Leadership, Uncategorized
This year has given Americans the opportunity to face some ugly truths about our country. The torch that was lit when George Floyd was murdered on Memorial Day continues to burn day and night. Under that light, American citizens are daring to step out of the protection of their houses and step into the public square to debate issues such as freedom, patriotism, policing, and racism. Young adults are leading the charge in the streets and on social media to raise awareness that we can no longer neglect the past or remain willfully ignorant of the severity and scope of our country’s racial disparity. Yet, many of us lack the words to articulate our current turmoil or find the path forward.
In an effort to deepen our understanding of race and racism in America, we’re turning to authors to shed light on how we got to where we are, how to have civil discourse about inflammatory topics, and steps that we can take individually and collectively to heal. Here are eight books written by academics, historians and activists that we are reading.
1. The People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn
What it’s about: This classic national bestseller chronicles American history from the bottom up, throwing out the official narrative taught in schools—with its emphasis on great men in high places—to focus on the street, the home, and the workplace.
Why pick it up: Zinn shows that many of America’s greatest battles – fights for fair wages, eight-hour workdays, child labor laws, health and safety standards, universal suffrage, women’s rights, racial equality – were carried out at the grassroots level, against bloody resistance.
2. The Racial Contract by Charles W. Mills
What it’s about: With a sweeping look at the European expansionism and racism of the last five hundred years, Charles W. Mills demonstrates how this peculiar and unacknowledged “contract” has shaped a system of global European domination: how it brings into existence “whites” and “non-whites,” full persons and sub-persons, how it influences white moral theory and moral psychology; and how this system is imposed on non-whites through ideological conditioning and violence.
Why pick it up: “Fish don’t see water, men don’t see patriarchy, and white philosophers don’t see white supremacy. We can do little about fish. Now Charles Mills has made it clear how whites dominate people of color, even (or especially) when they have no such intention. He asks whites not to feel guilty, but rather to do something much more difficult – understand and take responsibility for a structure which they did not create but still benefit from.” – Jennifer Hochschild, Princeton University
3. The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
What it’s about: In 2008, months before his election as president, Barack Obama assailed feckless black fathers who had reneged on responsibilities that ought not “to end at conception”. Where had all the black fathers gone, Obama wondered. In The New Jim Crow, Michelle Alexander has a simple answer to their whereabouts: they’ve gone to jail. Alexander’s book is a stunning account of the rebirth of a caste-like system in the United States, one that has resulted in millions of African Americans locked behind bars and then relegated to a permanent second-class status – denied the very rights supposedly won in the Civil Rights Movement. Since its publication in 2010, the book became a New York Times bestseller; been dubbed the “secular bible of a new social movement” by numerous commentators, including Cornel West; and has led to consciousness-raising efforts in universities, churches, community centers, re-entry centers, and prisons nationwide. The New Jim Crow tells a truth our nation has been reluctant to face.
Why pick it up: Alexander shows that, by targeting black men through the War on Drugs and decimating communities of color, the U.S. criminal justice system functions as a contemporary system of racial control, even as it formally adheres to the principle of colorblindness. The New Jim Crow challenges the civil rights community – and all of us – to place mass incarceration at the forefront of a new movement for racial justice in America.
4. White American Youth: My Dissent Into America’s Most Violent Hate Movement – And How I Got Out by Christian Picciolini
What it’s about: At 14, Christian Picciolini went from naïve teenager to white supremacist – and soon, the leader of the first neo-Nazi skinhead gang in the United States. How was he radicalized, and how did he ultimately get out of the movement? In this courageous book, Picciolini shares the surprising and counterintuitive solution to hate in all forms.
Why pick it up: As featured on the TED stage, a stunning look inside the world of violent hate groups by a onetime white supremacist leader who, shaken by a personal tragedy, abandoned his destructive life to become an anti-hate activist.
5. Rising Out of Hatred: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist by Eli Saslow
What it’s about: Derek Black grew up at the epicenter of white nationalism. His father founded Stormfront, the largest racist community on the internet. His godfather, David Duke, was a KKK Grand Wizard. By the time Derek turned 19, he had become an elected politician with his own daily radio show – already regarded as the “the leading light” of the burgeoning white nationalist movement.
Then he went to college. At New College of Florida, he continued to broadcast his radio show in secret each morning, living a double life until a classmate uncovered his identity and sent an email to the entire school. “Derek Black … white supremacist, radio host … New College student???” The ensuing uproar overtook one of the most liberal colleges in the country. Some students protested Derek’s presence on campus, forcing him to reconcile for the first time with the ugliness of his beliefs. Other students found the courage to reach out to him, including an Orthodox Jew who invited Derek to attend weekly Shabbat dinners. It was because of those dinners – and the wide-ranging relationships formed at that table – that Derek started to question the science, history, and prejudices behind his worldview. As white nationalism infiltrated the political mainstream, Derek decided to confront the damage he had done.
