CONTEXTS
Foreword xiii
Angela Burt-Murray, editor in chief, Essence magazineIntroduction xvii
1 Always Consider Yourself a VIP 3
High self-esteem is a cornerstone to success: Overcomefeelings of inferiority despite regularly beingreferred to as a minority.
2 To Attain Victory, Stay Positive 8
Use the tools you know—prayer and affirmation—to controland change your thoughts. Also, learn new methodsto develop a leader's mental attitude.
3 Racism Is No Excuse, but It Can Be a Motivator 12
Even the best managers can succumb to unconsciousstereotypes or implicit prejudice. You must understandthe perceptions of the dominant culture and yourbiculturalism if you want to succeed.
4 Don't Be the Office Mammy 15
Resist your tendency to take on the role of caregiver,a role that may not help you in your pursuit ofbeing perceived as a leader.
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5 Use Your Duality to Build Strength 17
Use the lessons learned from the double burdenof racism and sexism to your advantage.
6 Acknowledge That There Is a Game and Accept
That You Must Play 19
Don't be blind to office culture and politics. Assess yourwork environment and act appropriately
7 What You Have to Say Is Just as Important as
What Others Have to Say, So Speak Up 22
Corporations can benefit from diverse experiencesand opinions. Learn to observe, analyze, and utilize the"communications culture" in your workplace.
8 Aretha Was Right: R-E-S-P-E-C-T 26
It is better to be respected than to be liked.Followers are liked, but leaders are respected.
9 Listen Up! Understanding What's Said v.
What's Meant 28
We are not learning when our mouths are moving. Hearwhat is being said as well as what is not being said todecipher hidden or coded messages in your workplace.
10 Always Have a Plan of Action and Follow Through 32
Goal setting is the way to get ahead.
11 Don't Let Your Emotions Get the Best of You 35
Control and learn from your emotions.
12 Developing Good Relationships with Co-Workers
Has More Benefits Than You Think 39
Connecting and collaborating are the first steps to leading a team.
13 Communicate Clearly in Person and on Paper 41
Take a page out of Barack Obama's book: To be a successful
Contents ix
leader, it's critical to have superb verbal and writtencommunication skills.
14 Know Your Value 45
Don't confuse your net worth with your self-worth.The talents you acquired as a leader in your community,church, or school have value in the workplace—apply them!
15 To Measure Your Performance,
Get Feedback 48
Not only is self-evaluation important, but what your bossthinks about your work also impacts your leadership pursuits.
16 Perception: It's Not Only about How
You See Yourself 51
Perception is reality: Put your best foot forwardand make the best impression.
17 Seek Guidance and Support 54
You don't have to be the same race, gender, age, or religionto build a success team of people you can count onfor guidance and mentorship.
18 Surround Yourself with the Right People:
You Cannot Survive in Isolation 57
Networking can expand your support system.
19 Step Outside Your Comfort Zone 59
Cross over into other cultures for socialand professional growth.
20 Regardless of Your Position, Learn about YourDepartment, Your Company, and Your Industry 62
The Ostrich Syndrome and how to avoid it.
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21 Entitlement: Nobody Owes You Anything 64
Cope with misplaced attitudes of entitlementin yourself and in others.
22 The Values You Were Raised with in Church
Aren't Always Valued in Business . . 69
Learn how to modify your personal beliefs to adapt to yourorganization's business ethics without selling your soul.
23 Not Everyone Has to Be Your BFF 73
Put personal issues aside to become a team player.Not everyone has to be your BFF (Best Friend Forever).
24 Motivate Others by Playing Up Their Strengths 76
The way to win is to build an efficient team.
25 Do Not Let Distractions (or a Difficult Boss)
Throw You Off Course 80
Handle your direct reports and your superiorsprofessionally.
26 Always Try to Maintain Balance 85
Don't neglect carving out essential time for yourself.
27 The N-Word: Networking 88
Turn social engagements into opportunities. Be sure tonetwork outside your comfort zone.
28 Change Is Inevitable, So Be Prepared 91
Organizations are like living organisms. They change formand shape all the time. Be prepared for transitionsyou see coming—and those that you don't.
29 Bring Your Brand to the Table: Blend into the
Crowd While Still Being Yourself 94
Define and redefine yourself. Authenticity is the key.
Contents xi
30 You Don't Need to Have All the Answers to
Take Advantage of the Opportunities 98
Don't think that others at your level and above have all theanswers; sometimes you have to make it up as you go along.
31 What You See Is What You Create 100
Learn to lead as a visionary.
32 Use Conflict as an Opportunity to Solve Problems 104
Conflict is sometimes necessary to challenge thinking.
