Where You Are Is Not Who You Are

by Ursula Burns

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. 

Genres: Memoir, Business, Nonfiction, Leadership, Biography, Audiobook, Biography Memoir

239 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 15, 2021

Reviews

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ursula is a badass and the world's first Black female CEO. Her memoir about her 3+ decades at Xerox was an up and down ride, with mostly ups. She doesn't pull any punches with how challenging it is to be a female on the rise in corporate America. And an African American one at that!

Ursula earned her coveted seat at Boardroom tables across the world--and even in the Situation Room and on Air Force One. She is to be applauded for her tenacity, grit and her ability to work harder than anyone else in the room. Because when you're a Black female, you have to. Everyones eyes are on you.

I admire her greatly for speaking the truth about her failures and how she learned from them. At times, she was harsh and abrasive and was called out for it. Even by the CEO whose position she would eventually succeed. But Ursula is an engineer by trade, and she gets things done. She isn't the nurturing type and didn't change who she was (at the heart of herself) to become one of the most powerful women in business.

I'm grateful for the chance to read an advanced copy of this book, via NetGalley, and listen to the audio version on the Cloud Library app.

[Allyson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to the audiobook. Ursula Burns is amazing!!! She has accomplished so much and is a leader. I was excited to learn more about her career journey. I felt that the book did not go that deep. I also didn't care for the structure. It seemed to jump around at the beginning of the book and then went to a chronological order. Was confusing. Quick easy listen.

[Thato Mapule · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ursula M. Burns was the first black woman to have held the position of CEO of a Fortune 500 company, Xerox. She reins you in by retelling her personal journey, weaving memory and insights on contemporary socio-political issues, providing no nonsense advice on making it in corporate and how she was often her own worst enemy in business. She’s honest, straight-to-the-point, vulnerable and ambitious. Ursula’s account of her personal and professional life will resonate with any black womxn trying to ascend in the corporate world. Read this because any one who became the first black woman to have held the position of CEO of a Fortune 500 company has a story worth telling. An easy read too.

[Bryan Spinsley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking forward to reading this book and was disappointed several chapters in.
I was hoping to have more of a balanced view of a CEO who broke many barriers but found the book only targeted for that audience specifically. It was good to see some (token) progress into the C-suite.
But the book was more focused too heavily on the the explanation of why she thought she should be CEO rather than what she did to change the company and the rest of society for the better.
If you are in one of the minorities she represents, you will probably read this book and I will encourage it. If not, I think you too will bore of the stories and drum banging and probably have difficulty finishing it. I gave it a 3 to span the 2 disparent groups equally. In my assessment, it will be a 4 for those who have a vested interest and a 2 for the rest of us.

[Parker | simplybibliophiles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four words: Mrs. Burns outdid herself!
This book was FANTASTIC! I’m a little ashamed to say this, but I had never heard of Ursula Burns until she was referenced in Indra Nooyi’s book, which I read just last month. So after some intensive research, when I found out she had a book, I was like, SOLD!

From her humble beginnings in the Lower East side of Manhattan in the sixties and seventies, to her proximity to influential folks during her beginning years at Xerox, to her seven-year reign as CEO, Ursula Burns’ story is a story of endurance, making space for yourself when others won’t do it for you, the willingness to trust (and be guided), and going after what you want while recognizing that where you are at is not who you are!

The book is heavily focused on her time at Xerox as a whole, not just on her tenure as CEO. Also, please be advised that this book is a very business-oriented memoir. If you are not a fan of business books, I would not engage. Also, this book is not in chronological order; it doesn’t start with her childhood at the beginning, and then the end is focused on the Xerox CEO year. She starts the book at the Xerox CEO years, then goes back to her childhood and college, then her ascent from her first job to CEO. I actually enjoy biographies that do not go in chronological order. Chronological order is just so tired. Particularly with high-achieving successful folks, I don’t necessarily want to start in your childhood, and then the good stuff is at the end. Here, Burns did an excellent job organizing her story by theme rather than chronology. To me, it worked. This is a smooth and (relatively) easy read with no lulls/boring bits (again, assuming you like to read business books), and I thoroughly enjoyed the story of the first Black woman CEO of a Fortune 500 company.

