Breaking Through? [Book Review]

In case you missed it:

Here are my most popular posts from July :

I’ve reviewed 25 books in 25 weeks using my 60 Second Book Reviews. Here they are.?

Chief Diversity Officers are losing their jobs at an alarming rate. Some of them had it coming.

5 hamster wheels to avoid in Diversity and Inclusion work.

----------

Get Your 30 Book Breakdown summary while you can

I'm going to retire my 30 Book Breakdown summary.

I've got something else planned but if you haven't already got a copy.

Get it now while you can.

It's free.

But it won't be available for much longer.

Get it here

When it's gone, it's gone.

----------

This week, we’re covering a classic book

Breaking Through

The Making of Minority Executives in Corporate America

by?David A. Thomas?&?John J. Gabarro

Here's my 60 Second Book Review

For a more detailed breakdown on our podcast. Go here.?

I’ve discussed this using our 5 Step Signature Approach.

----------

Why is this book important??

Most of the research about so called “Minority“ groups characterises them as disadvantaged, lacking or deficient.?

?There’s lots of research that outlines:?

?- Bias?

- Racism?

- Prejudice?

- Stereotyping?

- Discrimination?

In a variety of ways with different Minority groups.?

The results are well documented.?

You hear about it all the time.?

This book challenges the narrative that people from “Minority” groups are disadvantaged, lacking or deficient.?

This book is focused on “Minority “groups that made it to the top of an organisation.?

Evidently this book has a “can do” lens that I rarely encounter.?

This was a central part of my PhD and how I generally choose to speak about this topic.?

This book is important to me because helped to inform my own research and my narrative.

----------

Who is this book for?

This book has two clear audiences:?

First: I think it’s a playbook for aspiring Minority Executives who want to make it to the top.?

Second: I think it’s a playbook for Corporate Leaders who want to hire more Minority Executives.?

The kind of people who say they value Diversity but can’t seem to increase it in their most senior teams.?

I think the book is concerned with the former.?

However it has some useful insights for the latter.?

----------

Key Message of the book?

The central premise of the book is that in order to get to the top, individuals must compete in a career tournament.?

There are rules.?

There are rounds.?

People get “knocked out” of the tournament.?

The authors suggest that this tournament does not apply equally to people from Minority groups.?

You could be in the same organisation but there’s a whole different tournament.?

The authors suggest that for aspiring Minority Executives there is a separate career tournament with:??

?- Different rules.?

?- Different rounds.?

?People still get “knocked out”.?

Lack of knowledge of this phenomenon explains in part why so many people fail to reach the top.?

----------

Now for the Key Takeaways

We changed the format of how we discuss this in our Book Club.?

Now I choose from our 5-4-3-2-1 Review Method

5 Memorable Quotes

4 Relevant Stories

3 Practical Activities

2 Useful Frameworks

1 Alternative Perspective

It’s my personal approach for understanding books.?

I use this to share insights every two weeks.?

Join here to subscribe?

In the Book Club I shared?

1 quote?

1 Story

1 Framework

----------

1 Quote?

“The Separate Career Tournament”?

This idea was at the heart of the book.?

The authors suggested the concept of a career tournament provides valuable insights into the competitive nature of career advancement.?

This is not the same for everyone.?

Minority Executives were in a tournament but the model was different and therefore the rules were different.?

For example:?

White Executives?

?- Fast and Steady Trajectory

?- Early Promotions

?- Higher Success Rate

?Minority Executives?

?- Slower Trajectory

?- Staggered Promotions

?- Lower Success Rate

The authors argued that Minority Executives need to play by different rules in order to succeed.?

A nuanced understanding of career dynamics is necessary to “win”.

----------

1 Story?

The 3 C's: Competence, Credibility, and Confidence

The authors found three key psychological characteristics that contribute to the success of Minority Executives in their early careers.

These form the foundation for their professional growth.?

I want to outline them briefly here:?

Competence:

This is built on deep grounding in one or more areas of expertise.

I’m glad that the authors placed this first.?

Minority Executives demonstrate consistent, excellent performance over time.

This has an effect of gaining a cumulative understanding of their organisation’s operations.?

This makes them very valuable to the organisation.?

Credibility:

Credibility depends on a Manager's reputation for successful performance, integrity, and impact on the core business.

The emphasis throughout the book on the core business was essential for being credible.?

The impact had to matter to the people driving the organisation forward.?

This opens doors to critical assignments and opportunities for advancement.

The book suggested that being credible was important because it attracted sponsors and support.

Evidently, this reinforced their competence by providing opportunities to expand their responsibilities.

Confidence:

If the authors didn’t put this last, I certainly would.?

In my work, too many people expect the confidence to come BEFORE the competence and credibility.?

I think it comes afterwards and the book suggests the same.?

The authors recognised it as a vital resource that:?

- Wards off doubts

- Helps to withstand personal attacks?

- Develops an immunity to stereotypes.

I like the way the authors implied that includes a belief in past achievements, current competence and future success.

For me this is about standards.

Overall I consider these to be interrelated and mutually reinforcing.

By nurturing these traits, Minority Executives can navigate challenges, excel in their roles, and pave the way for long-term success.

----------

1 Framework?

The 7 Lessons to Win the Separate Career Tournament

I’ve spoken to over 1,000 people who have experienced a version of this.?

Here’s the advice the authors suggested to win.

Lesson 1: Choose work and an organisation that suit your personality.

Lesson 2:?Choose high quality experiences over fast advancement.

Lesson 3: Build a network of developmental relationships.

Lesson?4: The organisation matters.

Lesson 5: Take charge of your own career.

Lesson 6: Race matters, but it alone does not determine your fate.

Lesson 7: Make sure it’s worth the price.

I break each of these down in detail on the podcast.?

----------

For me this is an inspirational and upsetting book.

I got emotional talking about this on the show.

When I first read it I thought:?

?- That happened to me..?

?- I left a job to avoid that..?

?- I did that, now I know why that’s smart..?

I think of this book as tips from the winners and they want you to win too.?

I also want to draw attention to the language used.?

It may seem uncomfortable and the authors acknowledged it.?

At times you may have felt a Winner takes all narrative was inappropriate, especially if you personally have no aspirations to be an Executive in Corporate America.?

It’s useful to think of this as an extreme case study.?

The stakes are high for incredibly competitive opportunities.?

The roles are demanding and reading this may make you realise that winning isn’t worth it.?

In any case, there’s insights here that I find useful and others have benefited too.?

That’s what I got from the book.

As always I want you to make your own mind up.?

----------

PS.

If you like these book breakdowns?

You will love our Book Insights.?

It’s perfect if you want more practical insights in less time.

You get to avoid being overwhelmed and get clarity on what’s relevant.

This is what I use when working with billion dollar companies but it won't cost you the earth.

Get it here.?

----------

As always?

I’m cheering you on.?

Dr. Jonathan?

Whenever you're ready, there are a few ways I can support your Inclusion Journey:

1.?????Work with me 1:1?

2.?????Get Practical Book Insights?

3.?????Get our Free Email Course?