First African American Woman to Receive Harvard MBA

First African American Woman to Receive Harvard MBA


BlackEnterprise.com: You’ve achieved numerous worthy accomplishments. If you had your druthers—what would you choose to tackle next?

[Read: First African American Woman to Receive Harvard MBA Talks Power of Persistence, Resilience, and Courage (Part III)]

Lillian Lincoln Lambert: Retirement sounds attractive but each time I tried it, it did not agree with me. In some way I want to have a positive impact on the lives of black youth, particularly young women, so that they develop positive esteems at a young age and have the confidence to follow their dreams. I want to instill in them that anything is possible.  As I say in many of my speeches: Dream big, act bold, and pave your own path to where you want to go. Recently, I had the opportunity to get involved with the YMCA Youth Achiever Program, which I think will take me in the direction I want to go.

What advice would you offer to African American women entrepreneurs about being resilient?

1.  Know that you will be knocked down from time to time, but be willing to get up and try again.

2.  Look at failures as a learning experience; sometimes success comes after a failure, or after more than one failure.

3.  Don’t be discouraged by those who say you can’t do something or should not do something.

4.  If one door closes for you, open another one.

5.  Don’t be overly concerned about what others think of you.

6.  Surround yourself with positive people who will be there to support you.

7.  Don’t be reluctant to ask for help. It is a sign of strength; not weakness.

8.  Take calculated risks.

How can our readers find out more about you and keep up with your latest musings?

My website:     www.LillianLincolnLambert.com
Facebook:        Facebook.com/Lillian.lambert
LinkedIn:         www.Linkedin.com/in/lillianlambert
email:              LillianLincolnLambert@gmail.com

Karima Mariama-Arthur, Esq. is founder and CEO of WordSmithRapport, an international consulting firm specializing in professional development. Follow her on Twitter: @wsrapport or visit her website, www.WordSmithRapport.com.


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