THE ARCHITECT:
DR. HUME JOHNSON
Building the Strategic Infrastructure for your Professional Sovereignty
Lead from Who YOU Are. Own Your Value.
I believe that leadership is deeply human. Leadership begins when you own The Currency of YOU™.
Leveraging 20 years of strategic advisory, I provide the blueprint for leaders to move beyond job titles and technical expertise to a state of Sovereignty - where your value is authentic, portable, and non-negotiable.
THE BLUEPRINT FOR PROFESSIONAL SOVEREIGNTY™
MINT YOUR CURRENCY™
The Discovery Phase
We work together to audit your authentic self - to discover and "mint" the unique human skills, core values, expertise, and lived experience that comprise your personal currency.
EVIDENCE YOUR IMPACT
The Validation Phase
We curate the evidence of your impact including your professional expertise, talents, and capabilities. By accounting for your academic credentials, performance history, and the specific problems you solve, we turn technical skills into a portable, high-value asset.
CONVEY YOUR SOVEREIGNTY™
The Authority Phase
We build the communication frameworks and narratives required to convey your sovereignty. From refining executive presence to deploying communication as a problem-solving tool, we ensure you communicate your value with ease and authority in any context.
DR.
HUME N. JOHNSON
STRATEGIC ADVISORY + CONSULTING + COACHING
Dr. Hume Johnson is a strategic leadership advisor and communication consultant whose work focuses on how leaders define themselves, communicate under pressure, and exercise authority in visible roles.
She began her career as a broadcast journalist with Jamaica’s Information Service (JISTV) and Radio Jamaica, and at the age of 21, was appointed to the Prime Minister’s Youth Advisory Council (PMAC). That early appointment placed her inside real decision-making environments where strategic communication mattered and leadership is tested publicly.
Her later work as a political consultant and speechwriter for the Government of Jamaica, and the People's National Party further strengthened her ability to shape leadership decision-making, public positioning, and communication strategy at the highest levels.
Today, alongside her academic career, Dr. Johnson has built a substantial leadership development advisory and consulting practice working with organizational leaders across business, government, healthcare, higher education, and the non-profit sector. Her organizational clients have included the former Rhode Island Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea, The Rhode Island Foundation, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, The Commonwealth Secretariat (UK), Jamaica National Bank, Brown University Executive Education, the ALANA Faculty Group of Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), and the Eastern Academy of Management (EAM).
She works with executives, senior leaders, founders, and public-facing professionals who are technically strong but recognize that leadership requires more than expertise. Her coaching focuses on leadership identity, executive presence and strategic communication as well as public credibility, and decision-making in high-stakes environments —particularly for leaders navigating authority, increased visibility, career transitions, or team growth within complex organizations.
Dr. Johnson’s strategic leadership and advisory work is informed by her proprietary thinking, including The Currency of YOU™ and The H.U.M.E Method. These frameworks are used in her executive coaching, organizational leadership programs, workshops, and keynote engagements. Her work is direct, grounded, and practical - designed to help leaders to discover, evidence and articulate their value to achieve Professional Sovereignty - the ability to lead without borrowing authority from from job titles, roles or trends but from who they are and the unique value they deliver.
Public Scholarship + Thought Leadership
Dr. Johnson is an Associate Professor of Organizational Communication and Media Studies at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island and previously taught at James Cook University in Australia. She holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Waikato in New Zealand. Her academic work examines identity, leadership, and power across political, media, and organizational contexts.
She teaches courses in organizational communication, crisis communication, media studies, public speaking, and personal branding, and is known for translating theory into practical strategic tools emerging leaders can use to become career ready.
Her scholarship directly informs her advisory work with organizations. Dr. Johnson is the author of Brand YOU!: Reinvent Yourself, Redefine Your Future, used in MBA and leadership programs globally, Brand Jamaica: Reimagining a National Image and Identity, which examines leadership and identity at a personal, national and institutional level, and Challenges to Civil Society: Popular Protest and Governance in Jamaica, which explores the consequences of a vacuum in leadership and effective governance practices in post colonial states.
A recognized public voice on brand and reputation management, leadership and communication, her commentary has appeared in major international media outlets such as BBC World, O'Globo, Al Jazeera, CBC Montreal, The Waikato Times, NBC 10 news, WPR12 as well as Jamaica Gleaner and Television Jamaica. She has served as a contributing writer for Entrepreneur.com, a leading business publication.
Across her advisory work, teaching, and writing, Dr. Johnson commitment is to guide leaders and organizations, define who they are, demonstrate their unique value and convey their sovereignty clearly, credibly, and without compromise.
A TRACK RECORD OF IMPACT
Selected evidence of strategic advisory and leadership across two decades.
THE SOVEREIGN STANDARD
01
UNCOMPROMISING EXCELLENCE
We operate at the intersection of high-stakes professional practice and academic rigor. Sovereignty requires a relentless pursuit of quality; therefore, every framework and strategy is engineered to a high standard of precision to ensure tangible, institutional and individual results.
02
INTENTIONAL GROWTH
I believe in professional growth as a strategic necessity. Sovereignty requires the constant expansion of one's capacity to navigate complex situations and demonstrate leadership. I guide my clients to confront the intellectual and practical challenges that limit their reach, ensuring their growth is both intentional and visible. We work to align your internal capabilities with the high-stakes demands of your role, turning your growth into a measurable professional asset.
