You probably see these people every day, especially if you work in a large office with various managers. Each leader has different characteristics.

Recently, Forbes looked at “The 9 Corporate Personality Types And How to Inspire Them to Innovate.” It inspired us to look at well-known African-American corporate executives. Do you agree with us?

D. Salters/WENN.com

 BAMBI: Sherri Shepherd

“Almost every new recruit starts out bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. They are fresh hard drives ready to be filled with data. You can get them to do almost anything. They walk into meetings armed with fresh slides, broad smiles, and a professionalism they’ve practiced in interviews, in school, and in the mirror,” writes Forbes.

Although she has been with The View for more than a minute, Sherri Shepherd is still comes to the table every morning with newbie enthusiasm. Shepherd recently launched her own wig line, as we reported.

Source: dailymail.co.uk

As you know, Gwyneth Paltrow has been catching a lot of heat for tweeting ‘Ni**as in Paris for real’ during Jay Z and Kanye’s Watch The Throne concert in Paris. I’m here to jump up and down on my soapbox and throw the last bit of gasoline on that raging fire. I’m also going to light up a few of her co-signers in the process.

Russell Simmons recently wrote a blog about how we shouldn’t take offense to Gwennie using the “N” word because it’s a badge of honor. He wrote,

“And in the case of “N*ggas in Paris,” it is clear that these two poets are celebrating the fact that they now travel the world and are literally ballin’ in Paris … it started as a badge of honor, something to be proud of, something to poke their chests out at. Because for them, when they were kids, Paris was a million miles away and now it’s a private jet ride. The idea of being in Paris with a movie star, whether she’s black or white, is incredible!

At the risk of sounding uppity, the life story of Josephine Baker never made Paris seem that far away to me. It seemed within my reach because of her. She was a woman of color living in Paris and broke down many a barrier during her lifetime. So as a little girl, the validation of an actress referring to me as a “n*gga for real” didn’t cross my mind. But Russell isn’t the only one who has given Gwen cover for her a** to fall on. Gayle King stated on the CBS Early Morning Show that the song “N****s In Paris” is the reason why she goes to Paris. Oprah’s BFF obviously caught amnesia and forgot about the time she and Lady O weren’t allowed in the store Hermes for literally being n****s in Paris. The-Dream, who was at the concert, even took responsibility for the offensive tweet and then promptly told Twitter to pretty much get over it because it was all about context. If it’s all about the way you say it, where did the “for real” part come from? That’s not in the song’s title.

The biggest offenders in this rush to defend Gwen for getting just a little bit too comfortable are her besties: Jay-Z and Beyoncé. Their silence is just as incendiary as the “N” word. It even speaks louder. They don’t have to denounce her, but friends check each other.

The Bible speaks on the power of the tongue. It holds life and death. Our history has left too many of us dead just because of the color of our skin. From the slave ships of yesteryear to the Trayvon Martin’s of today, we are being killed because our lives are being seen as having less value and that perception is built around the reality that we are just seen as “n****s” to many. Too many.  A single word has damned the black community, but yet a lot of us want to change the meaning behind it. I suppose, but I don’t see Hispanics in a rush to reclaim any of the slur people use against them. GLAAD will fly down like a pack of locusts against those who throw around offensive language to gays and no exceptions or context is accepted. There are repercussions for others when insults of this manner happen in their community, but there’s always one of us leading the charge to absolve those that offend. What’s that about?

The default rationale is that we use the “N” word and so it’s permissible for universal use. In this instance, it’s the name of the song and therefore it’s okay. The word is littered in so many rap songs that you’ve come to expect it after the first beat drops. The use of the “N” word has become so commonplace that people just shrug when they hear it and that’s a Joe Clark Code 10 situation!  It’s time to get out of the house and burn it to the damn ground.

Blacks who are in a position of power have got to use their influence. Their platforms shouldn’t be used to make a mockery as to why there is outrage over the flippant use of the “N” word. Their silence and apathy in lieu of some emotion shouldn’t be either.  A lot of these celebrities shouldn’t act too surprised when they hear crickets at the cash register. If anyone can be that removed from how potent the “N” word still is and always will be, I can keep my hard earned dollars to myself. And that’s for real.

Follow Stephanie Guerilus @qsteph

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Black women have an extraordinary impact on the world, and Crystal McCrary is capturing all of those modern-day successes and triumphs in one book. Through written word and photo essays, Inspiration: Profiles of Black Women Changing Our World, tells the unique stories of 30 black women who are current game changers.

From entertainers to athletes, politicians, and business owners, this book covers black women from all social, cultural, and political walks of life, such as Betye Saar, Majora Carter, Thelma Golden, and Bethann Hardison. Well-known figures such as First Lady Michelle Obama, Ruby Dee, Patti Labelle, Shonda Rhimes, and Venus Williams are also featured.

Wesley Royce, assistant editor for ABRAMS, the publisher of the book, said throughout the book there were a few common threads woven throughout each woman’s story of success.

“These women put in an immense amount of hard work into developing their skills and they didn’t just believe in themselves— they believed in sharing their talents with the world,” he said.

