Soaring - by Lee E Rhyant & Catherine M Lewis (Hardcover)

About the Book

"In Soaring, Lee Rhyant explores the struggles of his circumstances which he eventually overcame, climbing to the top of the corporate ladder at Lockheed Martin and Rolls Royce Aerospace, and offers the lessons he took away from his experiences in leadership and business. Born to a family of African American sharecroppers in post-war Georgia, Rhyant's story begins in the Jim Crow South. Forced to work at an early age, Rhyant eventually graduated from Bethune-Cookman University and Indiana University and climbed to a series of "first" executive positions at some of the nation's most respected companies. This book is more than Rhyant's struggles and successes. It is a story that begins and ends in Georgia. It is a story that illuminates the intersections of the southern economy and racial climate in the last few decades of the twentieth century. It is a story that offers pragmatic guidance to students and entrepreneurs of color on their own professional paths"--

Book Synopsis

A powerful underdog story, Soaring delivers practical leadership advice, business lessons, and tips for success mined from the real-life strategies of Lee E. Rhyant's forty years as a corporate leader. Born into poverty in the postwar South, Rhyant was the fourth of eight children raised by a family of African American sharecroppers struggling to survive the last decades of segregation. Soaring combines compelling storytelling with practical lessons to demonstrate the transformative power of perseverance.

In the trajectory of his life, Rhyant has achieved many goals considered beyond his reach. Here he shares compelling stories of growing up in the segregated South, working at an early age, graduating from the HBCU Bethune-Cookman University and Indiana University, and ultimately excelling at leadership roles at General Motors, Rolls Royce Aeronautics, and Lockheed Martin Marietta. Rhyant's life reveals a great deal about the economic, business, and racial climate in the South in the last quarter of the twentieth century and has much to teach students, business leaders, and interested readers about resiliency and determination.

Review Quotes

Soaring tells Lee E. Rhyant's story with candor and humor, all while showing how one man's path to the highest levels in the aeronautics industry was made possible by determination, hard work, and a little bit of good luck. It's a great read that will inspire you.--Kessel Stelling Jr., executive chairman, Synovus

Rhyant and Lewis's Soaring is well structured, providing readers with a useful and insightful account of Rhyant's leadership ascension in corporate America that is both engaging and inspiring.

--Gregory Price, professor of economics and finance, University of New Orleans

One of the strengths of the South is that we have several generations, both black and white, that through education have moved from poverty to plenty. Former president Jimmy Carter, Carl Ware of Coca Cola, and Lee E. Rhyant are some notable examples. Soaring is more than Lee's story, it is also about all the things that make good companies work.--Ambassador Andrew Young

This is a fantastic story: motivating, inspiring, and full of leadership constructs with real examples. I read every word twice and was deeply engaged.--Donald Chambers, associate director of the entrepreneurship program, Terry College of Business, University of Georgia

You cannot help but be inspired by Lee E. Rhyant's story. His journey from being a sharecropper's son to the C-suite at some of the nation's most respected companies is breathtaking in and of itself. But the eleven guiding principles he shares throughout Soaring will inspire you on your own journey.--Shan Cooper, executive director, Atlanta Committee for Progress

About the Author

Lee E. Rhyant (Author)
LEE E. RHYANT is the president and CEO of LEE Solutions, LLC, and a former executive at Lockheed Martin Marietta, Rolls Royce Aerospace, and Detroit Diesel Allison, a subsidiary of General Motors. He is also a business and leadership consultant and lives in Woodstock, Georgia.

Catherine M. Lewis (Author)
CATHERINE M. LEWIS is the assistant vice president of Museums, Archives, and Rare Books and a professor of history at Kennesaw State University. She is the author, coeditor, or coauthor of thirteen books, including (with Sandra D. Deal and Jennifer W. Dickey) Memories of the Mansion: The Story of the Georgia Governor's Mansion (Georgia).