He says his leadership style is simple. “I believe in situational leadership. Sometimes you have to lead the horse to the well. Sometimes you have to point the horse in the right direction. Either way, the horse must drink to survive.”
A graduate of Oberlin College in Ohio, Ashford earned dual master s degrees – one in public affairs from the University of Texas and one in business administration from the University of Dallas. He is a Woodrow Wilson International Studies and Public Policy Fellow and an American Marshall Fellow.
He offers this advice to young African American men to attract positivity: “I am a big believer in the phrase Birds of a feather flock together. If you want to create positive experiences and attract the right people and things, make yourself available to those types of situations. I developed connections with other African American men through volunteerism. There is a natural link between everyone in the room because of that spirit of volunteerism. They are there to do something other than promote themselves. People in positions of power need to help other people because if we don t do it, who s going to do it?”
