5 Reasons Why We Need To Discuss Black Leadership

There is a void of leadership dialogue for diverse leaders

There’s no lack of discourse on leadership and no shortage of hidebound books and C-suite memoirs. There is, however, a gaping void of leadership dialogue for diverse leaders. It has created a real vacuum of literature that tackles some of the unique challenges of diverse leaders.

When the books don’t exist, you write your own. That’s why we are building a space here to address our leadership challenges, a place for real talk between leaders of color. I’ll reflect on learnings from my career, and I’m also excited to invite friends and colleagues into the conversation to share their leadership practices.

A little bit about me as we start this journey together: I was born and raised on the West Side of Chicago. A lawyer by trade, I now live in Washington, DC, and lead a national, private foundation. On a Saturday, you’re likely to find me recharging at a thrift shop or art gallery.

So much of leadership involves finding your footing. I believe a core tenet of leadership involves being authentic and true to your perspective. It sounds like such a simple thing, but diverse leaders are socialized to question themselves. We are not socialized to see ourselves–or be seen by others—as leaders. We’re socialized to see a certain type of white male as the model for leadership. Anyone who does not fit that model has to address and overcome their own and everyone else’s socialization.

That’s a lot of noise to block out, but as leaders, it’s our job to quiet the voices and call the plays. This space is designed to help you do just that.

Together, we will:

1. BUILD A LEADERSHIP LIBRARY

Maybe you’ve downloaded all the current bestsellers on leadership and read a book by a guy decades ago. It’s all about his perspective of leadership. He might have created a white-shoe leadership organization, but it’s still about his personal leadership experience.

The book doesn’t translate if you’re a small woman of color. It doesn’t tell you what to do when you walk into the room, and no one expects to be led by someone who looks like you. To them, the bar’s just been lowered. That white-shoe leadership book doesn’t tell you how to start finding your footing.

We need to start talking about the discourse for leaders of color. We need to talk about leadership and the things that are part of leadership when you don’t fit the preconceived notion of what a leader looks like.

I spend a lot of time speaking to Black female leaders. So much of what they’re struggling with is about appearing confident. Leadership is a practice that requires consistent thoughtfulness, care, and attention. A lot of the existing discourse doesn’t outline that in a meaningful way.

2. TALK ABOUT SHOWING UP

I want to talk about showing up. Before you get to your first 90-days and 30-minute one-on-ones and how you’ll project competence as you communicate your vision — you’ll focus on how you walk in the door and show up. Just deciding what to wear can be agonizing, particularly as a woman of color.

For women, our bodies are very much a public discussion. Can you imagine that woman standing in front of her closet, thinking about what to wear? Think of Steve Jobs and his uniform–-that philosophy doesn’t translate across genders. Women are standing there, going, “What makes me look smart enough, and tall enough…” God knows early in my career I wore heels that my knees are still pissed about. It was a way to project presence.

I went from those heels in my 20s to running a prison system –a paramilitaristic system–-at 34 years old. Suddenly, I didn’t want to look too feminine. I couldn’t have long nails, and I wanted to wear pants, but they couldn’t be too tight. I can’t imagine any of the men on my team — when we were all going to the same facilities, or frankly, to the state legislature where sexual harassment was rampant—thinking, “What can I wear that will instill the kind of respect and energy I want to receive?”

(For what it’s worth, after a while, I got really creative with gender–nonconforming choices. It turns out a play on men’s wear can be pretty stylish.)

All of these negotiations are unique to women. The secondary layer is that if I negotiate too much or if there’s too much assimilation, I’m passing the struggle on to a future generation to tackle. I refuse to have women negotiate how they show up for the rest of their lives.

The truth is, if I show up and I’m not super comfortable, I can’t actually focus on what I came there to do. The truth of showing up for Black women leaders is different, and we need to have a conversation about that.

3. DEVELOP OUR LEADERSHIP PRACTICE

We hear a lot about the importance of being authentic to be the best leaders we can be. What we aren’t always as quick to acknowledge is that authenticity can evolve over time. That’s why I believe that leadership is an ever-evolving practice.

I get this from my mom because I’m a lawyer. She loves to say, “Lawyers and doctors: there’s a reason they call it practicing.” They’re called practices because you don’t always know the answer. You come in, ask questions, and run tests. Sometimes, you can diagnose it. Sometimes not.

Leadership, as its own practice, requires constant care and attention, constant thinking, continued learning, and exploration. There are no formulas for the problems we encounter in leadership. So many of the ways we work, at a certain level, demand the one thing that you bring to every job. It’s not your privilege, it’s not your network of people—it’s your intellect, your ability to process information, and to make the best decisions based on your circumstances.

4. DEFINE NEW LEADERSHIP MODELS

Early story: I graduated from a predominantly white law school and went into a white-shoe, white law firm. I’m 27. I have my natural hair and a little nose ring I got at 18 that I don’t take out for anything. The firm had been around for 30 years. I was in the first class of summer associates that included African Americans.

Now, human resources at a law firm is interesting. HR does benefits, administration, etc., but the lawyers do the hiring. So, when the HR person at this firm, an older Black man, welcomed me and said, “What a bold choice for hair!” I had to chuckle.

It helped that there were women in my life who gave me permission to be my authentic self. There were characters on TV (Clare Huxtable, I’m looking at you) and real people, like Kim Taylor Thompson, who now chairs the Public Welfare Foundation’s board. She ran a premiere public defender agency. She was the first Black woman tenure track professor at Stanford Law. I remember seeing her at law school. She had on this crisp white shirt, red leather pumps, and a red leather skirt. She looked amazing. She was asserting confidence and power in her own skin in her own way. She was also granting permission for up-and-coming lawyers to do the same.

5. START A CONVERSATION

This is a season for me to address some of the things I’ve encountered in my leadership journey and that so many other women are articulating. I want to bring in different voices–including Kim Taylor Thompson and her red pumps—to create a space where we can share our perspectives and create instructional models that reflect our experience more. I want to invite us to practice with one another.

I look forward to being a voice in this collaborative effort.

Candice C. Jones joined the Public Welfare Foundation in Washington, D.C., as its president and CEO in 2017. Previously, she served as Senior Advisor at Chicago CRED, an organization that focuses on gun violence in Chicago.

Candice received her J.D. from New York University School of Law. To learn more about Candice’s background and work, find her on LinkedIn.