November 7th, 2025
Dear Leaders,
If last week’s reflection was about presence — the Guide’s ability to hold space and listen — this week turns toward protection: the courage to step into the arena, take the hits, and keep standing for what matters.
In the BREAKTHRU framework, this is The Protector Leadership Type — the kind of leader who meets resistance with resilience, who turns pressure into purpose, and who uses their strength to unite rather than divide. These leaders don’t lead for recognition. They lead because they can’t stand by when care and courage are out of balance.
This Week’s Reflection: Kina Collins and the Power to Protect and Unite
I first met Kina Collins in 2022 at a house party on Chicago’s West Side (see photo below). She was running for US Congress — young, grounded, and unapologetically bold. Within minutes, I could feel it: that rare spark of leadership that comes from conviction, not ambition.
Since that day, I’ve supported her through three campaigns. And just a few weeks ago, over lunch, I felt it again — that sense of hope in the darkness, the kind that reminds you why leadership still matters. She carries a moral clarity that cuts through cynicism, and a deep belief that our collective strength can overcome even the most entrenched inequity.
Kina is a daughter of the West Side of Chicago — a lifelong organizer and advocate shaped by the same communities she now seeks to represent. She has spent her life standing up for people left on the margins: survivors of gun violence, working families, youth organizers, and those simply asking for dignity.
She often says:
“We are the workers, the dreamers, the parents, the organizers, and the elders who built Chicago from the ground up. Yet too often, our government has failed to match our courage with its care.”
And also:
“The senior rationing insulin, the teacher buying supplies out of her paycheck, the renter choosing between groceries and rent — these are not inevitable outcomes of urban life. They are the consequences of policy choices. And we have the power to choose differently.”
Kina’s leadership is both personal and collective. She stands in that rare space between conviction and compassion, where real transformation happens. Her politics are not about power for its own sake — they’re about protection: for the single parent in Austin working two jobs without healthcare, for the immigrant family in Pilsen seeking safety and belonging, for the young person in West Englewood daring to dream of a life without violence or fear.
“Every person deserves to live with dignity, safety, and opportunity — no exceptions.”
That sentence, to me, defines The Protector Type — someone who refuses to accept false choices between safety and justice, growth and equity, or prosperity and sustainability.
Kina doesn’t just fight for change; she builds connection. She brings people together across race, class, and neighborhood lines — uniting those who’ve been told they are on opposite sides of the same struggle.
Her campaign is not just a platform. It’s a movement — a reminder that our collective liberation will be built by all of us: organizers, faith leaders, youth, and elders, standing shoulder to shoulder, demanding what we deserve — a government that loves us back.
I’ve met many leaders over the years, but few who radiate purpose the way Kina does. She listens with intention. She speaks with conviction. And she carries the quiet but powerful belief that if we unite in courage, we can build a future worthy of everyone.
From Reflection to Action
Ask yourself:
- Who am I being called to protect — and what power do I have to unite others in that work?
- How can I lead with conviction while still making room for connection?
- What values or people am I willing to defend, even when it’s uncomfortable?
Because leadership isn’t just about standing out — it’s about standing with. It’s about using your power to make others feel powerful too.
Until Next Week
We’ll be here — building this conversation together, one story and one reflection at a time.
Next week, we’ll look at The Legend’s Way, featuring Dr. Lisa D. Cook — an economist, innovator, and trailblazer who refused to stand down, even in the face of political resistance. Her story reminds us that integrity is power, and that sometimes the most radical act of leadership is to simply stand tall and stay the course.
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