportunities for consultants who can design truly customized, systems-based approaches that integrate trauma-informed organizational development with frameworks that actually work in practice. The companies that understand transformation isn't just about changing processes, but about creating psychologically safe spaces where people can navigate change together. Those are the ones that will dominate their industries.

Integrity is non-negotiable. I strive for alignment between what I believe, what I say, and what I do—whether I'm in the boardroom, the classroom, or the quiet of my own home. I value courage, especially the kind that tells the truth with love and holds the line when it would be easier to go along. Perseverance is sacred to me—not performative resilience, but the kind that rises again after devastation, that chooses purpose over bitterness, that keeps showing up even when the cost is high. My faith sustains that endurance—it gives shape to my hope and anchors my leadership. These values drive my deep commitment to outreach and education, which are core to both my professional and personal life. I lead with compassion and discernment, believing in justice, in community, and in the possibility of transformation. This shows up in my continued work in the nonprofit sector and my dedication to fostering a deeper understanding of history within the communities I serve. And when the world tries to wear me down, I remember who I am, and I stand anyway.