Wesley also noted that no woman said they achieved their success on their own.

“They also all spoke about the importance of other strong women in their lives— whether it was their mothers or own children or friends— and the strength they drew from their support was crucial to their success.”

The book is currently available as a hardcover and for e-readers. For more information visit the ABRAMs blog. Will you check out this book?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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I don’t know where President Obama’s current approval rating stands, but I know my approval of the first lady just shot through the roof. Where Obama refuses to acknowledge the racism that underpins so many comments, voting choices, and actions set out against him, Michelle Obama just puts it out there plain and simple.

Speaking about New York Time’s reporter Jodi Kantor’s new book, The Obamas, Gayle King asks Mrs. Obama about her portrayal in the book as angry, unhappy, burdened, and frustrated by her position as first lady on “CBS This Morning.” Michelle Obama responds:

“That’s been an image people have tried to paint of me since the day Barack announced, that I’m some kind of angry black woman.”

It’s an image people try to paint on black women as a whole all the time. Correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t white, Asian, Latina, Indian, and all women feel angry, unhappy, burdened, or frustrated at some point in their lives? Don’t these women express that anger, unhappiness, and frustration? Don’t people often sympathize with their anger, unhappiness, and frustration? Why are those feelings suddenly grouped together as a permanent temperamental disposition to describe black women when we express those same emotions?

Offering a response that any mother in America can identify with, the first lady says:

“If there’s any anxiety that I feel, it’s because I want to make sure that my girls come out of this on the other end whole.”

“I just try to be me. … There will always be people who don’t like me.”  But, she says, “Who can tell me how I feel?”

Michelle Obama is absolutely right. It’s no secret that society loves to limit black women’s expression. That limitation includes positive feelings of love, happiness, comfort with our bodies, and even sexual liberation, but we’re especially critiqued for sharing negative emotions, no matter how diplomatic we come across and how legitimate our concerns. I can recall incidents with a previous employer where I’d defended myself against false allegations and in doing so was told I was unprofessional, argumentative, and disrespectful—words no one had ever used to describe me, because quite frankly, I’m often more passive aggressive than I should be. When I reflected back on the situation, it was clear that the authority figures took any sort of attempt from a black woman at protecting one’s reputation or standing up for oneself as aggression or a personal affront. Yet, when I would point out the tone in which I was being spoken to by white women, I was asked whether the issue was my perception.

Even in romantic relationships, the first time a black woman raises a concern or issue, you can almost see the “great, I’ve got another angry black woman on my hands” thought bubble circling above the man’s head, if he isn’t so bold as to just go ahead and let those words come out of his mouth. There is an entire spectrum of emotions that grow in intensity from disappointment, to frustration, to full blown anger. Why is it always assumed any time we say something someone may not want to hear, our emotions are on 10?

Back when Wendy Williams was strictly on the radio, living in the Midwest, I really didn’t have the chance to listen to her show, therefore, I didn’t know much about her other than the fact that she was the black female “shock jock.” As years went on, I started to know more about her and more about her show, though I still hadn’t had the chance to listen, through the controversy she was creating. I remember she had started a huge beef between herself and many rappers, including 2Pac (who she claimed got raped in jail), Method Man (for talking about his personal business and exposing the illness of his wife, who was trying to keep her cancer diagnosis on the low), and a lot more folks. But what else can you expect from a shock jock but to make something out of nothing, even if her route was a little trifling? That’s what I’ve always taken away from these big names and their radio shows–if you hear gossip from them, don’t believe it–they’ll do anything to attract attention and start drama. But alas, that’s just how radio personalities are.

But now that Wendy Williams is actually on a syndicated television show, I expected her to do better. She doesn’t have to be on Oprah’s level or completely lose her wit, but all the drama starting and unprofessionalism should be on the up and outs. Somebody should have told her that a while back. Not only does Williams stir up drama where there isn’t and shouldn’t be any, but she comes off really crass and disrespectful sometimes when interviewing her guests. The latest “gotcha, gotcha” about her happened last week when she read off a supposed letter she received from Oprah (YEAH RIGHT) saying how Oprah supports Gayle King’s new position at CBS. It all started when Wendy questioned if Gayle’s new gig would cause a rift in their friendship.

Gayle heard about the letter Williams said was given to her by the Big O and called Wendy out by calling into the “Tom Joyner Morning Show” to set the record straight–Oprah never wrote that mess. Wendy responded today on Joyner’s show and cleared up the facts by saying that a member of Oprah’s camp sent the letter, but that Oprah had to know that it was going out. In Wendy’s own words: “I have no reason to lie about this…You could not imagine that this woman just sent the letter out on her own accord.”

Riiiiiiight.

The more I have seen Wendy Williams’ talk show in the short time that it has been airing, the more I want to put my foot through the television. Aside from being charismatic with her audience, which is nice, the show is a hot, burnt, booty mess. I’ll never forget an episode I saw recently when Wendy was instigating the rumors that Beyoncé wasn’t really pregnant after that video came out with her sitting down for an interview and her stomach wound up looking deformed. Not only did she say that B didn’t look as many months as she said (like all pregnant women have to look the same from month to month), but this lady actually had the nerve to do a test, asking pregnant staff members to sit down for the audience so she could show that Beyoncé didn’t sit down like an actual pregnant woman. Say what!? You could tell she was too delighted with the whole display.