This book should be required reading, especially for any black folks who dream of joining the higher ranks of Corporate America.

[Dr. Lillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened as Audiobook, read by author. Really enjoyed this book and hearing the background and motivation behind Ursula’s career goals and success as CEO of Xerox. I appreciated her descriptions about different economic situations over her career at Xerox, because I am not a businesswoman and felt that her discussion gave me a better idea of the challenges she faced in her roles.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to Ursula speak at the mPower day of the MBA conference this year and she was so impressive I was excited to read her book that they gave us. What an inspirational story and I admire her career in so many ways. I loved all that she learned from her mother. And especially the sayings like “leave behind more than you take away”.

I also liked two quotes early in the book on page 13
“More than half the world’s population is female, but that is certainly not reflected in access to wealth, education, or power”

“There are more CEOs named John than there are CEOs who are women.”

I hope I get to hear her speak again someday. I hope my daughters will read this book too.

[Laura]

Great book - inspiring story and good leadership advice.

“I do know that I am not a unicorn by intelligence or education or sponsorship. My ‘uniqueness’ shone a light on the grip that men, white men, have in the systems and institutions that they built.”

[Greg Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible read Ursula Burns is testament of hard work breaking all norms of boundaries of being first black women in CEO company a unique story of earned position . In Ursula words " Leave more than you take". Highly recommend this read many humble antidotes in life and professional . Where you are is not who you are.

[Roberta Havel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this memoir but I only liked it. Maybe it was because I am not a STEM person or a business woman, but I didn’t find the book that interesting. However, hats off to Ursula Burns, she is an amazing woman.

[Jas · Rating 5 out of 5]

very special person, was impressed by how blunt this was

[Lolita · Rating 4 out of 5]

To work hard and become a CEO of a Fortune 500 Company along with being an African American Woman in a world full of change and challenges is hard but attainable and well deserved, especially when we see men mostly in these roles. In this book the Author explains how to find balance between work and family and with that comes Opportunities, Dedication, and Purpose. She believes everyone has a story, you just have to slow down and put pen to paper and allow your mind to share, because your story will allow other women of color and all races see if she can do it, so can you!
Diva Reviewer - Vicki

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is told in stream of consciousness, which usually really works for me, but here ended up feeling a bit disjointed (more like stream of consciousness that was then edited by someone else and needed a final pass to make it flow).

Ursula Burns shares her career path from pre-high-school through becoming CEO of Xerox (and everything in between). There's a fair amount about work/life balance, although not too in depth. There's some general recommendations on what worked well and what didn't. There's reflection on strong relationships and mentors she found.

[Marion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ursula Burns’ memoir (read by herself) is a great read on many levels: her corporate life at Xerox, her upbringing by a single mother in the tenements of the lower East Side, tips on leadership and mentoring.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up. Title is reference to what her mom said when they were growing up poor. I met Ursula Burns in 2005 as part of an interview process for Xerox. Little did I know that she would become the CEO! She has interesting observations about race and gender i.e. in her experience, she is seen as black first & woman second or White people can be successful without interacting with Black people but the converse is not true. Also, she advocated for marrying an older man, as her husband is 20 years older and was able to retire and become the primary caregiver.

With her two siblings, she grew up with a single mom who stressed education and sent the three to parochial school. She wound up going to (what is now) NYU and then getting her masters (both) in engineering since the BS is more akin to a high school diploma, especially with all the international competition. Once at Xerox, she was not particularly concerned about job titles, salary or benefits. She loved the analytical work, problem-solving etc. she just put her head down and did whatever she was asked to do. She met a lot of people and earned a reputation as someone who could be counted on for help.

I like how she talked about the different lessons she learned from different people.
CEO Paul: giving people credit for ideas that they didn’t have by selling them my ideas and letting them have ownership. Deliberately creating a silence to compel other people to talk.
Vernon Jordan: it’s not about you. It was a lesson in teamwork, knowing your place and respecting leadership. Don’t make the answer about you; articulate from a business perspective. The importance of presentation; it’s important you are aware of where you are.

