Letter from the Editor

It is Q4 when organizations are thinking about wrapping up the year and planning for the next year. In 2022, leaders dealt with return to the office or hybrid, the great resignation, rumors of recession, war, inflation -- to name just a few. What challenges will 2023 bring to leaders – ESG, inflation, labor shortages? Whatever 2023 challenges might be, without the right leaders at the helm, organizations will struggle, and some might fail.

Are Black leaders poised to lead in an ambiguous year? A common saying in the Black community is “You have to work twice as hard… Be twice as good” and on and on. Here is the good news, it turns out investors appreciate the exceptional capabilities Black CEOs bring.

In the article “How do investors really react to the appointment of Black CEOs?” the authors (Jeong, Mooney, Zhang and Quigley) argue biases and stereotypes are outweighed by investor appreciation for the higher bar for advancement that Black CEOs face. They show Black CEOs are appointed with, on average, more years of education, advanced degrees, and elite education than a comparable group of White CEOs. I will let you read and see the details of their findings.

Also in this issue are articles on four critical qualities for transformative leadership; how leaders can harmonize their work and life and more. We hope you find this issue helpful as you close out 2022 and prepare for 2023.

Ramien R. Pierre, Ed.D.

Director, Institute for Leadership Development & Research The Executive Leadership Council