THE WAY
FORWARD WITH
INCLUSIVE
DIVERSITY OF
THOUGHT

  • This is not a cookie-cutter world. There is diversity you can see, and there is diversity you cannot see. Identifying this difference and bringing together my personal and professional life has helped position me better to lead from the front and drive the conversation surrounding these issues.
    Christine Hurtsellers
    Chief Executive Officer
    Voya
  • I think some of the skills that have served me well, to move up the leadership ranks specifically, are, besides grit and perseverance, the ability to be a good listener, to identify talent and to build a diverse team.
    Stephanie Linnartz
    Former President
    Marriott International
  • This is not a cookie-cutter world. There is diversity you can see, and there is diversity you cannot see. Identifying this difference and bringing together my personal and professional life has helped position me better to lead from the front and drive the conversation surrounding these issues.
    Christine Hurtsellers
    Chief Executive Officer
    Voya
  • I think some of the skills that have served me well, to move up the leadership ranks specifically, are, besides grit and perseverance, the ability to be a good listener, to identify talent and to build a diverse team.
    Stephanie Linnartz
    Former President
    Marriott International
People are the driving force toward building an inclusive and diverse work environment.

Inclusive diversity of talent starts from you. It starts from the language you use and goes up to the effort you make to remove the unconscious bias you probably did not even know existed in your mind. Set the tone for your personal brand as someone who is decisive, transformative, and inclusive and cast a wide net when looking for the right talent. Focus on the skills and attributes they bring to the table through their diversity of thought – and not just based on the diversity of gender, region, race, capabilities, etc.

The demand for diverse leaders is also increasing globally with firms shifting focus to introducing diversity of thought through diverse leaders determined to foster an inclusive culture.

This phenomena has resulted in a steady requirement for women leaders – a rise we also noticed through our own global women placements.
Our Women in Business 2021 study also reported key insights gathered over eight months of conversations with nearly 500 leading women executives. Some of the insights shared by leading senior Ibero-American women executives are quoted below as part of our findings.
Diversity
Resilience
Leadership
Balance
Development
Mentoring
Women believe and encourage diversity in their own teams and environment and are convinced that it encourages effective leadership behaviors that are healthy for the organization and business performance.
  • Diversity is not a goal, it must be internalized by everyone in the organization and it must be part of the culture, values, and mission of the company.
  • A significant number of women are now working on a variety of personal projects associated with diversity.
  • Diversity cannot and should not be used as a banner for a movement or initiative. Its importance is not a conquest or victory, but for what it represents. Otherwise, it can create more conflict than unity.
  • Organizational environments that respect and internalize diversity are environments of greater talent attraction and retention. Women delegate a lot and are open to hiring powerful and talented teams.
We found that women do not give in easily to external pressures regarding their careers and once it is clear in the direction that they want to follow, they focus on achieving the goals they set for themselves, to get their place, and generate the space that legitimizes them as executives.
  • Successful women are emotionally stronger, disciplined, results-oriented, and have developed resilience and high work capacity, as well as the ability to combine their dedication to family and work with equal intensity.
  • The woman, whether she is the leader of the organization or not, should not be afraid to show her emotions or to stop being who she really is. The woman adds up to as much as the man in infinite situations. One should not stop being who she is or adapt to behavior that is not hers to make her opinion count.
Women who want to grow must Dare, Explore,
Search and, Look Ahead.
We are the first barrier; we have to believe in ourselves first.
Most of these leaders had unconditional support from their families to be autonomous and independent to make their own life and career decisions. This has been a determining factor in the professional development of many of them. The executives who had this family support suggest this as a key factor for the success of future generations.
It has been fundamental to have a family that understands and accepts;
that assumes the sacrifices that my professional success brings.
Women, dare! Don't be afraid, you don't have to abandon your families;
it is possible and we have the capacity to do both.
Women tend to be demanding with education whatever their work universe. They aim high and raise the bar in everything they do, as well as investing in their development whenever they can.
I had to learn about soccer in order to fit into the Board of Directors.
The vast majority of successful women leaders recognize that they had parents, bosses, coaches, friends or mentors who guided them on their path and contributed to their process of gaining self-confidence.
Women are over-mentored and under-sponsored.
As leaders on their way to the corner office, how do you respond to specific instances of unfortunate, unconscious bias?
With a strong, positive response that leaves people with their dignity. There was this one time when my team hosted a highly successful, large-scale event, one particular customer came up to me, and when he found out I was the highest-ranking leader there, he goes, 'you must be really, really good for you to be in charge here.' Now, in his mind, he might have meant it as a compliment, but as a double minority, you realize it isn't. So, my response was to agree, yes, I am that good. My point is, we need to start having these uncomfortable questions. The questions asked are the equalizer, and if I can understand where you are coming from, then, more importantly, you too can understand where I'm coming from. Only then do we have a real opportunity to move the conversation forward and perhaps get to a place that makes sense for all. But if you're not willing to have the discussion, have the uncomfortable conversation, or more importantly, listen and learn, that's when it gets a little challenging.

Stephanie Chung

Chief Growth Officer
Wheels Up