When Australian Army Chief General David Morrison delivered his stern warning to Army personnel that, “the standard you walk past is the standard you accept”, he got people listening.
His message on zero tolerance for sexual harassment and bullying in the army couldn’t be clearer as he told those who would not participate in ridding the Army of “degradation, humiliation or exclusion of your female colleagues” to “get out”.
Chief Executive Women hope more men like Morrison can use their words and actions to lead on the cultural change required to create more inclusive workplaces for women, and ultimately see more women reach leadership positions.
The group representing more than 300 of the country’s most senior women have partnered with the 21 Male Champions of Change – including General Morrison – to launch the Leadership Shadow, a management tool helping leaders to “listen, learn and lead by understanding the impact of their personal actions”.
Thankfully, for those leaders called to participate, casting a supportive leadership shadow will be easier than delivering a Morrison-style direct piece to camera so powerful it goes viral across the world.
The tool asks leaders to consider the collective outcomes of four elements of their personal ‘leadership shadow’ including: What I say; How I act; What I prioritise; and How I measure.
While male and female leaders will both be called on to use the tool and consequently their ‘shadow’ to lead on cultural change, it’s men who will make the biggest difference, simply due to the sheer volume of men in such positions of influence.
Men occupy 95% of the CEO positions in the ASX 200 and more than 90% of executive manager and director positions across the ASX 500. We know, at least anecdotally, that many of these men are keen to address gender diversity within there orgasiations. But we also know that the problem is so systemic, they don’t always know where to start.
That’s the aim of this management tool, to help promote to leaders the fact they can personally lead on the change, simply through their own actions and behavior.
The Male Champions of Change collectively represent a significant portion of the Australian workforce, including our major banks, accounting, investment and legal firms, government and armed forces.
Cultural and structural change requires volume, as much as it requires power. So while these 21 Male Champions of Change, as well as the senior women at CEW, can all cast their own leadership shadow in support of providing inclusive workplaces, it’s the sheer breadth of that shadow that really matters. The actions of one manager or leader can quickly see good efforts come undone.