Why pick it up: “No one can match Pulitzer Prize winner Eli Saslow’s skill at telling the most improbable, humane, and riveting tales of our time. Anyone despairing at the hate that has fueled so much of America’s politics ought to read this unforgettable story.” – Jane Mayer, New York Times bestselling author.
6. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
What it’s about: What is it like to inhabit a black body and find a way to live within it? And how can we all honestly reckon with this fraught history and free ourselves from its burden? Between the World and Me is Ta-Nehisi Coates’s attempt to answer these questions in a letter to his adolescent son. Coates shares with his son – and readers – the story of his awakening to the truth about his place in the world through a series of revelatory experiences, from Howard University to Civil War battlefields, from the South Side of Chicago to Paris, from his childhood home to the living rooms of mothers whose children’s lives were taken as American plunder.
Why pick it up: Beautifully woven from personal narrative, reimagined history, and fresh, emotionally charged reportage, Between the World and Me clearly illuminates the past, bracingly confronts our present, and offers a transcendent vision for a way forward.
7. White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin Diangelo
What it’s about: The New York Times best-selling book exploring the counterproductive reactions white people have when their assumptions about race are challenged, and how these reactions maintain racial inequality. Robin DiAngelo, a white woman and antiracist educator, deftly illuminates the phenomenon of white fragility and “allows us to understand racism as a practice not restricted to ‘bad people’. Referring to the defensive moves that white people make when challenged racially, white fragility is characterized by emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and by behaviors including argumentation and silence. These behaviors, in turn, function to reinstate white racial equilibrium and prevent any meaningful cross-racial dialogue.
Why pick it up: DiAngelo invites us to have courageous conversations about the culture of complicity. To eradicate racism, she encourages white people to relinquish ingrained hyper-attachment to individualism and embrace predictable patterns of their own racial group. Her book provides strategies for people who truly endeavor to be a part of the solution.
8. So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
What it’s about: How do you tell your roommate her jokes are racist? Why did your sister-in-law take umbrage when you asked to touch her hair – and how do you make it right? How do you explain white privilege to your white, privileged friend? In So You Want to Talk About Race, Ijeoma Oluo guides readers of all races through subjects ranging from intersectionality and affirmative action to “model minorities” in an attempt to make the seemingly impossible possible: honest conversations about race and racism, and how they infect almost every aspect of American life.
Why pick it up: Whether you’re beginning your journey to understanding racism in America or believe yourself to be well-versed on the subject, this book is a tool to help broach conversations and help us work toward a better world for people of color from all walks of life.
Question: What books are you reading to understand and dismantle racism?
People
No matter who we are or where we come from, our assumptions and beliefs are shaped by our experiences, our upbringing, our race, our gender, religion, culture. Those beliefs help us navigate and make sense of everyday life. But they can also mean that we believe that there is no difference between our perceptions and reality. For leaders, that means we must continuously question our assumptions and value the voices of people who are not like us to help us assess reality correctly. That requires creating a culture that is not only more diverse, but more importantly, more inclusive, so that our employees are encouraged to express their ideas and share their insights.
Here are five resources we recommend to help you develop a more diverse and inclusive culture.
1. Inclusion: Diversity, the New Workplace & the Will to Change by Jennifer Brown
What it’s about: A roadmap for anyone seeking to understand the objective reality of what diversity and inclusion mean, why it matters, and how to make it part of your organization’s DNA.
Why pick it up: To learn about how to build systems that embrace diversity in all its forms, from identity and background to diversity of thought, style, approach, and experience, that tie directly to the bottom line.
2. Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People by Mahzarin R. Banaji and Anthony G. Greenwald
What it’s about: I know my own mind. I am able to assess others in a fair and accurate way. These self-perceptions are challenged by leading psychologists Mahzarin R. Banaji and Anthony G. Greenwald as they explore the hidden biases we all carry from a lifetime of exposure to cultural attitudes about age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, social class, sexuality, disability status, and nationality.
Why pick it up: To reveal how our unconscious minds influence our beliefs and behaviors, and remind us to think twice about our instinctive reactions.
3. Is It Possible to Unravel Unconscious Bias? TEDTalk by Yassmin Abdel-Magied
What it’s about and why watch it: Abdel-Magied is an engineer, motorsport enthusiast, writer, broadcaster, boxer, and black Muslim woman. Her TEDTalk makes the case for how, if we want to live in a world where the circumstances of your birth do not dictate your future and where equal opportunity is ubiquitous, each and every one of us has a role to play in making sure unconscious bias does not determine our lives.