She almost left for Dell after a new CEO joined: Ask yourself whether you are running from Xerox or running to Dell. If you’re running away from something, you are at a significant disadvantage: you sometimes compromise your principles, you take unnecessary risks, your emotions play a larger part in a decision than they should.

She worked with the union to reduce costs, ultimately reducing the workforce. She comments about the give-and-take negotiating style which she notes is a particular strength of women. No winner loser dynamic as happens more often with men.

I liked reading about her relationship with her predecessor Anne Mulcahy. You’re trying to raise your kids as if they were poor like you were instead of raising them as good rich kids who understand their responsibilities.

American companies operating globally economically makes sense and US companies export not only our goods but also our values

-Even as a kid, I was able to disengage from all the noise around me and process whatever feelings I had or information I needed and quietly come to a conclusion.

-A whole lot of people apply to colleges, but only a few get in, I remember telling my mother. Her response: We actually have no concern about “a lot of people “ we only have to worry about you. Stop telling me all these hypothetical things and get down to it and do the best you can.

Burns makes a number of allegations of racism, and I’m not sure I agree with her all the time ie schools having a swim requirement was a way to keep inner-city kids from attending. Really? You don’t have to be able to swim to get in; you only have to be able to swim to graduate. These same schools offer swimming lessons! Also race is depicted in very binary fashion.

[Qoqanani Mkhwanazi · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Ursula left Xerox, one of the books she left with was Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg. In the same vein as Lean In, this book looks at challenges faced by a black woman in her accent to CEO of a fortune500 company. I quite enjoyed also following how an engineer develops character, and tact to end up becoming a formidable leader, being a so called “nerd” myself.
The book highlights the importance of longevity in mentorship. Mentorship was key to her success, and it was very close mentorship, It wasn’t the monthly coffee. The ability for mentors to open doors was vital for Ursula’s career. It speaks to leaders taking bets on young talent and really taking this talent under their wings and teaching it.
Exposure is vital to be well rounded and thus we follow Ursula around the world. Some instances constantly traveling to different parts of the globe and at some point, going on secondment in a new country.
We also see lessons of patience Ursula had to learn in a few instances, when she was ready for her next, but her time had not arrived. Learning to navigate relationships within the workplace is strongly featured in this memoir.
Despite her mother never having gotten to the levels Ursula herself never reached in terms of corporate, she managed to instil lessons that were applicable throughout Ursula’s tenure at Xerox and beyond. One of these lessons, is the title of the memoire. This emphasizes the importance of holding closely great lessons parents teach you.
Family is featured significantly in her life. Her husband, probably as smart as her, makes the sacrifice of retiring early to be the present parent for the children. In the era in which Ursula lived her career this was very progressive, and her husband is to be commended for this.
This memoir is written well and easy to read, with great food for thought around mentorship, working through the ranks to the top, going in-depth with subjects you are presented (attention to detail), grabbing opportunity, learning to adapt, applying childhood lessons and a positive attitude. Most importantly, it speaks about paying it forward.

[Frank V. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read a lot of business biographies. Honestly, I’m exhausted by those where the business leader spins a tale of success based on a convenient view of the past. Thankfully, that’s not the way that Ursula Burns tells her story. She tells it the way it happened, a completely honest and believable rendition. While it’s not a linear storyline starting from the beginning of time and stepping forward in order, the chapters are logical and self-contained. Burns tells an amazing story about her journey from her childhood, through Brooklyn Polytechnic (fun fact – my dad taught there) and into a career where she achieved success due to her competence, character, and being surrounded by good people who recognized those qualities. She generously attributes her learning and experience to others along the way.

It’s more than a personal story. Her biography explains the contortions that were necessary for Xerox to survive the disruption in the printing industry caused by personal computers and portable displays. I lived through those and while I had no awareness of the challenges at Xerox, the explanations made sense to me and matched my outside view of Xerox.

