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Devin: What is your superpower?
Chris: For me, I always think of it in terms of a toolbox or a toolkit. And there’s a mix of things that I would put into that toolbox that I think have supported me on my leadership journey.
Communication Service for the Deaf is expanding opportunity for deaf and hard of hearing people by fighting bias as much as by improving access.
When I welcomed Chris Soukup, CEO of Communication Service for the Deaf, back to this episode, I wanted to understand how CSD’s work has evolved over its 50-year history. Chris described a mission rooted in “a persevering commitment to advancing the quality of life for people who are deaf and for the broader disability community.”
For decades, CSD helped lead the push for communication access. That work mattered. Interpreting services, video relay and new technologies opened doors that had long been closed.
But Chris explained that access alone did not change the economic reality for the community. Employment barriers remained stubbornly high.
“We’re really confronting challenges with misperception and bias,” Chris said. He noted that the barrier often appears at the very start of a job search, when a deaf applicant identifies themselves and an employer immediately imagines cost, complexity or extra work.
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“That blocker has really made it difficult for our community to make meaningful progress,” he said.
CSD is responding in every direction. Chris called the work “a process of breaking down barriers by land, by air, by sea.” That means media engagement, policy work, corporate partnerships, employee resource groups, storytelling and matching motivated employers with talented deaf professionals ready to contribute.
One part of the work especially excites Chris: entrepreneurship. CSD supports deaf founders building their own businesses. As Chris explained, when those entrepreneurs succeed, “they turn right back around, and they hire from their community.”
That creates a powerful cycle. Deaf business owners build companies, employ others and become proof points that help dismantle bias for the next person.
Chris also reminded me that accessibility is still a matter of safety. In a 911 emergency, a deaf person may have to wait several minutes for a video relay interpreter before even reaching a dispatcher. In a crisis, that delay can be life or death.
Chris’s response is characteristic of CSD’s culture: “There’s a better way.”
That optimism is not naive. It comes from 50 years of pushing systems to become more humane, more accessible and more just. CSD’s work shows that inclusion is not charity. It is infrastructure. It is innovation. It is economic opportunity.
tl;dr:
CSD’s 50-year commitment expands communication access, employment, and economic opportunity for deaf communities.
Bias often blocks talented deaf professionals before employers recognize their value.
Entrepreneurship is a powerful path for deaf leaders to create jobs and opportunities.
Accessible emergency communication remains a critical issue of safety and equity.
Chris’s superpower is authentic perseverance in advocating for systemic change and inclusion.
How to Develop Authentic Perseverance As a Superpower
Chris’s superpower is authentic perseverance. He said leadership requires a “toolbox,” beginning with “authenticity.” Early in his career, he struggled with preconceived ideas of how a leader should behave. Over time, he learned that “you’re doing yourself and the people that you support a disservice by not representing yourself in a way that really reflects the person that you are.” He also emphasized persistence: “Nothing happens overnight,” and “change happens by showing up every day and being committed to making a difference.”
Chris described an awakening that came from noticing where he felt most effective. One-on-one, he could use humor, tell stories, share experiences, use metaphors and speak honestly about big goals and fears. He realized he could bring that same intimacy to a larger audience. Instead of manufacturing a leadership persona, he chose to show more of himself. That authenticity helped him connect more deeply and lead more effectively, whether speaking with one person or many.
Stop performing a leadership role and identify what is genuinely true about your strengths and vulnerabilities.
Practice sharing the messy mix that makes you human, including humor, confidence, fears and limitations.
Notice where you feel most natural and effective, then bring that presence into bigger settings.
Keep showing up month after month, even when meaningful change takes longer than expected.
Stay focused on the world you want to create and keep moving toward it with resilience.
By following Chris’s example and advice, you can make authentic perseverance a skill. With practice and effort, you could make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.
Remember, however, that research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!
Guest Profile
Chris Soukup (he/him):
CEO, Communication Service for the Deaf
About Communication Service for the Deaf: Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD) is the largest Deaf-led social impact organization in the world. Since 1975, CSD has been a leader in creating and providing accessible and innovative solutions for deaf and hard of hearing communities. Today, CSD continues its work to create opportunities for personal and economic growth, specifically addressing leadership and employment. In 2022, CSD was named to Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Companies” list.
Website: csd.org
X/Twitter Handle: @ThisIsCSD
Company Facebook Page: facebook.com/ThisIsCSD
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/thisiscsd
Instagram: @thisiscsd
Biographical Information: Chris Soukup is Chief Executive Officer of Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD), one of the world’s leading deaf-led social impact organizations. For 50 years, CSD has pioneered accessible technologies and communication services for the deaf and hard of hearing communities, including the first nationwide video relay service (VRS) in the United States and one of today’s leading direct to video calling (DVC) solutions. Chris is a longtime leading advocate for the deaf and disability communities. For more than a decade, he has led CSD’s transformation and global initiatives, including implementing a virtualized infrastructure; developing a disruptive sign language interpreting platform; launching the first social venture fund for deaf entrepreneurs; introducing a constellation of programs to advance employment opportunities within deaf and disabled communities; and creating a new community foundation designed to strengthen other deaf-centric nonprofits. Chris continues to serve a leadership role in the advancement of key policy and legislation to expand accessibility, including the Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility Act (CVTA). He also has served on several prominent committees and advisory boards to increase opportunities and accessibility for the deaf and disability communities: the Federal Communications Commission’s Consumer Advisory Committee; the Disability:IN Disability Equality Index Advisory Committee; NTID Foundation Board and the TDI Board of Associates.
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/csoukup
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