What is happening in these companies that so few Black executives make it to the very top of the organization? Thousands of pages have been written about the challenges that Black professionals face in business and entrepreneurship. One thing is certain: America is not a meritocracy where you are certain to be rewarded for accomplishment.

We know that executive talent and abilities are equally distributed across all identity groups. Access to power and influence is not.

Numerous studies have detailed how the challenges of racism and sexism are real and there is an incredible cost that society pays for these ills. When these companies figure out how much money and productivity racism and sexism is costing them, they spend billions of dollars to address racial equity and bring more diversity, equity and inclusion into their organizations. The lack of Black CEOs is indicative of the problem in their organization and does not say anything about the talent pool.

To change the top of organizations, we need more people who are fully equipped to make the journey to the top and remain there. In our book, we tell the stories of Black professionals who have navigated their industry, field, sector and career to build wealth and make a difference in the world — especially in the Black community. Sometimes, they do this inside existing large-scale organizations. Sometimes, they build their own companies and institutions. Our book distills 10 strategic actions they have embraced, such as exercising self-determination, developing self-mastery and seeking significance. It is the culmination of many hours of research and draws on the life lessons and professional experiences of Black women and men who have successfully overcome the inevitable hurdles to become a Black face in a high place.

These Black executives and entrepreneurs demonstrate that being a Black face in a high place means achieving a certain level of power and influence, delivering value to customers and stakeholders, and giving back to the local or global community. The Black leaders we spoke to connect their professional life with a deeper sense of meaning and a larger agenda. We think that is an important insight.

If Black professionals don’t see themselves as part of a grounding mission and larger agenda for equity, justice and transformation, then the Black community will remain stagnant with one or two examples of success stories and a slow stream of “Black firsts” who crack the ceiling without paving the way for “Black seconds,” “Black thirds” and so on. This is not ideal because we cannot see collective progress with so few Black people at the table of power and influence. We must be able to develop a sea of “Black faces” who make sure that the Black community is included, valued and treated fairly. We wrote this book to share the journey of successful Black leaders and, based on their lessons learned, outline a roadmap for others who aspire to navigate various crossroads, reach the top and stay there without losing themselves along the way.

We want there to be more Black leaders at the top of their organizations — and Black entrepreneurs, and Black foundation presidents, and Black college and university presidents, etc. — because Black leadership matters!

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Dr. Jeffrey Robinson and Dr. Randal Pinkett are scholars, entrepreneurs and the authors of ‘BLACK FACES IN HIGH PLACES: 10 Strategic Actions for Black Professionals to Reach The Top And Stay There.'

Dr. Jeffrey Robinson and Dr. Randal Pinkett

Writing since January 2022 · 1 story contributed