03
ABSOLUTE CLARITY
I believe that sovereignty is found in the removal of noise. Clarity is the strategic tool required to navigate a high-stakes career. I guide my clients to define their objectives with exactness, moving beyond the ambiguity of roles and titles to a focused roadmap for their advancement. We prioritize intentional action and unwavering focus to ensure your professional identity and worth is unmistakable and undeniable
04
RADICAL COLLABORATION
I view the advisory relationship as a partnership of high-level peers. Collaboration is more than a method; it is the strategic alignment required to achieve extraordinary outcomes. I foster an environment of mutual accountability where your unique value is recognized and strategically leveraged. We champion collaboration as the primary engine for identity architecture, ensuring that our work together translates into undeniable leadership authority.
THE SCHOLARSHIP OF SOVEREIGNTY
The Research Foundation
My scholarship is a direct inquiry into how individuals and institutions build authority and elevate their voice, and demonstrate leadership.
While my early work examined the challenges of governance in Jamaica, my current focus is on the practical process of discovering, validating, and conveying your value.
I view the architecture of a personal brand as the primary tool for Professional Sovereignty. By integrating my research in leadership and communication, I have engineered a set of rigorous frameworks for leaders and mid-career professionals, specifically women and people of color to lead with who they are.
This work is designed to help you move beyond your job title, bridge the visibility gap, and own your value with absolute confidence, clarity, and credibility.
PROFESSIONAL SOVEREIGNTY
THE RESEARCH PILLARS
PILLAR 1: THE DISCOVERY OF VALUE 
Focus: How individuals and organizational teams identify their unique value and agency.
Researching the foundations of influence and the internal discovery of worth.
PILLAR II: THE PROOF OF AUTHORITY 
Focus: How nations and leaders establish a "gold standard" of reputation.
Analyzing how a clear identity serves as documented proof of professional value.
PILLAR III: CONVEYING IDENTITY + VALUE 
Focus: The mechanics of professional visibility and strategic communication.

Developing methods for leaders to communicate their value in high-stakes situations
PILLAR IV: MEASURABLE OUTCOMES 
Focus: The science of how professionals master and apply new leadership skills.
Designing programs that turn research into visible, real-world career results.
INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP
Cultivating the next generation of sovereign professionals
I view the classroom as a strategic laboratory for Professional Sovereignty. My work with emerging leaders is rooted in the belief that leadership begins with the discovery of one's existing value.
Teaching is the process of guiding students to identify that value - the specific impact they intend to make in their fields, prove it through critical thought, and master the skills required to convey it to the world.
I approach personal branding not as a peripheral elective, but as the foundation of professional autonomy. Whether mastering persuasive speech, navigating crisis communication, or analyzing organizational culture, these competencies are the tools students use to define, prove and convey their unique voice, and authority.
My goal is to bridge the gap between academic theory and high-stakes practice, ensuring that emerging leaders leaves with the clarity and confidence to occupy their authority and act as an agent of change in their community.
INSTITUTIONAL ENDORSEMENTS
Nickesia Gordon, Ph.D. - Associate Professor of Communication,
Rochester Institute of Technology, RIT
"A Top-Tier Expert in Personal Branding and Leadership."
"Dr. Hume Johnson delivered a tailored, high-impact workshop for our faculty, providing actionable tools to enhance both personal brand and pedagogical skill. Participants specifically highlighted the value of her insightful presentation and the specialized workbook provided. She is a top-tier expert and trainer for any institution seeking to bridge the gap between individual identity and professional impact."
"Exceptional Expertise and Command of the Craft"
"Dr. Johnson delivered a captivating webinar, sharing her knowledge of personal branding in a manner that was both intellectually accessible and incredibly inspiring. Her methodology stands out for its collaborative approach, fostering an environment where participants felt empowered to engage actively. Her professionalism, passion, and command of her craft make her an outstanding choice for any keynote or advisory engagement."
"A Critical Strategy for Career Management and Value Communication."
"Dr. Hume Johnson provided our faculty and clinicians with the architectural skills to communicate their value effectively to colleagues and key stakeholders. Her session, Removing Your Blindfold, delivered practical, high-level tips for career management. An excellent and engaging speaker, she is a knowledgeable authority for any professional development initiative."
MOMENTS OF IMPACT
A selection of collaborative environments and global engagements where the 'Lead with Who You Are' strategy is applied to drive professional sovereignty.
the currency of you™
ENTRY POINTS FOR INDIVIDUAL SOVEREIGNTY +
ORGANIZATIONAL IMPACT
THE PRIVATE RESIDENCY
AUDIENCE: C-Suite + Global Leaders
An exclusive, high-stakes 1:1 engagement designed for established leaders to bridge the gap between their title and their true authority.
EXECUTIVE COACHING + PROFESSIONAL CONSULTING
AUDIENCE: Mid-Career Professionals
Focused advisory (consulting and/or coaching) for high-achieving professionals ready to uncover their existing value and engineer a pivot into high-level leadership.
ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGY
AUDIENCE: Corporate Teams
Bespoke frameworks designed to build a pipeline of sovereign talent by applying the 'Lead with Who You Are' strategy across your organization.
STRATEGIC KEYNOTES + TALKS
AUDIENCE: Global Events and Institutions
Authoritative addresses on the 'Lead with Who You Are' philosophy and the mechanics of achieving Professional Sovereignty.
SECURE YOUR SOVEREIGNTY
Professional Sovereignty is not a gift from your institution; it is an asset you build for yourself. Move beyond the invisibility of your job title. Mint, own, and deploy your own currency to power your leadership - wherever you choose to lead.
MINT YOUR CURRENCY. ASSERT YOUR AUTHORITY. CLAIM SOVEREIGNTY.
Let’s explore the work ahead - together.