Where You Are Is Not Who You Are: A Memoir
Written by Ursula Burns
Narrated by Ursula Burns
4.5/5
()
About this audiobook
The first Black female CEO of a Fortune 500 company looks back at her life and her career at Xerox, sharing unique insights on American business and corporate life, the workers she has always valued, racial and economic justice, how greed is threatening democracy, and the obstacles she’s conquered being Black and a woman.
“I am a black woman, I do not play golf, I do not belong to or go to country clubs, I do not like NASCAR, I do not listen to country music, and I have a masters degree in engineering. I, like a typical New Yorker, speak very fast, with an accent and vernacular that is definitely New York City, definitely Black. So when someone says I’m going to introduce you to the next CEO of Xerox, and the options are lined up against a wall, I would be the first one voted off the island.”
In 2009, when she was appointed the Chief Executive Officer of the Xerox Corporation, Ursula Burns shattered the glass ceiling and made headlines. But the media missed the real story, she insists. “It should have been ‘how did this happen? How did Xerox Corporation produce the first African American woman CEO?’ Not this spectacular story titled, “Oh, my God, a Black woman making it.”
In this smart, no-nonsense book, part memoir and part cultural critique, Burns writes movingly about her journey from tenement housing on Manhattan’s Lower East Side to the highest echelons of the corporate world. She credits her success to her poor single Panamanian mother, Olga Racquel Burns—a licensed child-care provider whose highest annual income was $4,400—who set no limits on what her children could achieve. Ursula recounts her own dedication to education and hard work, and how she took advantage of the opportunities and social programs created by the Civil Rights and Women’s movements to pursue engineering at Polytechnic Institute of New York.
Burns writes about overcoming the barriers she faced, as well as the challenges and realities of the corporate world. Her classmates and colleagues—almost all white males—“couldn’t comprehend how a Black girl could be as smart, and in some cases, smarter than they were. They made a developed category for me. Unique. Amazing. Spectacular. That way they could accept me.” Her thirty-five-year career at Xerox was all about fixing things, from cutting millions to save the company from bankruptcy to a daring $6 billion acquisition to secure its future. Ursula also worked closely with President Barack Obama as a lead on his STEM initiative and Chair of his Export council, where she traveled with him on an official trade mission to Cuba, and became one of his greatest admirers.
Candid and outspoken, Ursula offers a remarkable look inside the c-suites of corporate America through the eyes of a Black woman—someone who puts humanity over greed and justice over power. She compares the impact of the pandemic to the financial crisis of 2007, condemns how corporate culture is destroying the spirit of democracy, and worries about the workers whose lives are being upended by technology. Empathetic and dedicated, idealistic and pragmatic, Ursula demonstrates that, no matter your circumstances, hard work, grit and a bit of help along the way can change your life—and the world.
Ursula Burns
Ursula M. Burns was the chair and CEO of VEON from mid 2019 to early 2020, a senior advisor to Teneo LTD, Nestlé, Exxon Mobil, and The Ford Foundation among others. She is a member of the board of directors of Uber. She served as CEO of Xerox from 2009 to 2016, and as chairwoman from 2010 to 2017. In 2014, Forbes rated her the 22nd most powerful woman in the world. She was a leader of the STEM program of the White House from 2009 to 2016, and Vice Chair and then Chair of the President's Export Council for the Obama Administration. She lives in London and New York.