4. Can We Solve for Unconscious Bias in Tech? TEDTalk by Andreas Ekström
What it’s about and why watch it: We think of search engines as unbiased sources of information. But they’re not—and they can be manipulated. Andreas Ekström asks: who should hold the burden of addressing bias in search engines?
5. How Does Bias Affect the Way We Listen? TEDTalk by Tony Salvador
What it’s about and why watch it: We have to start every conversation fresh. We have to be vulnerable. We have to listen to ideas that we may not like and entertain them and struggle with them and keep them in our heads for a period of time until we develop a mutual understanding.
Bottom line. To lead effectively today, you need to constantly recalibrate your ability to assess reality correctly. Exercise your diversity and inclusion muscles by building your library of resources that challenge your perception of reality as a human being and as a leader.
Question: What resources do you use to challenge your perception of reality?
Driven by the premise that excellence is the result of aligning people, purpose and performance, Center for Executive Excellence facilitates training in leading self, leading teams and leading organizations. To learn more, subscribe to receive CEE News!
Leadership
A little girl named Jennifer grew up in Cleveland in the 1970’s. At age twelve, her family moved out of the city which meant Jennifer had to change schools. Like most 12-year olds, she was anxious about making a good impression on her new schoolmates and hoped to make friends quickly. Fortunately, Jennifer’s new classmates went out of their way to welcome her. Unfortunately, however, Jennifer struggled. She couldn’t remember who was who. She’d pass classmates in the hall without speaking. She’d call students by the wrong name. She couldn’t remember names of the people she’d sat next to just the day before during lunch.
We’ve all been the new kid at one time or another. It’s not easy to match faces with names while taking in the newness of it all. But, for most of us, we start to add people to our memory bank within a few days or a few weeks at most. Not so for Jennifer. For an entire school year, she was at a loss. For the first time in her life, she was stripped of the most basic skill of separating the faces of other people. But, why? That’s the question that Jennifer dedicated her life to answering.
Today, Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt is a professor and researcher at Stanford University. In her recent book, Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do, she writes, “I’d struggled to recognize my white classmates’ faces because black faces were all I’d been routinely exposed to in the twelve years before I moved to the suburbs.” By the time she changed schools as an adolescent, Jennifer’s brain had been shaped by her exposure to people who looked like her. Learning to distinguish the facial features of people who were not black was simply not necessary to navigate life in her Cleveland neighborhood. As Eberhardt writes, “We reserve our precious cognitive resources for those who are ‘like us.’” Otherwise, she explains, “we see categories.”
Categorization, it turns out, is a natural function of the brain that allows us to organize and manage the overload of stimuli. It helps us quickly sort safety from danger by relying on patterns that seem predictable. As Jennifer Eberhardt’s story illustrates, categorization is natural. In the workplace, however, categorization can lead to stereotyping, or holding positive or negative beliefs about social groups. Taken further, stereotyping can lead to bias, or acting on the beliefs we hold about social groups.
In the context of the workplace, bias is bad for business. Not only are members of the workforce excluded from opportunities to make an impact, but research shows that teams that lack diversity are more susceptible to making flawed decisions.
As the graphics above illustrate, homogeneous teams and diverse teams were given the same problems to solve. The diverse teams achieved a significantly higher rate of accuracy, yet the homogenous teams had a higher rate of perceived effectiveness and higher confidence in their decisions. The homogeneous teams were less likely to challenge one another’s perspective, while the diverse teams tended to examine facts and remain objective.
Entrenched thinking can blind us to key information and lead to errors in the decision-making processes. Though it may seem easier to work with people who share our background, working on diverse teams produces better outcomes precisely because it helps us pause to question our assumptions.
Question: When was the last time you caught yourself being biased?
Driven by the premise that excellence is the result of aligning people, purpose and performance, Center for Executive Excellence facilitates training in leading self, leading teams and leading organizations. To learn more, subscribe to receive CEE News!
Leadership
It’s been just over two weeks since George Floyd called out for his mother as his life was callously drained away by a white police officer in broad daylight on a Minneapolis street. Mr. Floyd’s death ignited a powder keg in America that spread around the world. Images of his murder, followed by buildings in flames, followed by national guard troops positioned on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial show the worst of what can happen when we lack the kind of leadership that helps us navigate the path between chaos and control.
Before sitting down to write this dispatch, I picked up where I’d left off in Leadership in Turbulent Times, the book I’ve been reading these days to find inspiration and historical perspective. In the book, author Doris Kearns Goodwin profiles Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, and Lyndon Johnson.
I wrote last month about how Goodwin compared and contrasted the four presidents, and noted how their lives were marked by crucibles that shaped their leadership style. This time, I opened the book to Chapter 9, Transformational Leadership. The chapter opens on March 4, 1861, the first day Abraham Lincoln took office.
