Unwritten Insights: A Career Playbook for Leaders of Color

by Lenetra King

Overview

Drawing on more than fifteen years of C-suite experience, author Lenetra King provides a much-needed resource for leaders of color to navigate and succeed in corporate environments.

No matter where you are in your career journey, but especially if you are an emerging leader or executive of color trying to advance your corporate career and looking for additional tools to enhance your leadership portfolio, this book is for you.

The playbook focuses on critical competencies for success, and each chapter drills down to specific insights and guidance including:

• cultivating a bold personal brand

• navigating workplace politics

• the critical role that sponsors play in career advancement

• learning when and when not to self-promote

Validated by research on the environment facing leaders of color as well as extensive interviews with BIPOC leaders, Unwritten Insights explores existing challenges and barriers, and shows how to expand your leadership abilities, propelling your career to new heights and amplifying your voice in corporate spaces.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798986873015
Publisher:	Watch Me EXCEL
Publication date:	02/01/2023
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	230
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Lenetra King is founder and CEO of Watch Me EXCEL®, a leadership development firm that works in a pioneering way with organizations to deeply engage, promote, and retain exceptional leaders, especially those from underrepresented populations. Using her more than fifteen years of experience as a hospital C-Suite executive, Lenetra's passion for driving results in employee engagement and workforce culture, patient and consumer experience, quality, operational excellence, and financial performance all come to bear in the various pathways in which she works with clients. Lenetra is a nationally sought-after speaker on navigating workplace politics and leveraging sponsorship for career and leadership success in the workplace. As a Black executive, it was important to Lenetra to take the leadership lessons she learned and observed and share them with others, especially leaders of color trying to figure out the maze of career advancement in corporate environments. In addition to her entrepreneurial pursuits, her community-trustee interests include healthcare equity and the elimination of racial disparities, mental health access, social justice, youth development and education. She has volunteered for close to thirty different nonprofit organizations over the course of her adult life. A passionate advocate of historically Black colleges and universities, Lenetra currently serves on the Florida A&M University Foundation board of directors. She received a BS degree from Florida A&M University, an MS in health administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and an MBA from Rockhurst University. To connect with Lenetra, please visit www.unwritteninsights. com.

Table of Contents

PART 1: The Environment Leaders of Color Face

Chapter 1: Why Cultural Competence Matters

Chapter 2: Implicit Bias, Microaggressions, Racial Trauma, and Their Impact

PART 2: The Playbook

Chapter 3: Owning Your Personal and Professional Development

1: Have a Healthy Mindset and a Positive Attitude

2: Take the Stage as a Confidently Charismatic Leader

3: Lead with Energy and Enthusiasm

Chapter 4: Activating the Power of Your Personal Brand

4: Be a Visionary and Strategic Leader

5: Build Your Thought Leadership

6: Develop Executive Presence and Image

Chapter 5: Utilizing Your Social and Emotional Intelligence

7: Know Who You Are

8: Be Intellectually Curious

9: Understand Others on Their Own Terms

10: Communicate Impactfully and Listen Actively

11: Leave Your Ego at the Door

Chapter 6: Leading with Authenticity

12: Understand Code-Switching

13: Be Vulnerable

14: Build Trust Early

Chapter 7: Strengthening Your Decision-Making Skills and Embracing Change

15: Recognize and Work with Ambiguity

16: Be a Change Leader

17: Lead Hybrid Workforces Effectively

Chapter 8 Creating and Sustaining a Culture of Accountability

18: Build High-Performance Teams

19: Drive to Results

Chapter 9: Treating Relationships as Golden

20: Show Appreciation

21: Be a Highly Engaged and Good Team Player

Chapter 10: Understanding Advocates, Mentors, and Sponsors as Levers for Career Success

22: Get Noticed by Potential Sponsors

23: Learn When and When Not to Self-Promote

24: Grow Other Leaders

Chapter 11: Navigating Organizational Politics

25: Manage Toxic Bosses Skillfully

26: Prevail Over Blackballing, Favoritism, and Unbearable Work Environments

Chapter 12: Prioritizing Your Emotional Well-Being and Finding Work-Life Integration

27: Prevent Burnout

28: Gain Resilience and Respond to What Life Throws at You

Editorial Reviews

"King hits the nail on the head with the true issues BIPOC leaders face every day. . . . The toolkit gives real life tactics that we BIPOC leaders can take with us into the workplace. . . . A book I will share with my mentees."

-Denzil Ross, CEO, Northwest Medical Center Houghton

"Many books today tell the reader about issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. Others describe leadership and professional development techniques. Unwritten Insights does a masterful job of weaving these important, timely, and essential challenges together. . . . This is an important contribution to the field."

-Christy Harris Lemak, PhD, FACHE, Professor, Health Services Administration, University of Alabama at Birmingham

"While we would like to believe all people are treated the same, the truth is, people of color are often judged differently, and this can impact performance as well as promotions and other opportunities. Unwritten Insights . . . provides tangible solutions for surviving and thriving in corporate America."

-Debby Ballard, Retired Executive, Sprint

"An impactful look at what it takes for BIPOC leaders to succeed in today's dynamic environment. . . . This book should be an essential read for all BIPOC leaders and their allies as we work together to open leadership opportunities for all."

-Aaron Bujnowski, FACHE, Healthcare Strategy and Leadership Expert

"Lenetra has distilled many years of reflection and experience into this literary work. Her story openly shares the untold, stark reality, and gives hope. I believe you will find inspiration and guidance in this playbook. Expect to become more impactful!"

-Ron C. Hamilton, Senior Vice President, Global Head, Reinsurance Governance & Operations Services (reinsurance industry)

"Unwritten Insights unleashes the . . . codes that every aspiring leader needs to reach their true potential. King eloquently shares golden nuggets of wisdom around the importance of sponsorship and coverage that we all should have and, more importantly, give to others."

-Tequila Smith, EVP/Chief Sustainability Officer, Covanta

"Unwritten Insights is a playbook for corporate leaders of color, regardless of years in the industry, that's informative, well-crafted, and well-implemented-a blueprint for winning. . . . I highly recommend this book as a must read."

-Freddie Raines, Veteran Corporate Business Banking Manager, Senior Market Sales Executive (banking industry)

"The book we always needed but didn't have. . . . Unwritten Insights lays the fundamental building blocks of career progression that are applicable to everyone from entry level to the C-Suite."

-Brandon J. Handy, Vice President, Global Talent Management, BBB Industries

From the Publisher