The Goliath of Leadership
by Wendy Familia
In a world where leadership often feels like a battle between heart and hierarchy, The Goliath of Leadership stands as both a mirror and a manifesto. Drawing from twenty-four years as a Latina educator, Wendy Familia delivers a powerful collection of vignettes that reveal the humanity, courage, and fire required to lead with authenticity.
Through deeply personal stories, spanning classrooms and community spaces, Familia invites readers into the quiet, fierce, and sometimes lonely spaces of leadership where identity, purpose, and equity intersect. Each vignette is paired with reflective insights: What I Learned, Leadership Takeaway, and Steps Forward, transforming lived experiences into universal lessons on resilience, integrity, and change.
Organized into four thematic parts -Lessons I Taught, The Power I Claimed, The Change I'm Still Leading, and The Fire That Still Burns -this book is both memoir and mentorship. It speaks to educators, women of color, and leaders who carry their culture, accent, and history into spaces that weren't built for them, and still rise.
Wendy Familia writes with both vulnerability and conviction, reminding readers that leadership is not about perfection, but persistence; not about titles, but transformation. The Goliath of Leadership is a love letter to those who lead loudly, heal quietly, and continue to stand tall in the face of systems that ask them to shrink.
Perfect for:
Emerging and experienced leaders seeking reflection and renewal Educators and change makers committed to equity and culturally responsive leadership Readers who believe storytelling can transform how we lead and live
