According to USA Today there are five themes that have emerged from time spent brainstorming with CEOs and other company leaders about what is or should be driving diversity and inclusion efforts.
- Diverse teams are smarter and more creative.
- Diverse companies perform better.
- Companies are losing out on great talent.
- Diverse companies can better serve a diverse user base.
- It’s the right thing to do.
As a CEO and board member, I am passionate about fairness and particularly committed to promoting the benefits of diversity in life and business. When I talk about leadership, I’m not talking specifically about a position on a company organization chart, formal authority or your salary grade, I’m talking about the ability to get things done, to drive change, to influence others and to make things happen. And during our lives, each of us will experience a number of defining moments that shape us and reveal our capabilities as leaders.
Leaders at every level of the organization must address the importance of diversity and inclusion. When I consult with key leaders and companies, we often examine how they are creating and maintaining diverse workforces. For those who are not, we create steps to achieving success around this critical component of good business and leadership.
Discovering and developing the future leaders of your company requires scanning broadly for qualified candidates; otherwise, you limit innovation and ideas. At the end of the day, it’s about doing the right thing for your business.