The stories and the writing reveal that Ursula Burns deserved her success by being fair, intelligent, passionate, generous and empathetic. It’s a great read. I loved it.

[Katie Minion · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for our accounting women's group book club, and I'm really glad I picked it. I didn't realize that Ursula Burns was the first - and only, as of right now - Black woman CEO of a Fortune 500 company. She has a background that is so different from most CEOs. She grew up poor from an immigrant family and worked her way up the organization, starting as an intern and leaving as CEO. She credits a lot of her opportunities by men in the Xerox organization who championed for her and gave her opportunities. While I do think it would have been more difficult to get to the top without these men's support, she likely would have found a way. Her tenacity and work ethic is something very few people have. It's actually something I don't even strive to have or wish that I had. She lived and breathed Xerox, and sacrificed for the company. It's such a different mindset from today where people don't trust organizations to have their best interests at heart. I wonder if Xerox was different, or if corporations in the 90s were different than they are today, or if she was at a high enough position in the company that they truly did care for her.

The book itself was basically Ursula's life story. It was an interesting read from beginning to end, and a pretty quick read at that, too.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

My review is not about the author (for whom I have a great deal of respect and admiration) but rather the writing. It wasn't as compelling as I would've liked. It felt... choppy? There could've been better transitions from one piece of subject matter to the next. The text seemed to just jump around at times.

That said, I found Burns's journey interesting, but it kind of deterred me from wanting to be a CEO. Her personal life was filled with sacrifices that I don't think I'd want to make (e.g. time away from family, working from the hospital after a hysterectomy, spending hours on planes to travel internationally). I also just don't think I could imagine working at the same place for 30+ years. Kudos to Burns for doing it. It's just not for me.

Also, the mention of Pepsi, Walmart, and Amazon as examples of companies that recognize their responsibility to contribute to social change made me laugh. Really?

Side note: This memoir certainly reads like that of someone who plans to run for public office at some point. Maybe Burns won't, but there's some not-so-subtle weaving in of political commentary that raises an eyebrow.

[ReadingOnTheRun · Rating 4 out of 5]

#bookrec 👋🏽Hey Bookish friends! I spontaneously bought this new (released 2021) memoir by Ursula Burns shortly after reading her recent interview in the July-Aug 2021 edition of @HarvardBusinessReview, mainly to get the tea ☕️ on how she gracefully (or not) handled the activist investor 😵‍💫 making waves during her tenure as CEO of Xerox. However, the book doesn’t focus much on that at all. A delightful surprise!😀

As the first woman CEO in the Fortune 500 to be preceded by another woman CEO (Anne M. Mulcahy ⬅️ patiently waiting on the book too!⁉️) and as the first African American woman CEO of a Fortune 500, she contributes the hardworking strict values instilled from her mother, outspokenness, smarts, dedication, and mentors as major contributing factors to her success.

Much of this short read focuses on her upbringing, volunteer work, family life and what she felt were the most impactful elements that led to her success.

[Sharon Griffitts · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book started a bit slowly for me but improving as I continued to read. Ursula began life in poverty in the projects in NYC. Her mother’s belief in her child and insistence they work hard propelled Ursula and her brother to seek and find success.
As a bit of a pioneer myself, having graduated from medical school on 1975 when there were only a handful of women I identified with her position as a black female in a school of engineering. Role models were hard to come by.
Interestingly we share another similarity in that we both married much older men in our profession.
Ms Burns does not shy away from revealing her faults which I admire. Also she constantly refers to her mother’s hard work and sacrifices in caring for her children. She includes many admonishments received from her mom. My favorite: Don’t let the world happen to you. You happen to the world.

[Charles Krouse · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is an objectively bad book. It meanders and has no real plot or main premise. Ursula spends time reflecting on all her “great” and “amazing” accomplishments, how many boards she has the privilege of sitting on, and all of the important people that she got to meet. When she’s not name dropping celebrities or bragging about her speaking engagements, she is commenting on the benefits of affirmative action (which is lawfully unconstitutional).

