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“If I didn’t define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people’s fantasies for me and eaten alive.” — Audre Lorde
When corporate America talks about breaking barriers, they often reference the “glass ceiling”—that invisible barrier preventing women from reaching senior leadership positions. But for Black women, this metaphor falls dangerously short. We don’t face a glass ceiling; we face what I call a concrete ceiling—a barrier so thick, so reinforced by systemic biases and structural inequities, that traditional career advice not only fails us but can actually set us back.
After more than two decades of transforming organizational cultures and leading HR initiatives across multiple industries, I’ve witnessed firsthand how the well-meaning advice given to white women can be not just ineffective but counterproductive for Black women. The strategies that work for navigating a glass ceiling—being more assertive, asking for what you want, building networks—require fundamental reframing when you’re operating under a concrete ceiling.
The Illusion of Universal Solutions
Traditional career advice assumes a level playing field that simply doesn’t exist for Black women. When we follow the same playbook as our white counterparts, we often encounter what researchers call the “double bind”—being simultaneously criticized for being too aggressive and too passive, too visible and too invisible.
I’ve experienced this personally throughout my career. When male leaders in my organization discovered my salary was comparable to theirs, the microaggressions immediately followed. Despite being an HR leader focused on strategic initiatives, I was suddenly assigned additional tasks like ordering food and handling clerical duties. Resources were pulled from my department while my strategic responsibilities increased—a classic example of the concrete ceiling in action.
This experience illuminates a harsh reality: even achieving pay equity can trigger backlash. The unwritten rule that limits the number of Black women at certain levels isn’t just about representation—it’s about preserving existing power dynamics.
The Sponsorship Paradox
Traditional career advice heavily emphasizes finding sponsors—senior leaders who actively advocate for your advancement. But sponsorship for Black women operates under a different set of rules. There’s an unwritten quota system that makes advocacy exponentially more challenging.
Even with a white male sponsor, there’s a saying among Black women in corporate spaces: “He will never advocate for you enough to be his neighbor.” This reflects the concrete ceiling’s reality—support often extends only so far as maintaining comfortable distance from true power and influence.
I’ve observed how Black women in C-suite positions must be careful about sponsoring other Black women, as it’s often perceived that having “too many” calls their judgment into question, potentially putting their own positions at risk. This creates a painful paradox where the very success we achieve can limit our ability to lift others.
The fear of losing power—what Roland Martin describes in “The Browning of America” as white anxiety about demographic shifts—manifests in corporate spaces as resistance to Black women’s advancement at every level.
The Kamala Harris Effect
The 2024 presidential campaign provided a stark illustration of how even the most qualified Black women face scrutiny that goes far beyond typical professional criticism. Vice President Kamala Harris, despite her extensive credentials as a prosecutor, attorney general, and senator, faced attacks that questioned her fundamental capabilities in ways that would be unthinkable for similarly qualified white candidates.
This “Kamala Harris Effect” plays out daily in corporate America. Black women must not only excel in their roles but also continually prove their right to occupy space, defend their qualifications, and navigate criticism that often crosses the line from professional to personal.
The Extra Labor of “Managing Up”
Traditional advice tells us to “manage up”—build relationships with senior leaders and align our work with their priorities. For Black women, this process carries an additional emotional and psychological burden. Every interaction requires careful calibration: standing up for ourselves without bruising male egos, asserting our expertise without appearing threatening, and advocating for our ideas without triggering negative stereotypes.
This delicate balance creates a constant state of vigilance that our white counterparts rarely experience. The mental energy required for this continuous code-switching and strategic navigation is a hidden tax on our leadership capacity.
Reframing Success for Black Women Leaders
In my book “Rise & Thrive: The Black Woman’s Blueprint for Leadership Excellence,” I outlined strategies specifically designed for navigating the concrete ceiling. These approaches acknowledge our unique challenges while leveraging our distinctive strengths:
1. Build Strategic Alliances, Not Just Networks
Traditional networking focuses on collecting contacts. Strategic alliance-building involves creating mutually beneficial relationships where your success serves others’ interests. This approach provides protection and advocacy that traditional networking cannot.