Goodwin writes, “the house was not merely divided; the house was on fire. Seven southern states had passed resolutions to secede from the Union in the four months between Lincoln’s election and his inauguration.”
It was against this backdrop that Lincoln helped the nation navigate the path between chaos and control. “His temperament was stamped with melancholy,” Goodwin writes, “but devoid of pessimism and brightened by wit.”
Here are 15 steps that Lincoln took to lead our divided country:
1. Acknowledge when failed policies demand a change in direction
2. Gather firsthand information, ask questions
3. Find time and space in which to think
4. Exhaust all possibility of compromise before imposing unilateral executive power
5. Anticipate contending viewpoints
6. Assume full responsibility for a pivotal decision
7. Understand the emotional needs of each member of the team
8. Refuse to let past resentments fester; transcend personal vendettas
9. Set a standard of mutual respect and dignity; control anger
10. Shield colleagues from blame
11. Maintain perspective in the face of both accolades and abuse
12. Find ways to cope with pressure, maintain balance, replenish energy
13. Keep you word
14. Know when to hold back, when to move forward
15. Combine transactional and transformational leadership
My temperament today, too, is marked by melancholy. But, I find inspiration anew each day as I see people at all levels in our society guiding the way through leadership that seeks to unify.
Question: Which of these 15 leadership skills from Lincoln’s playbook can you use today?
Driven by the premise that excellence is the result of aligning people, purpose and performance, Center for Executive Excellence facilitates training in leading self, leading teams and leading organizations. To learn more, subscribe to receive CEE News!
Leadership
Does your team trust each other? If not, what impact do you think that’s having on the bottom line?
This is a question that we have explored with teams ranging from publicly-traded companies to nonprofits. Regardless of the size of your team or the industry you work in, “trust is the foundation of real teamwork,” writes Patrick Lencioni in his book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team.
In the mid-1990s, Lencioni observed a business climate that was maniacally focused on growth with little attention paid to the fundamentals of team alignment and organizational effectiveness. As a result, Lencioni and his colleagues developed a simple online assessment that measures team effectiveness in five key areas.
1. Trust
Think about a time when you worked with a team member who you trusted. What was that experience like? Did you freely share information with her? Did you ask her for help? Admit mistakes? Now, think about a time when you worked with a team member who you didn’t trust. What was that experience like? Did you ask him for more data? Did you talk to others about his reliability? Did you try avoiding him altogether? Now multiply the results of these interactions by all of the possible team member combinations in your organization. You can quickly see how trust impacts speed, and how speed impacts results. We’re living in the age of Airbnb, Kickstarter, Etsy, and Uber – where trust is the fundamental economic driver. Yet, trusting our colleagues as much as we do total strangers is something that we have yet to master.
2. Conflict
Teams that do not trust one another will be reluctant to have open, constructive conflict. You’ve seen this in action in the form of passive-aggressive behavior, circular conversations, veiled discussions, and guarded arguments. You’ve witnessed people nodding their head ‘yes’ in the room but shaking their head ‘no’ in the hall. Teams that trust one another freely engage in debate so that they can assess reality correctly before making a common commitment. Teams that lack trust also lack the ability to effectively uncover the root causes of issues that impact performance. Instead, they spend their time dealing with symptoms and side issues.
3. Commitment
A team that can accurately assess reality will have a better chance of making clear commitments. A note of clarity here. Team commitment is not the same as consensus. When you are encouraged and inspired to share your ideas and know that you’ve been heard, you’re more likely to agree to the final decision even if it differs from your original input. As a result, you walk away motivated and feeling valued rather than resentful. Commitment requires weigh in before buy in.
4. Accountability
If you manage a team of people, you understand that part of your role is to hold them accountable for delivering results. Holding your peer team members accountable, however, is harder. This is especially true when you haven’t built trust, participated in constructive debate about root causes, or felt that your opinions about what to do to move forward haven’t been heard. You’re much more likely to call your peers out when you’ve bought into the agreed upon direction to deliver results.
5. Results
“What gets measured, gets done,” is a familiar maxim. If you are measured and incentivized based on individual effort, human nature follows that you are more likely to put your individual results over collective results. High-performing teams, however, understand that if the team loses, everyone loses. When you’re held accountable for team results, you’re much more likely to make the extra effort to help team members when they need support.
Teamwork isn’t easy. But high performing teams understand that team alignment is a competitive advantage.
Question: Are you achieving results or experiencing regrets toward team goals so far this year?
Driven by the premise that excellence is the result of aligning people, purpose and performance, Center for Executive Excellence facilitates training in leading self, leading teams and leading organizations. To learn more, subscribe to receive CEE News!