Related to Where You Are Is Not Who You Are
Related audiobooks
Earning It: Hard-Won Lessons from Trailblazing Women at the Top of the Business World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Black Faces in High Places: 10 Strategic Actions for Black Professionals to Reach the Top and Stay There Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Blessing: Women of Color Teaming Up to Lead, Empower and Thrive Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBlack Faces in White Places: 10 Game-Changing Strategies to Achieve Success and Find Greatness Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Tough Love: My Story of the Things Worth Fighting For Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Female Firebrands: Stories and Techniques to Ignite Change, Take Control, and Succeed in the Workplace Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Think Black: A Memoir Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fearless and Free: How Smart Women Pivot--and Relaunch Their Careers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/555, Underemployed, and Faking Normal: Your Guide to a Better Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Play Like a Man, Win Like a Woman: What Men Know About Success that Women Need to Learn Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dare, Dream, Do: Remarkable Things Happen When You Dare to Dream Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5You Only Have to Be Right Once: The Unprecedented Rise of the Instant Tech Billionaires Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pressure Makes Diamonds: Becoming the Woman I Pretended to Be Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Heart and Hustle: Use your passion. Build your brand. Achieve your dreams. Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Little Black Book of Success: Laws of Leadership for Black Women Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Power of Choice: Embracing Efficacy to Drive Your Career Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Own the Arena: Getting Ahead, Making a Difference, and Succeeding as the Only One Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Strategize to Win: The New Way to Start Out, Step Up, or Start Over in Your Career Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Successful Women Think Differently: 9 Habits to Make You Happier, Healthier, and More Resilient Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Ladies Get Paid Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Rise to the Top: How Woman Leverage Their Professional Persona to Earn More and Rise to the Top Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Secrets of Six-Figure Women: Surprising Strategies to Up Your Earnings and Change Your Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Your Next Level Life: 7 Rules of Power, Confidence, and Opportunity for Black Women in America Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5First and Only: A Black Woman's Guide to Thriving at Work and in Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Successful Women Speak Differently: 9 Habits That Build Confidence, Courage, and Influence Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5We Should All Be Millionaires: A Woman’s Guide to Earning More, Building Wealth, and Gaining Economic Power Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Flex: Reinventing Work for a Smarter, Happier Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pivot for Success: Hone Your Vision, Shift Your Energy, Make Your Move Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMistakes I Made at Work: 25 Influential Women Reflect on What They Got Out of Getting It Wrong Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dare: Straight Talk on Confidence, Courage, and Career for Women in Charge Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Business Biographies For You
Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Elon Musk Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Claim Your Confidence: Unlock Your Superpower and Create the Life You Want Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Power of Conflict: Speak Your Mind and Get the Results You Want Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Liar's Poker: Rising Through the Wreckage on Wall Street Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5DisneyWar Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Fund: Ray Dalio, Bridgewater Associates, and the Unraveling of a Wall Street Legend Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Surviving My Birthright Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Walk Through Fire: A memoir of love, loss, and triumph Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sam Walton: Made in America Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Marathon Don't Stop: The Life and Times of Nipsey Hussle Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Exit Interview: The Life and Death of My Ambitious Career Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Strip Tees: A Memoir of Millennial Los Angeles Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Master of None: How a Jack-of-All-Trades Can Still Reach the Top Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The New New Thing: A Silicon Valley Story Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5My Infamous Life: The Autobiography of Mobb Deep's Prodigy Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5What It Takes: Lessons in the Pursuit of Excellence Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Jimmy Buffett: A Good Life All the Way Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Steve Jobs Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonald's Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Amazon Unbound: Jeff Bezos and the Invention of a Global Empire Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Elon Musk: A Biography of Business, Success and Entrepreneurship Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5One Up On Wall Street: How To Use What You Already Know To Make Money In The Market Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Rocky Mountain High: A Tale of Boom and Bust in the New Wild West Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Bitcoin Billionaires: A True Story of Genius, Betrayal, and Redemption Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Bond King: How One Man Made a Market, Built an Empire, and Lost It All Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Black Founder: The Hidden Power of Being an Outsider Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life Without Losing Its Soul Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Where You Are Is Not Who You Are
42 ratings5 reviews
What our readers think
Readers find this title to be an excellent memoir filled with great lessons for life. It is fantastic and highly recommended. The book is a great read/listen, especially with Ursula Burns reading. It captures powerful life lessons from an extraordinary and inimitable leader and woman. It is insightful and inspirational, making it a wonderful read to be shared with friends.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5As a Black women in leadership coach I found a number of powerful leadership principles that I will share with my community. Ursula is a legend and I loved that she owned her mistakes and shortcomings in this books. She is not trying to create a particular narrative about her in this book and it’s clear. I love as well that she read it herself, that brought more authenticity and power to the book.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Wonderful read that is insightful and inspirational. Read it now and share it with your friends.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Great read/listen especially with Ursula Burns reading. Powerful life lessons captured throughout the memoir in this extraordinary and inimitable leader and women. Honestly—food for the mind and soul.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This book was fantastic would highly recommend to anyone considering
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Excellent memoir filled with great lessons for life - both business and personal! Very much enjoyed listening to her story.