Customer Reviews

Cracking the Corporate Code: The Revealing Success Stories of 32 African-American Executives

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Over 250 Black men and women have risen to senior positions in major corporations. Along their climb, these leaders have learned, grown, achieved, and influenced as highly effective executives. They have overcome the challenges of being Black, complicating the normally difficult path of moving up the corporate hierarchy. That's the primary story of this book. At least, that's the premise of a book subtitled "The Revealing Success Stories of 32 African-American Executives."

All that aside, I gained a lot from this book. I'm not Black. I'm not a high level executive of a major corporation. I'm a Certified Management Consultant. I help executives do a better job as leaders. To give developing executives the answers they need to succeed, I'd recommend careful reading of this book. Page after page delivers valuable lessons in a captivating way.

The design of this book is quite effective. Chapters headed Ambiguity, Managing Your Demons, Fitting In, Reading Unwritten Rules, Making Your Mark, Managing Relationships, and several aspects of power weave meaningful lessons together into a amazing package of advice. Cobbs and Turnock teach through their own words, illuminated beautifully by mentoring lessons from the 32 selected executives. The role models are liberally quoted, giving them a powerful platform to share their experiences and advice with readers. Their testimonials give so much to those who follow them.

The primary target of this book might be considered rising executives from diverse backgrounds. The demographic description goes far beyond Black men and women. Everyone can gain from this growth tool. I particularly commend it to young people in college and even in high school. You will learn, be inspired, and be freed to achieve far beyond where you ever thought you might go.

My copy of this book will be donated to the library at Hiram College, the Ohio liberal arts college that gave me the boost to achieve what I have in life. I trust it will inspire others to reach for their highest potential.

A Black business book classic that I recommend reading is Cracking the Corporate Code : The Revealing Success Stories of 32 African American Executives by Price M. Cobbs and Judith L. Turnock. This book delivers truth in a disarmingly no-holds
barred fashion.

The truth about advancement in the corporate world is that the unwritten, unspoken rules and values are often more important then those that are written and spoken. The challenge for African Americans is that the rules were created for and by white men.

This book receives my recommendation for both what the book does and for what it doesn't do.

The first half of the book is tough to swallow as an African American because you hear the stories of young, idealist Black men and women entering the corporate world on the heels of years of Civil Rights unrest and newly minted gains. They are pioneers in business and the business world proves to be as dangerous as the American frontier was to the pioneers that left home to settle here.

These new entrants into corporate America face abuse, back stabbing, hurt, rejection and subtle as well as outright racism. Through it all, they manage to keep a proper perspective, excel in their respective careers and prove to many in the business world that Blacks have a place at the corporate table, that we can turn a profit in the white man's world of business.

Now, these executives are stalwarts of business giving sage advice to all who will listen. The stories they tell and the advice they dispense is as invaluable as having 32 mentors unified in guiding you successfully through your career. They openly share their experiences and feelings about them at the time. Have you ever had doubts about your ability, felt persecuted and put down because of your race or have you felt the sting of subtle racism and not known what to do? They have and
they share that with you. This gives the book a sense of sincerity in its efforts to benefit the reader.

The authors teach the skills to overcome the blows to one's ego that happen to everyone but are often complicated by the color of our skin. Have you ever wondered if someone's intention to help was sincere(an honest gesture to assist) or slightly racist(you need help due to your skin color). The authors tell you the skills they developed to perceive these subtle differences.

What Cracking the Corporate Code does not do is try to provide a step by step formula to success. The book decribes the loneliness of success experienced by these Black executives, the ambiguous nature of corporate power and the reality of "unwritten rules" in every business.

The authors recognize that a cookie cutter approach will fail the reader. The real keys to success are embedded in the stories of the executives as we read about their rise to power.

As I expound on to a great extent at www.blackwealthnow.com, core sets of skills are what separate the winners from the losers in business and finance. This book recognizes that African Americans require all the skills whites need to succeed as well an additional set of skills to thrive as Black men and women in a hostile (though there has been improvement) business world.

