We at PeerSpectives Consulting enjoy looking at different perspectives. Here is an article on how African-American leaders prosper and achieve incredible success in situations where they feel underestimated, under-appreciated and under-resourced.

Laura Roberts from University of Virginia, and Thomas Murphy from Harvard Business School have shared how these leaders practice self-affirmation to affirm their potential.

Here are examples of affirmations from their work.

In early stage of my career, I envision myself becoming a leader.

– I build a robust sense of self that strengthens me.
– I embrace my unique strengths and cultural resources. I bring new perspectives and ideas that have value and are specific to my experience.

In the middle stage of my career, I am positioned to grow into greater leadership roles.

– I recognize that as my core strengths and talents increase, I can be a stronger contributor in my organization. I draw on these attributes to position myself for increased responsibility and greater visibility and impact.

What stands out for us ? Being clear of your core strengths and talents helps you ground in your personal sense of value. This is a foundation for becoming the leader you are meant to be.

We want everyone to understand their value. Its our passion.

When you see how underrepresented African-Americans are in current leadership roles, it can be easy to get discouraged about their prospects for leadership advancement. Despite a a rise in the number of black college and university graduates, just 8% of managers and under 4% of CEOs are black. In the Fortune 500 companies there are currently only three black chief executives, down from a high of 12 in 2002.