The Black Faces in White Places: 10 Game-Changing Strategies to Achieve Success and Find Greatness - Paperback

by Randal D. Pinkett (Author), Jeffrey A. Robinson (Author), Philana Patterson (Author)

Discover how African-American professionals can combine their personal strengths with the wisdom of others to plant the seeds of a positive, lasting legacy in the workplace.

Randal Pinkett was the first African-American winner on The Apprentice. When he won, he also became the only contestant to be asked to share his victory with a white woman.

For generations, African-Americans have been told that they need to work twice as hard as everyone else to succeed. However, as millions of black Americans were reminded by Pinkett's experience, sometimes hard work is not enough.

Black Faces in White Places is about "the game", the competitive world in which we all live and work. The book offers 10 revolutionary strategies for playing, mastering, and changing the game for the current generation, while undertaking a wholesale redefinition of the rules for those who will follow.

In this book, you will:

• Expand yourself beyond your comfort zone
• Recognize and demonstrate the four facets of excellence
• Build beneficial relationships and powerful networks
• Identify different mentors and learn from others' experiences
• Discover ways of working with others to facilitate collective action

Based on the authors' considerable experiences in business, in the public eye, and in the minority, the book shows how African-American professionals can (and must) think and act both entrepreneurially and "intrapreneurially".

Black Faces in White Places not only explains shattering the old "glass ceiling" and changing the concept of success, but also examines the four dimensions of the contemporary black experience: identity, society, meritocracy, and opportunity.

Front Jacket

As an African American, you've heard the adage that you need to work twice as hard as white counterparts to succeed. So you play "the game" and anticipate being rewarded for your talents and hard work. Now you're up for a prized promotion, landmark business deal, or other professional breakthrough--this is your moment....

It's at this point that many African-American professionals experience a "black faces in white places" moment: a point at which it becomes all too clear that just playing well isn't enough-- because the rules can change on you in a heartbeat. This scenario plays out countless times each day in American workplaces, and for Randal Pinkett it played out on national television--when Pinkett's seemingly storybook ending during the finale of The Apprentice was about to get an unexpected twist. Black Faces in White Places is about that very game--the one played in the competitive world in which we all live and work. While exploring the ideals and realities of identity, meritocracy, opportunity, and society, the book lays out ten concrete strategies to help you become a "game changer." The ten strategies will advance you to the next level of personal and professional success and unleash the greatness that lies within you. Along the way, you will: - Learn how to use your ethnicity as an asset - Expand yourself beyond your comfort zone - Recognize and demonstrate the four facets of excellence - Build beneficial relationships and powerful networks - Identify different mentors and learn from others' experiences - Discover ways of working with others to facilitate collective action - And much more The book also examines social responsibility, institution building, and longstanding traditions of giving throughout African-American culture and history. Based on interviews with dozens of prominent African Americans and the authors' considerable experience in business, in the public eye, and in the minority, Black Faces in White Places shows how as an African-American professional you can (and must) think and act both entrepreneurially and "intrapreneurially"; combine the strengths of your peers with the wisdom of others; and plant the seeds of a positive and lasting legacy. Randal Pinkett, Ph.D., was the winner of season four of The Apprentice and the show's first minority winner. He is the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of BCT Partners, an information technology and management consulting firm. Jeffrey Robinson, Ph.D., is a leading business scholar at Rutgers Business School. Philana Patterson is a business news editor for the Associated Press.

Back Jacket

Advance Praise for Black Faces in White Places

"Randal Pinkett and Jeffrey Robinson's book has much to say about solutions to our challenges in the Age of Obama. Don't miss it!" -- Cornel West, Princeton University "There are three types of people in this world: those who make the rules, those who follow the rules, and those who redefine the rules. Drs. Pinkett and Robinson have given us a revolutionary roadmap for people of color to accomplish the latter, and to do so in a way that benefits everyone." -- William H. Cosby, Jr., Ed.D., and Camille O. Cosby, Ed.D. "An intriguing exploration into the personal, professional, and spiritual dimensions of being Black in 21st century America. If you care deeply about the future of our communities and our country, you should care about this book."-- Benjamin Todd Jealous, President and CEO, NAACP "This book is a 'must read' to fully understand the Black experience in any professional setting. Black Faces in White Places takes a look at race and professional accomplishment in post-Obama America. Drs. Pinkett and Robinson interview entrepreneurs, corporate execs, educators, religious and community leaders to identify 10 clear strategies to be successful oneself-and to help others as well." -- Soledad O'Brien, Anchor and Special Correspondent, CNN "The '10 Game-Changing Strategies' in Black Faces in White Places are so powerful, so compelling, and so simple, it made me wonder why someone didn't think of them sooner! Thank you, Dr. Pinkett and Dr. Robinson."-- Judge Glenda Hatchett "Pinkett and Robinson's '10 Game-Changing Strategies' should be for people of color what Stephen Covey's '7 Habits' were for highly effective people." -- Roland S. Martin, Analyst, CNN Host, Managing Editor, Washington Watch, TV One Cable Network Senior Analyst, The Tom Joyner Morning Show "At last, a one-stop resource that addresses the particular issues associated with being a minority within a majority culture. This book could not have come at a better time. Thank you, Drs. Pinkett and Robinson!"-- Stephen R. Covey, Bestselling Author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families "At last, a book that isn't narrowly focused on how to become 'successful.' Black Faces in White Places challenges each of us to look beyond our individual agendas and chart a course for 'greatness' - a collective agenda of helping others, thus creating a ripple effect that is felt for generations and generations to come." -- Marc H. Morial, President and CEO, National Urban League

Author Biography

RANDAL PINKETT, PH.D. is the co-founder, chairman and CEO of BCT Partners, an information technology and management consulting firm. He was the season four winner of "The Apprentice."

JEFFREY ROBINSON, PH.D. is a leading business scholar at Rutgers Business School. PHILANA PATTERSON is a business news editor for the Associated Press.