A few of the skills learned in Cracking the Corporate Code include reading unwritten rules, playing the corporate game, building a base of supporters, cultivating a network and wielding corporate power.

32 African American executives each with decades of experience giving advice and sharing wisdom on these critical issues and more makes Cracking the Corporate Code an indispensable success guide on the bookshelves of all African Americans at any level and in any business.

I'll end here with a quote from one of the African American
executives from the book.

"None of us has gotten here on our own. We may have busted our butts, worked extremely hard, made lots of personal sacrifices, and brought some talent and ability to the table. I believe all that is true, but we didn't do it alone. We've all had people who have been there either directly or indirectly and made a difference."
Bruce Gordon, Group President, Verizon
From the book Cracking the Corporate Code
by Price M. Cobbs & Judith L. Turnock

Reading Cracking the Corporate Code (CTCC) is like having conversations with the best mentors in the world.. When I first read it, I was in the middle of my fourth year as an associate at a major law firm in Silicon Valley. I was one of very few blacks, and I was struggling through work assignments and feeling so alienated. It was CTCC that gave me the confidence to look honestly at my law firm environment. I think every African-American lawyer should read this book!

As an American lawyer in London, I often feel isolated in an alien culture, even though everyone is speaking English. CTCC was given to me by a colleague who knows Judy Turnock. I was surprised to find how much I identified with the experiences of the corporate executives interviewed there. What they shared has given me even more respect for what so many people have sacrificed to make the promise of America a reality. It also made me proud of my small part in the cultural change underway in every workplace. I find myself turning to CTCC again and again. Wherever you work, read this book.

As the director of a not-for-profit art center, I've spent years struggling to raise enough funds to improve our center, build our programs and pay our staff.  I read Cracking the Corporate Code because I know Judy Turnock, but I had no idea it was going to help me in my work.  It made me start thinking strategically about the struggle of every art center, and now I've put together a consortium of over 40 art centers.  I would never have thought this way if I had not read CTCC.  It makes you think about how to accomplish more.  I think CTCC has a message for everybody.

This is a fabulous book with lots of great stories, information and strategies on being successful in corporate America. This is a must read for ALL corporate professionals especially those seeking to craft their own strategy for growth in corporate America!!!!!

As a pragmatic middle manager that has set his sights on the corporate board room, I found this book invaluable for setting a realistic course for accomplishing my goal. The book doesn't spell out any secrets for ascending to the executive washroom, however it details and profiles the characteristics and sacrifices necessary to make it in today's hostile business climate. It also forces you to look at setbacks beyond the simple stereotypical "I didn't get promoted 'cause I'm Black." It also challenges younger minority managers to take up the mantle of diversity on the journey to the top.

Overall, I gave this book a 5 because I expected it to be filled with a lot of "work twice as hard, you're the future" rah rah babblings. However, it was very insightful and very well presented. Best part of the book is the executive bio's listed at the very end.

I really found the insight in the book valuable. I'm a Korean (i.e., Asian) but found a lot of elements to which I can relate from my personal experiences. The book contains excellent insight and advice from these successful individuals who managed to crack the corporate code and climb the ladder. I'd recommend this book to anyone who's interested in climbing the corporate ladder.

I found myself reading several of the stories in this book over and over again. The layout is what makes it a great read. Instead of focusing on one interview subject per chapter, the author uses their stories based on relevance to various topics and you hear from all of them throughout the book. You get bits and pieces from each person interviewed along the way and it provides much more persepective on the wide range of challenges they faced.
The candor of those interviewed and their willingness to share the mistakes they made in their own careers served me well. I highly recommend this book, but it is not only for African-Americans. This book provides historical perspective that individuals of all races could benefit from having.

I'm not in corporate America. Heck, I'm not even in business. But I do enjoy reading about people who work hard and make it to the top and don't give excuses for setbacks. This book shares principles that will work in any field. I love excellence that is presented simply.