Excellence in the Midst of Inequality

WELCOME to the first Executive Justice post!  I hope you will continue to follow and will share with others. Recently, I had the opportunity to read a book entitled “Black Faces in White Places: 10 Game-Changing Strategies to Achieve Success and Find Greatness” by Dr. Randal Pinkett and Dr. Jeffrey Robinson  The book had so many factors which apply to my life that I thought this JUST HAD to be in my first post.

So let’s dig in…

Defining Moments…Excellence…Education…Identity…Purpose…Community……These are terms which come to mind while reading.  When I first heard about this book, I was concerned about the title and the message.  I ASSUMED it was another book written by black men blaming the white man.  Knowing the legacy Dr. Jeffrey Robinson is building, I did not in my heart believe my assumption was correct.  Logic prevailed and I read the book.  To my amazement, many of the principles for business and personal growth outlined in this book align with the message I try to convey through my companies Revelatus Specialized Accounting & Consulting and I AM MORE, LLC, and my book “I AM MORE – the Journey”.  The words to follow are my unsolicited opinion.  I will tell you how the book affected my life without revealing too much of the book. I suggest you add this book to your life as a “go-to” resource.

The tone:

When I read this book I hear… “This is the game and it has been for some time. You can sit on the sidelines and complain, play with an injured spirit, or get in the game with a strategy which will effectively change how the game is played.”  Drs. Pinkett and Robinson give a very concrete plan for strategically planning your life for success – better yet – for greatness.  They offer a plan for mind-set change and not a change which is shallow or superficial.

The strategy:

As the title plainly states, there are 10 strategies.  My favorites: Demonstrating Excellence, Thinking and Acting Intrapreneurially/Entrepreneurially, and Give back Generously.  Of excellence, the authors “believe excellence is achieved when you bring empowering beliefs and old fashioned discipline to the intersection of your true passion and God-given gifts.” (pp.62-63). Of all the strategies in the book, excellence dominates.  They challenge you to know and establish your identity.  Once that is done, excellence must become your only option for everything you think and do.  The other 9 strategies would fail if not executed with excellence of mind, body, and spirit.

My Final Thoughts:

This book says little about the “plight of the black man/woman” except to identify the game, the players, and the rules.  I often say, what you are going through can either be your excuse to fail or it can become your reason to succeed.  This book focuses on success.  I also say greatness is your birthright.  This book, if followed, will ensure you take full advantage as your great destiny and not sell your birthright for a comfortable life of mediocrity. “Black Faces in White Places: 10 Game-Changing Strategies to Achieve Success and Find Greatness” is a call to action “DO BETTER and here is how”.  Those that already value excellence will answer the call.  Those that underestimated the power of excellence and even their own possibility of greatness will rise as a result of reading the book.

LOOK OUT:

The next post will directly connect my emerging career to some of the key components in the book.  What were my defining moments?  How did education become the most important component of my strategic plan for my life?  Excellence in the Midst of Inequality Pt.2 is coming soon!