Diversity and Inclusion in Leadership

A series of research based articles from McKinsey (May, 2020 report) shows that diversity in executive teams leads to increased financial output and also that the companies which have successfully made progress in diversifying their leadership teams follow a systematic and business led approach to diversity and inclusion. HBR (Harvard Business Review) states six traits in leaders who are inclusive: visible commitment, humility, awareness of bias, curiosity about others, cultural intelligence and effective collaboration. (The Key to Inclusive Leadership, HBR, 2020). Biases shape culture and eventually make it difficult for certain categories of employees to hit a glass ceiling. Our programs and trainings provide a systematic way to have respectful and positive interactions in the workplace, with the main aim to reduce discrimination with regards to gender, race, caste, colour, religion, age, socio-economic status, sexual identity and physical and mental ability. We develop an understanding of various biases in our mind which we may not even know about and then deal with these in the long term with our diversity and inclusion trainings.

As far as getting more women into C-suites are concerned, data shows that while more women get into higher education, less than 26% companies had women in their top five management roles in the last five years. Women hold only 15% of board seats and 6% of board chairs. While women have been proven to bring transformational leadership to the workplace and to have more women in leadership roles, companies need to ensure that they break their boundaries and climb up the corporate ladder.