76: How to Break Barriers Strategically with Amal Masri

Embracing Only: Workplace Culture & Career Development for BIPOC Leaders

Episode Highlight: On this episode of the "Embracing Only" podcast, we hear from Amal Masri diving into how women of color can thrive in the workplace in spite of the broken rung—the very first step on the career ladder, that promotion from entry-level to manager.

Amal is the visionary force behind Fix the Broken Rung which is on a mission to get one million women of color promoted. Learn more about the mental calculus that women of color need to do to merely exist across intersections, the systemic barriers women of color face in climbing the corporate ladder, and some actionable strategies for overcoming these barriers.

Amal has over 15 years of experience in financial services and a deep commitment to diversity and inclusion. She launched Fix the Broken Rung to address the barriers women of color and immigrants face in advancing to leadership roles. Her initiative is empowering women to break through these obstacles. She's trained over 750 leaders across 10 industries and her expertise is widely published and sought after

Key Discussion Points:

02:50 The Broken Rung: The lack of women in leadership roles is less about the glass ceiling and more because of the broken rung - the very first step on the career ladder in the promotion from entry-level to manager.

04:23 Challenges Women of Color Face as They Gain Power: As women rise on the career ladder, they face higher levels of scrutiny, microaggressions, and social exclusion. Awareness is the first step to addressing this problem.

12:13 Finding Your Agency as a Woman of Color: You always have some degree of agency in any situation and there have never been as many resources and opportunities available for women of color as there are now.

16:36 The Truth About Breaking Barriers: When you break barriers, there is breaking involved and you will get hurt in some way. It is critical to calculate the ROI of the wall you’re breaking through.

20:38 Making Strategic Career Advancements: If you don’t have much influence in your organization, you are unlikely to be successful in making change. Your energy may be better spent focusing on yourself until you reach a greater position of power.

32:54 Understanding Your Value: In a misogynistic and racist system, accurately seeing your value will feel like audacity.

39:16 Writing Your Own Narrative: If you don’t take the time and initiative to write your narrative to position it for your own success, someone else will do it for you and it will not be in your favor.

In Summary: Amal Masri challenges us to take agency for our own journey and be audacious in how much value we place on ourselves. She urges us to get strategic in the workplace and determine what is worth fighting for.

Resources from this episode:

Follow Amal on Linkedin or check out her website.

Connect with your hosts:

Follow Archita on Linkedin or check out her

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