33 Don't Be Defeated by the Madness: Keep Your Sanity 107
Don't let the job make you crazy, even when you feelyou 're under attack.
34 Know How to Create and Use Power 111
Create influence through decision making, strategic thinking,and risk taking—men do it all the time.
35 No One Leadership Style Fits All:
Know When to Mix It Up 116
Different situations may require using different stylesto achieve the desired results.
36 Coaches Are Not Just for Athletes 120
Professional coaching provides the training thatwill help you reach your maximum leadershipand personal potential.
37 Celebrate Your Arrival at the C-Suite L23
Once you've achieved your leadership position,celebrate and know that now the real work begins.
38 Maintain Your Seat at the Table: Here's What It Takes L26
If you are committed to staying with your company,here's how to build and sustain foundations.
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39 Seeing the Writing on the Wall 130
You've done all you can do. Now its time to moveon to the next challenge.
40 Reach Back and Bring Others Along 133
When given the chance, offer a helping hand.
Acknowledgments 137
FOREWORD
Tapping into Your Leadership Potential
What separates merely good managers from great ones? Anyonewill tell you they've probably worked for effective managers as wellas a few bad apples. During my own career I've had bosses that mi-cromanage their employees, those who expect everyone else on theteam to do all the work while they take all the credit, and those rarejewels that support their employees, help them develop strategicgoals, and know that when one person succeeds the entire teamsucceeds. These great leaders also embrace and encourage hardwork for themselves and their teams and don't look for shortcuts toa win. Whether you are just starting out on your career path, stuckin a mid-level rut, or preparing to ascend to the executive corner of-fice, understanding the difference between "just managing" peopleand leading them effectively will determine how quickly you moveto the next level in your career. Given the screaming headlines ofcorporate mismanagement that are perpetually pervading the mar-ketplace, strong, authentically centered leadership skills are moreimportant than ever.
Your first step in striving for excellence, moving past self-defeating behaviors, and bursting through what may seem like im-penetrable barriers is to read The Little Black Book of Sine ess: Laws
xiv Foreword
of Leadership for Black Women. Chockful of sage pearls of wisdomfrom co-authors Elaine Meryl Brown, Marsha Haygood, and RhondaJoy McLean, this book will provide you with practical steps to en-able you to tap into your own leadership potential. These three dy-namic, driven, and successful women have collectively honed theirleadership skills with a combined total of nearly 100 years of seniormanagement experience at Fortune 100 companies and leadingnonprofits and grassroots community organizations. Their book willenable you to discover and develop your own leadership potentialand move yourself forward.
The Little Black Book of Success's chapters are each built arounda core principle or "law," with historical context, real-world exam-ples, some traps to avoid, and "MAMAisms"—those things we alllearned at "Mama's knee" that have gotten us through life and thatyou can still rely on as you take your rightful place as new leaders.No matter where you are in your own career path—whether youwant to strengthen your self-esteem, learn to build an effective net-work, deal with challenging environments and co-workers, or learnthe best way to develop your own leadership style—The Little BlackBook of Success will give you the real-world tools and tips you needin order to navigate your career pathways successfully.
As Elaine, Marsha, and Rhonda point out, women of color whoare executive leaders often face unique challenges, and have to digdeep within themselves to find ways to blossom under the intensepressures of their positions. The strength and decisiveness thathelped them evolve into the leaders they have become can be yoursas well, and you, too, can embark upon your own unique leadershipjourney.
When the nation first met First Lady Michelle Obama on the cam-paign trail she was instantly recognizable to Black women. The stat-uesque, double Ivy-league degreed hospital executive with theperfectly coiffed hair and smart outfits was a self-made woman like
Foreword xv
many of you who lead church boards, chair neighborhood pro-grams, and rush home from work to feed their families. Even underthe intense scrutiny she faced, by remaining true to the values, les-sons, and ideals she developed when growing up in her home onthe South Side of Chicago, Mrs. Obama was able to address the crit-icism of her in the press while remaining focused on her family andher passion for community service and opening up the White Houseto the American people.
The lesson here, that is underscored in The Little Black Book ofSuccess, is that no matter where you are in your career and what ob-stacles you feel you must overcome, if you are clear about, and re-main committed to your core values, those that you learned in yourown homes and communities, you can survive and thrive as aleader, even when people attack you and try to throw you offcourse. Truly effective leadership is a combination of learned expe-rience and innate ability. As Elaine, Marsha, and Rhonda write,"Leadership can be learned." Couple your innate ability with thepractical, insightful, and motivating material in The Little BlackBook of Success and you will have all the tools you need to becomethe best leader that you can possibly be.
Angela Burt-MurrayEditor in chiefEssence magazine