Where You Are Is Not Who You Are- A Memoir by Ursula Burns
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Web ID: 18023650A Great Motivator
I was on a webinar at work, one of the presenters mentioned that a great book to read is Ursula Burns' WHERE YOU ARE IS NOT WHO YOU ARE. I immediately purchased the book, but it took me a while to get around to reading it. I have a very tall to-be-read pile. There is probably a great reason I finally read the book now. This is the inspiration I needed at this point in my life. Burns talks with great openness and honesty about her hard life growing up to the point where she became CEO of Xerox and the many opportunities she gained during and after her time with the company. I related a lot to Burns' story, with the exception of being a CEO, of course. I, too, had a mother who stressed the importance of education. She wanted all five of us kids to go to college. Just like Burns, I also had a sibling that was sort of the black sheep of the family and chose an alternate path. I also married a man 20 years older than me, but we didn't have children between us. And with my current job, I am also on some boards, but nothing like being on the boards of MIT or the Ford Foundation. If I related to so much of Burns' story, why am I not where she is? What I appreciated about her professional journey is that she remained herself without apology. As a black woman, I also went through the journey of relaxing my naturally kinky hair in order to assimilate. I stopped doing that over a decade ago. I am learning to speak up more when necessary and when appropriate. What I learned from reading her biography is to demand your place at the table, and when you are there, do something that keeps you there. Your actions will get your further than your association with others. For anyone needing a kick in the pants in your professional life, especially black women, please read this book. I will reread this when I need motivation. #CillasBookManiacs
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Highly Recommend
Ms. Burns takes you from her humble beginnings to behind the scenes of her corporate journey. She proves it is not impossible to be successful in the face of adversity, if you are passion about what you do.
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