About the guest

Cheryl McKissack Daniel is President and Chief Executive Officer of McKissack & McKissack, a construction company with a family history spanning five generations. A civil engineer by training, she earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees in engineering before beginning her career in New York and later joining the family business.

Under her leadership, the company has contributed to major projects including LaGuardia Airport, the World Trade Center site, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Cheryl is also chair of the New York Building Congress and the author of The Black Family Who Built America, which chronicles her family’s history, resilience, and contribution to the built environment.

What You Will Learn

· How long-term thinking and strategy sustained a company across five generations

· Why relationship building is essential to leadership and business development

· How to move through fear by treating courageous action as a beta test

· Why leaders must be decisive, consistent, dependable, and clear

· How to manage stress through boundaries, ownership, meditation, and perspective

Join us for this episode of the Take Command Podcast as Cheryl McKissack Daniel shares how strategy, courage, and relationships shaped a five-generation leadership legacy. Whether you are stepping into a difficult room, building confidence, leading through uncertainty, or creating an organization where people can grow, this conversation offers practical lessons on speaking up, staying consistent, and building beyond today.

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