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qoqanani's review against another edition
4.0
When Ursula left Xerox, one of the books she left with was Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg. In the same vein as Lean In, this book looks at challenges faced by a black woman in her accent to CEO of a fortune500 company. I quite enjoyed also following how an engineer develops character, and tact to end up becoming a formidable leader, being a so called “nerd” myself.
The book highlights the importance of longevity in mentorship. Mentorship was key to her success, and it was very close mentorship, It wasn’t the monthly coffee. The ability for mentors to open doors was vital for Ursula’s career. It speaks to leaders taking bets on young talent and really taking this talent under their wings and teaching it.
Exposure is vital to be well rounded and thus we follow Ursula around the world. Some instances constantly traveling to different parts of the globe and at some point, going on secondment in a new country.
We also see lessons of patience Ursula had to learn in a few instances, when she was ready for her next, but her time had not arrived. Learning to navigate relationships within the workplace is strongly featured in this memoir.
Despite her mother never having gotten to the levels Ursula herself never reached in terms of corporate, she managed to instil lessons that were applicable throughout Ursula’s tenure at Xerox and beyond. One of these lessons, is the title of the memoire. This emphasizes the importance of holding closely great lessons parents teach you.
Family is featured significantly in her life. Her husband, probably as smart as her, makes the sacrifice of retiring early to be the present parent for the children. In the era in which Ursula lived her career this was very progressive, and her husband is to be commended for this.
This memoir is written well and easy to read, with great food for thought around mentorship, working through the ranks to the top, going in-depth with subjects you are presented (attention to detail), grabbing opportunity, learning to adapt, applying childhood lessons and a positive attitude. Most importantly, it speaks about paying it forward.
The book highlights the importance of longevity in mentorship. Mentorship was key to her success, and it was very close mentorship, It wasn’t the monthly coffee. The ability for mentors to open doors was vital for Ursula’s career. It speaks to leaders taking bets on young talent and really taking this talent under their wings and teaching it.
Exposure is vital to be well rounded and thus we follow Ursula around the world. Some instances constantly traveling to different parts of the globe and at some point, going on secondment in a new country.
We also see lessons of patience Ursula had to learn in a few instances, when she was ready for her next, but her time had not arrived. Learning to navigate relationships within the workplace is strongly featured in this memoir.
Despite her mother never having gotten to the levels Ursula herself never reached in terms of corporate, she managed to instil lessons that were applicable throughout Ursula’s tenure at Xerox and beyond. One of these lessons, is the title of the memoire. This emphasizes the importance of holding closely great lessons parents teach you.
Family is featured significantly in her life. Her husband, probably as smart as her, makes the sacrifice of retiring early to be the present parent for the children. In the era in which Ursula lived her career this was very progressive, and her husband is to be commended for this.
This memoir is written well and easy to read, with great food for thought around mentorship, working through the ranks to the top, going in-depth with subjects you are presented (attention to detail), grabbing opportunity, learning to adapt, applying childhood lessons and a positive attitude. Most importantly, it speaks about paying it forward.
jilliebeanreads's review
4.0
Ursula is a badass and the world's first Black female CEO. Her memoir about her 3+ decades at Xerox was an up and down ride, with mostly ups. She doesn't pull any punches with how challenging it is to be a female on the rise in corporate America. And an African American one at that!
Ursula earned her coveted seat at Boardroom tables across the world--and even in the Situation Room and on Air Force One. She is to be applauded for her tenacity, grit and her ability to work harder than anyone else in the room. Because when you're a Black female, you have to. Everyones eyes are on you.
I admire her greatly for speaking the truth about her failures and how she learned from them. At times, she was harsh and abrasive and was called out for it. Even by the CEO whose position she would eventually succeed. But Ursula is an engineer by trade, and she gets things done. She isn't the nurturing type and didn't change who she was (at the heart of herself) to become one of the most powerful women in business.
I'm grateful for the chance to read an advanced copy of this book, via NetGalley, and listen to the audio version on the Cloud Library app.
Ursula earned her coveted seat at Boardroom tables across the world--and even in the Situation Room and on Air Force One. She is to be applauded for her tenacity, grit and her ability to work harder than anyone else in the room. Because when you're a Black female, you have to. Everyones eyes are on you.
I admire her greatly for speaking the truth about her failures and how she learned from them. At times, she was harsh and abrasive and was called out for it. Even by the CEO whose position she would eventually succeed. But Ursula is an engineer by trade, and she gets things done. She isn't the nurturing type and didn't change who she was (at the heart of herself) to become one of the most powerful women in business.
I'm grateful for the chance to read an advanced copy of this book, via NetGalley, and listen to the audio version on the Cloud Library app.
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