Alone at the Top: How Black Women Can Survive and Thrive in Leadership
You made it, sis!
You set your sights on a lofty career goal and worked your butt off to get here. You put in crazy long hours, no doubt made countless sacrifices to your work-life balance — occasionally at the expense of your social life — and even fought against your own imposter syndrome as you (very likely) competed against under-qualified and overconfident peers.
Along the way, you’ve built up confidence in yourself and your organization has shown you in the highest possible way that they have confidence in you, too. And now, here you are sitting at the top of your profession with those very impressive letters in front of (or after) your newly minted title. And as you look around, you realize there’s one small catch. You’re all alone and on your own.
Across industries, there is a dearth of Black women in the corporate ranks, and Black women, in particular, are one of the least supported demographics in the workforce — making up just four percent of C-suite executives, according to a recent report from McKinsey. As someone who was promoted within the past year and received tremendous support along the way, I know my experience is unique. So if you’re not getting the support you need, here are some ways you and your company can make it happen.