"Over the last few decades, advances by African-Americans in the
business world have been both impressive and well-documented. But
even a cursory glance at the statistics -- not to mention a look
around most corporations -- reveals that, despite much progress,
minority executives are still relatively few and far between.
Whether in the form of insensitivity, change-averse corporate
cultures, socio-economic factors, or outright racism,
African-Americans still face very real obstacles along the path to
professional success. To many, these obstacles have seemed
insurmountable, and their careers have foundered. But to thousands
of others, these challenges have been an invitation to excel, and
their accomplishments have been worthy of both praise and
emulation.
Cracking the Corporate Code delves deeply into the lives and
careers of 32 such notable professionals. These are not the men and
women usually cited: the high-profile government officials, the
legendary civil rights pioneers, or the megastar athletes who have
leveraged their on-field success into positions of leadership. The
authors have chosen instead to profile individuals who have risen
through the ranks of America's most noteworthy businesses, to the
highest echelons of corporate power and influence.
In exclusive, eye-opening interviews, these men and women
recount their impressive and widely differing career trajectories,
revealing what motivated and discouraged them, their sources of
support and conflict, and the strategies they developed to excel in
organizations like PepsiCo, GE, Merrill Lynch, Kraft, Prudential,
Chrysler, and dozens more.
Rather than offer these inspiring stories as individual
biographies, the authors have identified their common threads,
analyzing what they reveal to the reader about:
* Reconciling the ambiguities inherent for black professionals
in corporate culture
* Trusting your own abilities and potential while managing the
ever-present issue of race
* Overcoming isolation to establish not only your place in the
organization but also a voice that will be heard and respected
* Reading the unwritten rules and developing the ""sixth sense""
necessary to play the game
*Cultivating and managing the relationships that will be crucial
to securing more meaningful and influential positions
* Understanding what true power is, how to compete for and
acquire it, and how to translate it into substantial leadership
Opportunities for success abound for African-Americans. For the
last 40 years, the best of the best have been stepping up to seize
-- and often create -- those opportunities. The next generation of
black professionals will travel the paths blazed by the pioneers
profiled in this landmark book, and will be poised to achieve even
greater results--while continuing the legacy of diversity for the
generations yet to come.
Price M. Cobbs, M.D., is co-author of Black Rage and The Jesus
Bag, considered classics in the literature of African-American
experience. Dr. Cobbs is also an internationally recognized expert
on executive leadership, management development, and corporate
diversity. He lives in San Francisco.
Judith L. Turnock is an attorney, coach, and talent development
expert. A lifelong advocate of racial, gender, and economic
equality, she is committed to closing the communication gap between
blacks and whites, both in the workplace and in the community at
large. She lives in New York City.
HARDCOVER JACKET COPY--BACK COVER
General Business
Cracking the Corporate Code
The Revealing Success Stories of 32 African-American
Executives
Price M. Cobbs and Judith L. Turnock
"The subtext of black executives' experiences from 1965 to today
is the enormous progress corporate America has already made. At the
same time, it is obvious how much work remains to be done. Cracking
the Corporate Code will speed up the forward momentum, because the
message is so clear and the logic so compelling. We are on a
journey to a very good place, and all America will reap the
rewards."
--Steve Reinemund, CEO, PepsiCo, from the Foreword
Corporate America holds more opportunities for minority
executives than ever before. And yet, many companies whose stated
missions include workforce diversity have proven less than ideal
for people of color. As these institutions struggle to apply what
is preached to what is practiced, it is incumbent upon black
professionals to assert their skills and place themselves in a
position to succeed.
Cracking the Corporate Code presents the stories of 32
executives whose stories define African-American business success.
Thriving in spite of multiple obstacles, they have enjoyed
extraordinary careers at (and helped build the fortunes of)
organizations including Sears Roebuck, General Mills, Coors Brewing
Company, Coca-Cola, Revlon, Citibank, AON, Corning, Paine Webber,
and many more.
In remarkably candid interviews, these exemplary professionals
reveal not only the secrets of their successes, but the sources of
their fears, their most difficult challenges, and their hopes for
the future. Their experiences are presented according to what they
reveal about the black experience in the white-centric workplace,
from uncertainty to confidence, from struggle to strength, and from
enjoying success to giving back in the name of those whose fortunes
have yet to turn."
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