Why ‘being the minority’ can be a career advantage
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The Behind the Desk series features this story. CNBC Make It meets with business leaders to learn everything about their lives, from where they came to be to where they are today to how they get up in the morning and what motivates them to continue on to the daily grind.
Ursula Burns, the CEO of Xerox was not a huge deal to her when she took over in 2009.
Then, the calls started pouring in from NBA Hall of Famer and President Bill Clinton. Magic JohnsonAl Sharpton and others. Burns, who was Black and female at the time of her appointment as CEO for a Fortune 500 corporation, made history. This position she held until 2016.
Burns, 63 tells: “Then I said to him, ‘Holy sh–t, this is big.’ CNBC Make It.
Burns had never been in the limelight before. The job was difficult: Xerox was a tech company that has been around for 100 years. keep up with the times. Burns discovered that she did not know half the information she required to manage her company.
She says she was driven to succeed, despite her lack of work ethic. And she was used to thriving in corporate settings as an outsider — being both Black and female. According to her, she describes that being one of the few or only in a group is what gives her comfort. “I learned to play in such a space.”
Burns said that even though she considered being the sole Black woman in any given room an advantage, it was not something she minded. She says, “If my hand was raised in any meeting it would almost certainly be called on.” “They can’t overlook you because of how different you are, at least not in open areas.”
Burns shares her story of growing up poor in single parent homes, her rise to the top in career and why she believes in being “not too kind.”
When I was growing up poor, my mother made it clear to me that she wanted our family to be prosperous
I’m the middle of two-parent households. I exhibit the typical traits of a middle kid: independent, quiet and compliant. My mom and school didn’t have to worry about me.
Growing up in very poverty, I was raised. My mother, a Panamanian immigrant, was my father’s wife. My father brought her here, and he left me when I was just two years old. All three children were raised by her, mainly on welfare and bartering. She cleaned offices for food and did childcare work — the government had a program where poorer families would take care of middle-class kids after school.
My mom was very clear about her three assets. They were her children. Her famous quote was “The world doesn’t happen to you. You have to make it happen to the world.”
She meant that you could either wait and watch for the best or go out and create them. This happened in 1960s when Blacks still felt marginalized. It was clear that she believed we could be anything.
Her other statement was that “Wherever your are, it is not who and what you are.” Our family grew up in an extremely poor neighborhood with drug addicts and drunks roaming the streets. I was stunned at how insightful this statement was to me.
When climbing up the corporate ladder: “My natural comfort is to be the only one or two in a space.”
It was something I never imagined that would happen. Although I didn’t expect to become as successful in business and financial terms as I did, I had no doubt I would succeed.
I was always the minority. I chose to pursue a career that was male-dominated. [my classmates or coworkers]They were Black and all of them were male. My entire life was lived except in high school. There were few others like me.
It’s been a struggle to put this into words. All I can tell you is that I was born in the place I am now. My natural comfort is being the only or the few in a room — I was always a little bit of a loner, so it didn’t bother me. That was where I excelled.
These are the three strategies she used to become CEO.
First of all, I was very hardworking. The career I selected was right for me. The job was analytical and one that you can do alone because you work on your problems.
Second, when there was an issue that had to be resolved and someone needed my help, I said no. I did not negotiate anything. I was simply asking, “What are you looking for?”
The third was that I was minority. Being the minority when you have a little bit of confidence — and you know what you’re talking about — turned out to be an advantage more than a disadvantage, at least in the early parts of my career.
Nearly always, if I raise my hand at a meeting, that is when it would be called upon. People would listen if I had an idea. They may not always comprehend it or agree, but being the minority turned out — at least, at Xerox — to be an advantage.
It is still possible for Black women and people of color, I believe. Because you’re different, people can’t forget about you.
The Fortune 500’s first Black woman CEO was a challenge.
My lack of knowledge was evident to me. So I had to have a team of specialists with me.
You can create a great human being when you have the support of a group. This is not possible by you alone. This just isn’t possible. This may just be gender-related, but it was no problem for me asking for assistance. None. None.
My firm belief is not to be too nice. [Many] companies have this culture of “everybody be nice — but when we get to the private room, we talk about how we really feel.” [We did]It was because we did not want to offend anyone’s feelings. However, it did not allow them to grow.
Please tell me it’s okay if it’s great. If it isn’t good, let me know so that I can make it better.
This interview has been edited to ensure clarity and length.
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