I caught up with the managing director of an engineering company this week. Over a breakfast of spinach crepes and a skim latte, I pulled out my standard question: how many women are in your management team?
He smartly side-stepped answering the actual question by offering me instead a stunning piece of news. Within his first six months in the job he appointed a woman to his senior management team – not because she was a woman but because she was the best person for the job. There is no better reason to appoint women to leadership roles.
It didn’t surprise me that this 40-something leader would see the appointment of a senior woman that way. I have known this man for more than a decade. Back in the day when we were studying towards an MBA together it was clear that he viewed men and women equally. We worked extensively in teams to complete our studies and this was a man who was used to engaging with smart women. It stood out to me because there were other men (primarily older men) in the cohort who clearly were not as comfortable working alongside women as equals.
My feeling is that the diversity debate is generational and a non-issue with many Gen-Xers and all Millennials. I see this with my Gen-Y (Millennial) sons. They are always shocked when I mention the current leadership limitations for women. I am always encouraged by their inability to comprehend why women and men would have different opportunities in the workplace. It seems that the future for gender diversity is bright (certainly brighter). The MD friend I referred to earlier is from the generation of men (young Gen-Xers) who don’t know any other way of thinking. Rather than asking ‘why’ they should promote women, they’re thinking ‘why not?’ Once the Baby Boomer generation of leaders retires change may be swift if my theory is right.
Change comes from the top. Culture is set by the leader. If the man or woman who is leading the organisation views men and women equally then everyone will. The small group of Baby Boomer male leaders who are at least aware of the benefits of gender diversity, are responsible for the changes to date, albeit slow. One of those men is Virgin Group Chairman Richard Branson.
Branson was in Adelaide yesterday as keynote speaker for a Business Chicks networking breakfast. During the breakfast, a Business Chicks representative tweeted a quote from Branson’s speech: “A lot more can happen in the workplace for women. At Virgin we’re not perfect but we’re really trying.”
“Alot more can happen in the workplace for women. At Virgin we’re not perfect, but we’re really trying.” @richardbranson#businesschicks
— Business Chicks (@businesschicks) May 8, 2013
There are still far too many large organisations without an even spread of men and women. Replace the leaders with a younger leader, man or woman, who is gender blind and let’s see what happens.
Do you agree that change will be faster once the next generation of leaders take the reins?