Staff Writer - Audrey Linton
I thought I would change tact this week and share some insightful information about the career progression of black managers and their perceptions on leadership.
I undertook this research about two years ago and my motivation was due to my own workplace experiences in trying to progress my career to the higher echelons of management.
I had observed that many of my counterparts fulfilled various roles outside of the workplace such as magistrates, church or other religious leaders, as well as pioneering and running community groups and forums. In particular, a work colleague received a distinction in her MA on her way to a Doctorate in Sociology, but did not progress past the first line management role within the Civil Service.
I am also fascinated by the black managers’ responses in many of my coaching sessions, in which I perceived they never want to be the leader, but perhaps the second in command. This caused me to question whether this was an aspirational deficit or whether there were some other factors which contributed to this. In turn many of their white or Asian counterparts had been promoted over them even though they too had the experience and skills.
I had face to face conversations with about 8 managers and senior managers from private and public sector organisations within the UK. They were asked a series of questions about their career journey and perceptions on leadership.
The main findings centred around:
- Factors that contributed to their success;
- Do black managers lead differently?
- Internal and external barriers to progression.
I would like to share with you some very insightful findings:
Factors that contributed to their success
The emerging themes that were voiced from my interviewees about the factors that contributed to their success were centred around:
Black Sales Manager. Photo courtesy blacksalesjournal.com
- Mentors and being a mentor
- Values
- Faith
- Family
One respondee said:
‘I think senior people must be able to stand up in front of people and speak as part of their role. So church and being a Christian has been a big part of where I am now. The values my parents gave me have been critical. Sometimes the company values grates with my values –not so much the company but people you work with, and if your boss doesn’t live by your values, it’s very difficult. If you are pushing back on respect or integrity it will push your nose out of joint. As a leader you have to do what you feel comfortable with.’
Do black leaders lead differently?
Another respondee mentioned:
‘Its a good question – I think we are different, we are different and its my belief that we do lead differently – but I can’t say that every black manager does and because we are different I don’t think about things the way a white English guy or a white French guy or a white German guy thinks – they think different.
As a Jamaican black guy I am very Jamaican – I think as a Jamaican, there are some things we don’t take – whether its work or family – I think my style in my company is different. I think my leadership approach is different and its different for these reasons, my upbringing – I lived in a shed in Jamaica for first 9 years the way I was raised by my mum and dad,my experiences was very different to people sitting around my senior table. I don’t think it’s necessarily about being black it’s about having a different life experience to the people you sit with. It’s more about blacks and the life experience they have had, I think that’s what makes it different.
Internal and external barriers to progression
A couple of my interviewees alluded to the fact that there were barriers in the selection process especially in progression to senior grades. One respondee said:
‘I have encountered oppressive management structures but I have never let them become a barrier they are just problems that you face – I never let problems hold me back. I have never been worried if I don’t get promotion – it’s never been a problem I was head boy at school and I have never let anyone push me around.’
Please let me know your views and opinions. For more information on my research please go to my website.
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