Minorities in the C-Suite Is Good for Business

African-American Women Still Face Challenges

By Janine Fondon, UnityFirst.com

Senior corporate executives who participated in a recent survey commissioned by The Executive Leadership Council (ELC) believe it is important to have minorities in senior executive roles to provide new ideas and innovation as well as to better reflect the diversity of customers.

The poll, conducted by Harris Interactive immediately following the election of Barack Obama, occurred at a time when there was increased discussion of how the election of the first African-American President of the United States would impact opportunities for minorities seeking to move into the C-Suite and on to corporate boards.

The findings also showed that African-American women, in particular, face serious challenges in their climb up the corporate ladder. The top three issues cited as preventing or slowing down the rise of African-American women are:

• Weaker or less strategic networks available to African-American women (31%)


• Inaccurate perceptions of African-American women's capabilities (24%)


• Work/life balance demands (23%)

"Frankly, the findings confirm what we found in our in-depth research completed earlier in 2008," said Carl Brooks, president and CEO of The Executive Leadership Council, the leading organization for the most senior-level African-American executives in corporate America. "Not only should senior executives cultivate more trusted and strategic relationships with high-potential Black women executives, it is important for Black women executives to have and execute detailed plans for advancement and demonstrate a passion for the values and culture of their companies," said Brooks.

The ELC poll yielded a number of findings that coincided with the earlier in-depth research, that outlines steps to be taken for African American women on the rise in corporate America:

• African-American women should seek high-visibility stretch assignments to improve their access to C-Suite positions, (73%)


• African-American women should set career goals and create the action plans necessary to achieve them (67%)


• African-American women should work with executive coaches to prepare for and take full advantage of critical feedback (57%)

Dani Monroe, president of Center Focus International, Inc., agrees that the findings of these studies are consistent with other studies of success and race. "Over the past 10 years, more African-American women than ever before have been promoted to the senior ranks of corporations; but when compared to their White counterparts, even today, there are distinct disparities from pay to performance expectations. African-American women often fall at the lower end of racial hierarchy in Corporate America -- after White men and Black men. Oftentimes, African-American women are the least included in some senior-level circles, and this impacts their accessibility to opportunity, growth and development."

"Although many studies clearly define what African-American women need to do to succeed, corporations and senior leaders must do more to ensure the success of African-American women by putting them in strategic leadership positions where they will be successful, as well as by making sure they have sponsors and mentors who are C-suite members. Corporations and/or mentors must ensure that active succession plans for African American women are in place to further define their moves to succeed in the C-suite."

Bridging the Gaps

The Executive Leadership Council also noted the gaps between CEOs and black women executives. "CEOs and black women executives seem to have a significant disconnect about how they view some of the behaviors and experiences of senior black corporate women," said Ancella Livers, executive director of the ELC's Institute for Leadership Development & Research.

The Black Women Executives Research Initiatives Report findings note that CEOs are often unaware of the breadth of skills and experience of black women executives. At the same time, the bar is higher for all C-Suite candidates. Here are two scenarios:

• Said a CEO, "There is an issue of whether black women have emphasized whether they have taken on the most challenging assignments, but are not getting credit for it and not getting the value for it. You want to anticipate what you want and what you think is owed to you, and ask for it in advance."

The report findings also noted that black women executives suffer from the lack of comfortable, trusted and strategic relationships at the senior level with those who are most different from themselves, most notably white males.

• Said one of the black women executives, "I didn't get feedback about why I wasn't considered for the general manager role. I was given the feedback that 'this position is not for you’ rather than hearing, 'this is what you need to do to become the GM.'"

"In spite of the barriers, many black women are skilled and ready to assume the responsibilities of the C-suite," said Dr. Livers. "This work allows us to create a roadmap to help prepare mid-career black women who aspire to the highest levels of leadership in today's corporations."

Increasing the Numbers of African-American Female Executives

When asked what major corporations can do to increase the number of African-American female executives in their senior management teams, respondents to both studies provided concrete suggestions, including:

• "Corporations need cultural change to attract African-American females and females in general. Second, specific training for women and African-American women by major corporations."


• "There needs to be senior management complete commitment -- not just a pet project of the CEO."

Combined with its research, the Institute intends to use the survey results to finalize programs for senior and mid-level black women executives to help them strengthen strategic relationships with senior-level men, build networks and increase visibility.