#Gettingtoequal: Why Having Diverse Leaders Will Help Better Working Of A Team

“A leader is the one, who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way.”

We all know that a kind of person or a group of people in leadership roles has got to have the dexterity to guide or lead a group of professionals.

But imagine if the leaders are from a different background and form a diverse leadership team where men and women both share an equal stance in the leadership roles. Will it be a good idea?

Well, according to a couple of researches done by Gallup and by McKinsey & Company, diverse leaders tend to perform better than average. To support the same, there are a couple of factors as below:

• A larger pool of experience and unique points of view.
• Increasing staff retention and motivation.
• Easier to attract great talent as high-performing people will be more eager to work with a diverse team.
• More networking opportunities for the company.

With the incorporation of more and more female leaders, any organization can find the key to its success. The reason is very simple! Today when women are equally qualified and experienced, one thing that makes her stand taller is her natural instinct.

And if you did not know this, let us surprise you a bit more. Did you know that Women are better leaders?

It is not only us who claim so but have a look at the Harvard Business Review report below.

Why women are better leaders?

A woman being a nurturer has an inclination toward a holistic and self-reflective approach. On one hand, she has excellent emotional quotient and empathy towards others in the team while on the other hand, she has a lot of patience, knows well to collaborate with people and has an inbuilt multitasking ability.

When all of these attributes come instinctively to a person he/she is perfectly poised for success when they are in leadership roles.

What does diversity and inclusion in the corporate world today mean?

This term can be used to understand that when we are in the workplace we all are at the same level, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage or civil partnership and pregnancy or maternity status.

This gives the employees their space to be themselves. A person when at his/her best form, gives the best output he/she can, therefore the diversity and inclusion approach helps tremendously in the mutual growth of an organization as well as the individual's growth.

Why is it crucial to have diversity and inclusion in the corporate world?

A diverse workforce means that the organization can offer a wide range of different ideas, skills, resources, and energies to the business and help it achieve a competitive edge.

With a wide pool of talent, where an equal balance of male and female counterparts are available at the organizations, it will reap maximum benefits of a broader market, improved productivity and a raised profile within the community.

The company that embraces diversity and inclusion puts everyone on an equal footing, thus making the workers satisfied and valued.

According to the Center for American Progress, there are top 10 ways that diversity and inclusion in the workplace influence a company.

1. A diverse workforce drives economic growth.
2. A diverse workforce can capture a greater share of the consumer market.
3. Recruiting from a diverse pool of candidates means a more qualified workforce.
4. A diverse and inclusive workforce helps businesses avoid employee turnover costs.
5. Diversity fosters a more creative and innovative workforce.
6. Businesses need to adapt to our changing nation to be competitive in the economic market.
7. Diversity is a key aspect of entrepreneurialism.
8. Diversity in business ownership, particularly among women of colour, is key to moving our economy forward.
9. Diversity in the workplace is necessary to create a competitive economy in a globalized world.
10. Diversity in the boardroom is needed to leverage a company’s full potential.

Nowadays, a lot of the talented people have weighed the significance of a diverse crowd at the offices and hence, companies that implement a diversity and inclusion program, are more likely to attract top talent.

An organisation that has maintained equilibrium in their gender ratio is also often seen progressing at a much faster rate than the ones who have a lower ratio.

How can diversity and inclusion in the corporate world be implemented?

The benefits of diversity and equality cannot be fully achieved without creating an inclusive environment in the workplace. With a lot many trained People Managers and HR professionals, the diversity and inclusion policy can be very well incorporated into any working environment.

Along with that, below are few techniques that can be effective to establish a diverse and inclusive work culture such as,

• Conducting an internal census to better understand the demographic make-up of the organization
• Finding out the areas of concern and underrepresented demographics
• To empower the underrepresented group and encourage others to make them feel like a part of something big
• To give them the necessary support and resources.
• Provide all workers with a safe space to voice their concerns and so on.

So we are saying:

Welcoming women and creating a more inclusive culture certainly takes time, but with cooperation from companies around the world, gender equality in upper-level management may be closer than ever. As the President of Angelica Fuentes Foundation once said, “Gender parity is not only good for women but it is good for the society too”.