Being The Only One: How to Survive As The Sole Minority Leader in A Company

Are you the only one that looks like you in your company? Your division? Do you get that weird feeling when you enter a meeting and no one else looks like you? If that is the case there are some tools you can use to help you navigate this scenario and thrive in that environment.

The talk will help the attendees understand that if they are the only one that looks like them in their respective companies or organizations, they are not alone. The talk will go into the emotions a person experiences and how to develop tools and techniques to help you survive and thrive in that environment. The objective is to let attendees know that there are people that been in this specific situation and that there are solutions to help you make progress in your career.

Throughout my career, I’ve served in roles with companies where I was the only person of color in the organization. I currently serve as the first and only manager of color in an information technology group for a multi-billion dollar company. I’ve been the only manager of color in multiple companies in my 22-year career. I believe I have a unique perspective on how to navigate this scenario and I would like to help others that are facing this situation to conquer and thrive in this lonely environment.