Chapter 19. Leading in Black and White: Working Effectively Across the Racial Divide

Ancella B. Livers

Keith A. Caver

Many blacks in the workplace face a set of dynamics unique to being African American in a traditional white, male-dominated world. These differences, of which most white managers are unaware, can lead to miscues and distortions in communications and ultimately get in the way of effective performance and optimal productivity for organizations. This chapter sheds light on how leadership experiences for blacks are radically different from those of their white colleagues.

It begins with discussion of two omnipresent factors in the lives of black managers—the assumption of similarity and the effect of miasma—that influence how and why ...

Get Business Leadership: A Jossey-Bass Reader now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.