And let’s not forget how awesome she is with her guests. From openly saying Basketball Wives LA star Draya has gotten around (and then calling her “ slory” behind her back on her after-show video blog) and asking Tiny and T.I. if the rapper’s wife should have taken the charges for him (a conversation he shut down with the quickness), to saying other former guests were getting a bit…plump, Wendy is the definition of class (you know I’m playing, right?). Check what else she had to say about Chris Brown’s ex Draya on her after-show blog when she was disappointed that the reality star didn’t go in-depth about her child endangerment rumors and basketball star dating past:

“If you’re going to continue to be on your back and only exemplify behavior that we saw on ‘Basketball Wives,’ or defensive, nasty behavior—which I don’t think you were nasty yesterday. I actually liked meeting you, and I loved your Fendi dress—but I don’t think that you did anything to defend your reputation of coming up lying down. That’s all.”

Wow. A part of me would like to really like Wendy Williams as a black woman doing massive things, but in reality, that’s just too hard of a task. She is a gossip monger who instead of trying to show some love to the black folks on her show, puts them on “front street” and just winds up appearing like a really nasty individual. She might say that once you get into the business you have to have “thick skin,” but child please, there is a difference between being able to take criticism and being able to deal with acrimonious speech.

Her show, from the intro music to the guests in general and the “HOW YOU DOIN!?, is random, and the fact that she has nothing better to talk about on it other than to make up a few lies and to be outright mean at times, is sad. Wendy Williams is like that one friend who spends more time defending the bull you heard she spread around rather than keeping it real, and because of that, I’d rather be watching the never-ending onslaught of court shows that show up on daytime television than what she’s offering. Divorce Court here I come!

CBS is trying hard to get out from under the shadows of NBC’s “Today Show” and ABC’s “Good Morning America” — and they hope Gayle King will be the person to help them do it. The network recently hired Oprahs’s BFF to host a new 8 am morning program that will first air on January 9, 2012.

To focus “150 percent” on the new gig, Gayle will be dropping her satellite radio show which also appears on the OWN network, but will remain committed to O Magazine of which she is Editor-at-Large. I wonder what her absence will do to OWN’s less than stellar ratings?

Airing before Gayle’s new show will be another morning program hosted by PBS interviewer Charlie Rose, who will be joined by Erica Hill from “The Early Show.” Surprised by the new morning line up, one reporter noted that the chosen hosts have “niche audiences,” suggesting it will be tough for them to capture a wide range of morning viewers.  He’s certainly got a point there, although I think CBS’s commitment to focus on hard news with these new shows, as opposed to the fluffier programming on ABC and NBC could help them out.

Do you think Gayle is a good choice to help turn CBS’ morning news ratings around? Will you tune in?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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For millions of Americans, September 10th will mark the beginning of severe withdrawal symptoms, confusion, and maybe even despair because when they flip on their television sets and turn to their CBS station at 4 p.m.—Oprah won’t be on. As the final episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show approaches, the obvious question arises ‘who will be the next “Talk Show Queen”?’ Because of Oprah’s long-standing reign over daytime television, it is a title that no other talk show host has been able to acquire in nearly 25 years.

We have carried out the difficult task of finding ‘Eight Possible Oprah Replacements’:

As OWN enters into its second week on the air, we’ve gotten a chance to reflect on what it means to have a 24-hour a day channel owned by Oprah Winfrey.  And while we’ve only begun to explore what will be a media venture for years to come, scratching the surface we are getting to peek into what has helped make the great one so great.

For many of us, our journey to adulthood has gone parallel with Oprah’s rise to nearly omnipresent success. And while the old footage of her first ever national show seems dated, relatively speaking the empire Oprah has built has grown at an exponential rate.  From the early years of flipped out hair and garish blush choices to dominance in the American culture, here are some of the reasons Oprah stays winning.

On January 1, 2011 at noon, the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) officially launched.  Decked in all white, Oprah welcomed viewers to her new network. “Every minute of this network has been hand-selected by me for you, the viewers,” said the billionaire media mogul.

Viewers will get a variety of shows, but all of them with the over-arching theme of living your best life, a phrase Oprah uses often.  Oprah said her favortie show on the new network is  “Master Class.”  People like Jay-Z, Diane Sawyer, Maya Angelou and other people who have mastered their chosen crafts, open up to the cameras about their triumphs, failures and life lessons. That show will air at 10 pm on Sundays, a time when HBO typically puts on its hit dramas. Who will win that ratings war?

OWN shows run the gamut of life’s issues–cooking, finding birth parents, de-cluttering, life-coaching and discovering purpose are just some of the topics tackled on the new network. Oprah is even giving someone the chance to be her! She has a reality show competition that has the ultimate prize of a television show on OWN.

Will you be tuning in to OWN?