There are admittedly some interesting stories about her childhood experiences with poverty. However, her chapter about being CEO is disappointingly short and offers little insight. Overall, I would not recommend this book. It’s a poorly written memoir about a CEO who got pushed out by an activist investor and is attempting to paint herself in an overtly favorable light.

[Jonathan Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall good book
It was great to hear the story or Ursula, coming from a poor single mother background to becoming the ceo of xerox, a top 500 us company
The author was humble in admitting her shortcomings and things that she could have done better personally and professionally
Overall, no one gets to a position like Ursula’s on your own and in Ursula’s case, it was her mother making sure she was in private school and later on while she was at xerox marrying a man who had been at xerox for 20 years who could positively affirm her when positions became available to apply for them, even though that meant less time with her family
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn a blueprint for getting from poverty to c-level positions

[booksbydorothea · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
STRONG review

Ursula Burns is a strong woman who overcame poverty, classism, racism, and sexism to become the first Black woman CEO of Xerox. However, that is not the important point; she was incredibly qualified and experienced, but would you question the same in a white man? Food for thought.

I read this book as an audiobook. Unfortunately, Ursula is not the most natural narrator. I would suggest reading this as a digital or physical book.

This book was mentioned in Malcolm Gladwell's "Revenge of the Tipping Point," and it was a strong memoir.

Yes, Ursula is a capitalist, but she is a capitalist who cares!

For a more detailed review, check out my blog - booksbydorothea:
https://booksbydorothea.blogspot.com/...

[Monica Coffey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this very readable and interesting memoir about Ursula Burns. It gave me wonderful insight about the necessary mix of skills, hard work and luck required to ascend to the top levels of commercial success. I felt as though I'd run into the author in an airport and we shared our life stores with one another after a twelve hour delay. I love that she named names and told the truth about things even when it may not have cast her or others in the most favorable light. I came away inspired; even as a woman in my 50s, inspiration is key, especially as an African-American woman seeking to make the world better than I left it.

[Allie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this for my MBA reading seminar. I wanted to like it a lot more than I did. While Burns' story is inspiring and she's no doubt an extremely impressive businessperson who trailblazed up the ranks of Xerox and corporate America, I found that this book fumbled through place, time, and topic. It was a hodgepodge that led me to feel like I still don't understand who Burns is as a leader or what motivates her. I don't know whether this book was intended to be a business book or a memoir, but it unfortunately didn't do either (let alone both) well.

[Teresa Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ursula Burns is a true inspiration! A woman who came from very little but had a strong mother who instilled in her the values that propelled her into her greatness. It’s amazing to learn about how she started as an engineering intern at Xerox and because of her reputation for directness (although needed to be polished), brilliance as an engineer, and ability to grasp the details of running an operation while balancing the macroeconomics of running a business worked her way up to CEO. Truly an amazing story.

[Claire Binkley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought that the women before me who have guided me through some interesting studies would have found it interesting, as well. I am thinking of some of the Classics department. I did not make it as far as I thought I would and did not finish since it is true, a successful businesswoman does not make the most riveting storyteller, in my most humble opinion... I ended my listening of this audiobook at the 41% mark and read the rest of her biography on Wikipedia, so far.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook and while I always appreciate when authors narrate their own story, this narration wasn’t a pleasant listen. Her voice is one dimensional and it came across as simply reading facts from a page. No inflection. No emotion. Nothing. Her story definitely got much more interesting as the book went on. I was a tiny bit bored up until the 55% mark. I also thought it lacked detail and left me wanting so much more. Having said that, I’m always proud and thrilled to read about strong and successful women.

[Elle]

7h 39m

There are definitely gems in this book. However, given that Ms. Burns is a mechanical engineer, I would have thought the book better organized. I found it very disjointed.

1. Leave Behind More Than You Take Away
2. Don’t Let Them See You Sweat
3. Where You Are Is Not Who You Are
4. Becoming One Flesh
5. Don’t Let the World Happen to You—You Happen to the World
6. Zig and Zag
7. Mentors and Models
8. Close Call
9. What Doesn’t Kill You . . .
10. Woman Power
11. At the Helm
12. Pulling Back
13. An End and a Beginning