Break free of society’s mold, speaker says at leadership lecture

Lillian Lincoln Lambert, the first black
woman to receive her MBA from Harvard
Business School, spoke Wednesday night about
her personal struggles of becoming a graduate
student and an entrepreneur against the racially
biased climate of the 1960s.

Lambert’s lecture, “Defeat is Not an Option,”
was one in a series of lectures being presented
this fall at VCU, called “Breaking the Mold.”

Lambert, former president and CEO of
Centennial One Inc. was asked many questions,
which she answered by referring to her own
personal experiences.

Q: What does “breaking the mold” mean to
you?

A: (If) you (are) the first in your family to do
something unusual . you are breaking the
mold.

Q: Why are you here?

A: Going to college was not anything I had the
intention of doing. At 21, (I) finally came to
the realization that I needed a college education
. and I resisted the temptation to give up.

When I entered Harvard, I had no idea I
was the first African-American woman to be
accepted there.

Twenty-seven were accepted the next year
and all graduated. It is important to challenge
systems that may be based on ignorance.

Q: How can you get a business off the
ground?

A: Getting my business off the ground was not
easy. You have to have real determination .
to keep you committed to your vision.

Q: How do you balance family and career?

A: Being an entrepreneur and a mom taught
me to prioritize. I learned to delegate, and I
gave up the notion of being superwoman . I
learned to let go of petty things.

Q: What does success mean to you?

A: For me, it is about self-actualization. It’s about
working hard . and playing hard, too.
It takes courage to make something of
yourself. Remember, defeat is not an option.

Lambert’s event was presented by VCU
Women’s Leadership Forum, a group that
formed last fall. E-mail questions or requests
to wlf@vcu.edu.