2. Document Everything
Keep meticulous records of your contributions, achievements, and the impact you create. The concrete ceiling often involves having your accomplishments minimized or attributed to others. Documentation becomes your evidence and your shield.
3. Create Your Own Opportunities
Given the limitations of traditional sponsorship, Black women must become opportunity creators. This might mean proposing new initiatives, identifying market gaps, or building business cases for innovations that showcase your strategic thinking.
4. Master the Art of Strategic Visibility
Being visible as a Black woman requires different tactics than traditional advice suggests. Focus on visibility that demonstrates your value while minimizing opportunities for others to diminish your contributions.
5. Cultivate Multiple Revenue Streams
The concrete ceiling explains why Black women are among the highest populations of entrepreneurs. Building multiple revenue streams—whether through consulting, speaking, or business ownership—provides the independence and leverage that traditional corporate advancement may not deliver.
The Path Forward: High-Value Leadership in Action
The principles I outline in “High-Value Leadership: Transforming Organizations Through Purposeful Culture” become even more critical when applied to the Black woman’s experience. High-value leadership isn’t about fitting into existing systems—it’s about transforming them.
This transformation requires:
Authentic Leadership: Bringing your full self to your role while strategically navigating bias. This isn’t about code-switching as survival, but code-switching as strength.
Cultural Intelligence: Understanding organizational dynamics while maintaining your integrity. This involves reading the room without losing yourself in the process.
Systemic Thinking: Recognizing that individual advancement must be coupled with systemic change. Every barrier you break weakens the concrete ceiling for others.
Purpose-Driven Impact: Connecting your advancement to larger organizational and societal transformation. This gives your career journey meaning beyond personal achievement.
Breaking the Concrete Ceiling: A Collective Effort
The concrete ceiling cannot be shattered by individual effort alone. It requires collective action, systemic change, and allies who understand the difference between good intentions and effective advocacy.
Organizations serious about inclusion must:
- Examine their unwritten rules and quota systems
- Create accountability for inclusive leadership behaviors
- Invest in development programs specifically designed for Black women’s advancement
- Address the cultural taxation that places additional burdens on Black women leaders
Actionable Next Steps
- Audit Your Approach: Evaluate whether you’re following traditional career advice or strategies designed for your specific challenges.
- Build Your Strategic Alliance Network: Identify 3-5 people who benefit from your success and cultivate those relationships intentionally.
- Document Your Impact: Create a comprehensive record of your achievements, including metrics and testimonials.
- Develop Your Opportunity Creation Skills: Practice identifying problems you can solve and proposing solutions that showcase your strategic thinking.
- Invest in Black Women-Specific Development: Seek mentors, coaches, and resources that understand your unique journey.
Discussion Questions for Reflection
- How has traditional career advice served or failed you in your professional journey?
- What examples of the concrete ceiling have you witnessed or experienced in your workplace?
- How might your organization’s culture need to shift to support Black women’s advancement?
- What one strategy could you implement this month to better navigate your current challenges?
Transform Your Leadership Journey
The concrete ceiling is real, but it’s not impenetrable. With the right strategies, support systems, and understanding of the unique challenges you face, you can not only advance your own career but create pathways for others.
At Che’ Blackmon Consulting, I specialize in empowering overlooked talent and transforming organizational cultures through strategic HR leadership. My mission is to create sustainable pathways for authentic growth and breakthrough performance—particularly for leaders who face systemic barriers.
Whether you’re navigating the concrete ceiling individually or working to transform your organization’s culture, I’m here to help you unlock your potential, empower your leadership, and transform your professional trajectory.
Ready to break through your concrete ceiling? Contact me to discuss customized coaching, organizational transformation, or speaking engagements that address the real challenges facing Black women in leadership.
Together, we can transform not just careers, but cultures.
Che’ Blackmon is the author of “Mastering a High-Value Company Culture,” “High-Value Leadership: Transforming Organizations Through Purposeful Culture,” and “Rise & Thrive: The Black Woman’s Blueprint for Leadership Excellence.” With over 20 years of experience transforming organizational cultures, she helps leaders and organizations create environments where overlooked talent thrives.
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