The Unicorn CEOs of the Fortune 500
Gena Cox, PhD
Global Top 50 Executive Coach (Thinkers50). Organizational Psychologist |Speaker | Author. I use psychology and management science insights to help ambitious leaders win at work and in life. Forbes Contributor
"Would Ms. Burns consider sitting with me for a brief interview for my book research?"
I hit "Send" and waited. And then, several weeks later, the response came. It said something like this: "Ms. Burns wishes you well with your writing project but must decline because she does not do book interviews."
You would think I would be disappointed. And I was in the sense that it would have completely blown my mind if this had worked out.
Instead, I felt gratitude. I was grateful that Ms. Ursula Burns had bothered to respond via her assistant! And with such kind words.
After all, I had reached out to several other former #CEOs, and many had not responded at all!
Ms. Burns is one of only five #blackwomen who has ever been the CEO of a #Fortune500 since the list started in 1955! And one of only 28 Black Fortune 500 CEOs ever!
I might have been too star-struck to speak if she had agreed to sit with me. After all, Ms. Burns, the former CEO of #Xerox, is a unicorn!
领英推è
I had read everything I could find about her and, of course, read every word in her #memoir, "Where You Are Is Not Who You Are." When I asked for this interview, I already knew more about her than most.
I wasn't disappointed; I assumed she gets more interview requests than she can satisfy. Instead, I was sad.
The list of Black Fortune 500 CEOs was (is) so short that I can recite their names with little effort.
That begs the question: how can we get more Black women into corporate CEO, #csuite, and #corporateboard chair roles?
I recommend putting #respect at the heart of every company's operational norms for dealing with employees, customers, and other partners. This is a scalable and sustainable way to retain and attract the best Black employees. This is how those who select CEOs will notice the over-prepared and often overlooked talent that can eventually fill these roles.
#leadinginclusion #respect
PR Strategy. 25+ yrs building visibility, credibility & authority for giants like P&G, Microsoft, Amex. Now I help small business & personal brands grow ?? ??
1 年I’m glad she didn’t disappoint you Gena. It’s frustrating when heros don’t live up to our expectations. She’s smart to have done that because she made you even more of a fan. Your story reminds me of P&G CEO AG Lafley. One time, he visited Canada and we had a reception. He came over to me and a couple of other people and asked our opinions on some things. He was genuinely interested. We were so flattered.
Coach, Author, Leadership Development Innovator, and Workplace Culture Shaper @ Work Designed For Thriving
1 å¹´Gena Cox, PhD briilliant!!!
Behavioral Consultant on Overcoming Fear: Unlocking Potential in SMB's | TEDx Speaker | Vistage Speaker | Homeward Bound Leadership Coach | Transformation Guaranteed Day One
1 å¹´I love this story Gena Cox, PhD. I reached out to Ursula Burns in 2009 for the same reason when I did my first book, and received the same polite response. The fact that they answered me said a whole lot about their integrity. It is a sad fact that you can count Black CEO's easily, and while we keep waiting for things to change, you are doing the world a service by continuing to highlight the disparities. RESPECT as Aretha said!