Day 2: Executive Coach Deborah Gray-Young Talks Stereotypes in Leadership for Women


In on-on-one executive coaching sessions, Women of Power attendees are afforded the opportunity to get tips and advice from experts on how to upgrade their executive leadership skills, finances and style.

Hosting the executive coaching session, Deborah Gray-Young, who is the author of The Young Professional Handbook, assisted the ladies in 25 minute sessions with customized strategies on how to achieve both their short and long-term goals.

Talking with the women about the need to gain a clear perspective on what they want both personally and professionally, Gray-Young said one of the biggest challenges she faces with clients is them unconsciously allowing stereotypes to affect their potential.

“I’m really concerned about the stereotypes of black women and the impact these stereotypes are having on women both personally and professionally,” she told Black Enterprise.com. “We don’t seem to recognize the impact those stereotypes are having on us, particularly in the corporate environment.”

Gray-young says she was inspired to get into executive coaching after having the opportunity to work with an executive coach years ago and realizing that many women of color do not have the leadership training needed to excel in the  their careers.

“I noticed or observed as you will, over the course of my career that people of color, and women of color in particular, don’t always get the leadership training needed and that makes a difference.”

Gray-Young says her goal as an executive coach is to help provide women with the leadership advice needed and to help them cope with the stereotypes they face both in the office and outside the office.


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