Debra Lee sends the following message in the beginning of her memoir: “To all the shy girls, the introverts. Believe in yourself, work hard, use your voice, and you can be anything you want to be.” As a shy young girl herself, she started on a straight trajectory to college and then law school. The strong love for Black culture that she held fiercely throughout her young life came full circle when she started her tenure at BET.
Starting as general counsel and ending as CEO, she was a trailblazer who walked through the murky and sharky waters of office politics to carve out her own path. A path carved by fortitude and forged by fire that resulted in her becoming a force to be reckoned with in the business. She developed her skills by absorbing, observing, and working tirelessly in the trenches.
As a female executive among many male colleagues, she was oftentimes subjected to the patriarchal structure that sought to silence her contributions and ideas. However, she masterfully adjusted her sail and forged ahead with creative ways to use her voice. She stated: “That’s one of the many challenges of being a woman in the workplace, you always have a double consciousness.”
She used everything she experienced, good and bad, to build and cement her legacy. Debra Lee left a great blueprint to navigate through both career and life.
Debra Lee on perseverance: “I persevered not by becoming someone else but by embracing who I was (plus practice, practice, practice).
Debra Lee on leadership: “Stepping into your flaws and all is the only way to lead.”
Debra Lee on self-acceptance: “Whatever you do, own it. Because the consequences-good or bad- are yours and yours alone.
Debra Lee on self-awareness: “There’s nothing wrong with not wanting to be the center of attention.”
This was an insightful read. It was written in a straightforward way that provided great advice on how to show up in the workplace and the world at large. I liked how she demonstrated with grace an alternative way to show up in the workplace that may also garner success and grant one’s greatest desires.
She also demonstrated how a shy person can walk in their purpose by simply embracing all that they are, standing firm, and forging ahead despite insecurities. She worked and led in that perspective, and it unlocked so much for her. I am happy that she shared her story with us.
Rating 10/10
FOREVER BOOK FEVER 