Meet Freddie Lee

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Freddie Lee. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Freddie, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?

My journey began in a war zone that we called home. An alcoholic father who caused dysfunctionality in the home, told me that “you never amount to anything.” Chaos was normal, but the battlefield taught me my first survival skill: Hypervigilance. Learning to read shifts in tone, flickers of anger, the calm before violence—wasn’t just about safety. It became my secret weapon.

When I walked into ROTC Basic Camp at Fort Knox in 1975—a Black cadet in an all-white program—a drill sergeant snarled, ‘You’ll never make it.’ Sound familiar? But I’d heard that before. And just like at home, I learned: In spaces where I was the ‘only one,’ excellence was my armor. While others could fail forward, I had to be flawless. I had to be flawless. So I became the first to volunteer, the last to quit. I earned my commission, Airborne wings, and Ranger tab—not to prove them wrong, but to prove my father wrong.

In the Army, leading troops who’d never seen a Black combat officer. I had to continually prove that I could do the job, whereas my white counterparts had to demonstrate that they could not do the job. This is when I discovered a truth: “Leadership isn’t about being in charge. It’s about taking care of those in your charge.” This, coupled with a drive to be tactically and technically proficient, positioned me to be successful during my military career.

At Saint Frances Academy, a sanctuary for Baltimore’s marginalized youth—What can a retired Army officer know about our kids?” I leaned on the alchemy of pain into purpose! “My father’s cruelty taught me to recognize the woundedness beneath defiance. When a student lashed out, I saw not insolence, but the echo of my own childhood fury. We implemented “High Standards, Insist, Assist”: Rigorous expectations, paired with relentless support. Just as my mother worked three jobs to shield us, I leveraged every resource to create scaffolding for success.

As a Defense Contractor, I managed the Test & Evaluation for Systems that were critical to saving lives/mission accomplishment. Despite working in a high-stress environment where cost, schedule, and risk drove success, I was able to be the voice of calm during the chaos and use stillness as a strategy. Being peaceful turned out to be my tactical advantage. When dismissed as “not technical enough,” I let my actions speak for me by demonstrating technical proficiency and completing programs on schedule and within budget. As a result, I was presented with the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) Contractor Tester of the Year award twice.
As a UN Peace Ambassador, I believe: Soft skills are the infrastructure of peace. They dismantle barriers when credentials alone cannot. I am building the F. Lee Global Leadership solution to teach those Essential Soft Skills for Effective Leadership. My aim is to show leaders: empathic listening, cultural intelligence, and ethical influence create a positive, peaceful work environment.

Today, my accolades—the Biden Lifetime Achievement Award, Passion Purpose and Peace Award, UN ambassadorship, Honorary Doctorate, and bestselling authorship are a testament to overcoming challenges and beating the odds. The boy who was told he’d “never amount to anything” now builds leaders on four continents.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am a John C. Maxwell Leadership Certified Team member, licensed to provide facilitation, speaking, coaching, and training on approved Maxwell Leadership personal and professional development content. I am also a Business and a Humanitarian Life coach certified by Trinity International University of Ambassadors (TIUA). I intend to use those certifications, with my life experience, education, and military training, to build my business. F. Lee Globa Leadership Solutions into a firm that will develop senior and mid-level leaders in corporations, governments, and school systems to become transformational leaders who employ essential sof skills to make positive changes in their organizations and communities to make a positive impact on the lives of the people they lead and teach.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

1) Become Hypervigilant. Always be aware of your surroundings and develop the ability to read the room. Sharpen your observational lens. Notice what is not being said.

2) Have Compassion. Beyond mere kindness, it is a strategic force. Compassion allows leaders to see beyond surface behavior, identify hidden potential, prevent escalation, and build psychosocial safety. Leadership is not about being in charge; it is about taking care of the people in your charge. If you take care of your people, they will take care of you. “Look for the ‘why behind the ‘what.

3) Be proficient in your field of expertise. Proficiency drives confidence by minimizing doubt, transforming fear into fuel, and building respect. Respect won through proficiency is bulletproof. No one can gift it or take it. Stay prepared, out perform, and stay persistent

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?

My mother did more than raise me. She was the architect of my humanity and humility. She taught me to love God through surrender and prayer. She taught me a work ethic, to work hard and never quit until the job was done. She taught me to be compassionate and have empathy for others. She was a woman who would feed anyone in need of a meal. She would give her last dime to help someone in need, and she transferred her charitable spirit to me! My mother didn’t leave me riches. She left an indelible impact, which has been the blueprint for my life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.freddieleeenterprises.com
• Instagram: @flee3and (DrFreddie A Lee
• Facebook: DrFreddie A Lee
• Linkedin: Dr. Freddie Lee