"Today, companies want you to do well. They will give you the
chance. You just have to step up and prove yourself."
Westina Matthews Shatteen, First Vice President, Merrill Lynch &
Co., Inc., From the book Cracking the Corporate Code
A Black business book classic is that I recommend reading is
Cracking the Corporate Code : The Revealing Success Stories of
32 African American Executives by Price M. Cobbs and Judith L.
Turnock. This book delivers truth in a disarmingly no-holds
barred fashion.
The truth about advancement in the corporate world is that the
unwritten, unspoken rules and values are often more important
then those that are written and spoken. The challenge for
African Americans is that the rules were created for and by
white men.
This book receives my recommendation for both what the book does
and for what it doesn't do.
The first half of the book is tough to swallow as an African
American because you hear the stories of young, idealist Black
men and women entering the corporate world on the heels of years
of Civil Rights unrest and newly minted gains. They are pioneers
in business and the business world proves to be as dangerous as
the American frontier was to the pioneers that left home to
settle here.
These new entrants into corporate America face abuse, back
stabbing, hurt, rejection and subtle as well as outright racism.
Through it all, they manage to keep a proper perspective, excel
in their respective careers and prove to many in the business
world that Blacks have a place at the corporate table, that we
can turn a profit in the white man's world of business.
Now, these executives are stalwarts of business giving sage
advice to all who will listen. The stories they tell and the
advice they dispense is as invaluable as having 32 mentors
unified in guiding you successfully through your career. They
openly share their experiences and feelings about them at the
time. Have you ever had doubts about your ability, felt
persecuted and put down because of your race or have you felt
the sting of subtle racism and not known what to do? They have
and they share that with you. This gives the book a sense of
sincerity in its efforts to benefit the reader.
The authors teach the skills to overcome the blows to one's ego
that happen to everyone but are often complicated by the color
of our skin. Have you ever wondered if someone's intention to
help was sincere(an honest gesture to assist) or slightly
racist(you need help due to your skin color). The authors tell
you the skills they developed to perceive these subtle
differences.
What Cracking the Corporate Code does not do is try to provide a
step by step formula to success. The book decribes the lonliness
of success experienced by these Black executives, the ambiguous
nature of corporate power and the reality of "unwritten rules"
in every business.
The authors recognize that a cookie cutter approach will fail
the reader. The real keys to success are embedded in the stories
of the executives as we read about their rise to power.
Much like my ebook, The 7 Simple Secrets to Building Wealth
available at
www.blackwealthnow.com, core skill sets are what
separate the winners from the losers in business and finance.
This book recognizes that African Americans require all the
skills that whites need to succeed as well our own set of skills
to thrive as Black men and women in a hostile world.
A few of the skills learned in Cracking the Corporate Code
include reading unwritten rules, playing the corporate game,
building a base of supporters, cultivating a network and
wielding corporate power.
32 African American executives each with decades of experience
giving advice and sharing wisdom on these critical issues and
more makes Cracking the Corporate Code an indispensable success
guide on the bookshelves of all African Americans at any level
and in any business.
I'll end here as I began and that is with a quote from one of
the African American executives from the book.
"None of us has gotten here on our own. We may have busted our
butts, worked extremely hard, made lots of personal sacrifices,
and brought some talent and ability to the table. I believe all
that is true, but we didn't do it alone. We've all had people
who have been there either directly or indirectly and made a
difference." Bruce Gordon, Group President, Verizon From the
book Cracking the Corporate Code by Price M. Cobbs & Judith L.
Turnock
God bless
About the author:
Bret Searles is a freelance writer on Black personal finance and
business issues, author of ebook "The 7 Simple Secrets to
Building Wealth: An African American Guide" and publisher of the
ezine Black Wealth Now (
www.blackwealthnow.com).
