Breaking Through: 5 Tactics for Leaders from Underrepresented Backgrounds

1   Seek Mentors and Sponsors

Develop relationships with mentors and sponsors who can provide guidance, support, and advocacy. Mentors can offer you tailored advice, drawing from their wealth of experience, ensuring you avoid pitfalls and capitalize on unseen opportunities. Meanwhile, sponsors are the champions in your corner, advocating for your achievements and potential in spheres of influence that you might not yet have access to. By developing and nurturing these relationships, underrepresented leaders can better navigate challenges, amplify their visibility, and accelerate their path to growth and success.

2   Pursue Continuous Learning

Continuous learning is a powerful instrument for personal and professional development. In an ever-changing world, senior executives from underrepresented groups must continuously pursue new knowledge, skills, and insights. This continued effort broadens their skills and keeps them relevant and competent. Continuous learning builds adaptability and resilience, allowing individuals to face challenges confidently and creatively. 

3   Advocate for Yourself

Self-advocacy is not merely a recommendation—it's a necessity. Silently expecting recognition can limit your growth trajectory. Instead, make it a mission to actively communicate your aspirations, delineate your goals, and celebrate your accomplishments with those who can influence your path forward: direct managers, peers, mentors, or sponsors. This proactive approach helps ensure that your achievements are recognized and opportunities align with your career objectives. 

4   Take Calculated Risks and Embrace Challenges

Stepping out of your comfort zone and taking calculated risks can lead to new growth opportunities. Volunteer for challenging projects, apply for stretch assignments or raise your hand to lead initiatives that align with your interests and showcase your capabilities. A sponsor is a great advocate in this area. 

5   Maintain Resilience and Perseverance 

Leaders from underrepresented communities encounter different challenges on their path to success. By maintaining resilience, they can bounce back from setbacks and overcome adversities. 

By adopting these proactive efforts, leaders from underrepresented communities can overcome invisible barriers and create an environment where they, and others, can succeed. Their actions may catalyze change, building a more inclusive and diverse environment for future leaders.