Jump Start Diversity at The Highest Level – The Board by Crystal E. Ashby and Justina Victor The Executive Leadership Council’s Institute for Leadership Development & Research aims to strengthen the talent pipeline of black leaders, providing toprate leadership programs that focus on individual growth at different career levels.
CRYSTAL E. ASHBY is the interim President and CEO of The Executive Leadership Council
JUSTINA VICTOR is a senior research manager of The Executive Leadership Council
D
HELPS ORGANIZATIONS reap unmistakable competitive advantages. Everything from increases in innovation to financial performance to building confidence in a brand has been linked to diversity gains. And it’s clear that the closer a company’s leadership gets to diversity goals, the more in-touch with its own market it gets. Diversity helps companies stay ahead of changing trends, too. It turns out that the companies with the most diverse leadership are the most agile and best able to adapt to new pressures like severe talent shortages and new technologies that change the way business is done. DIVERSITY
So why does the U.S. still lag on the global stage when it comes to diversity at the highest levels of corporate leadership? And how can U.S. businesses change practices that keep underrepresented groups out of the C-suite? The answers to these questions may be just beginning to emerge. But one thing is clear: for the U.S. to maintain a competitive edge in the global economy, the nation’s leading corporations must respond to mounting investor, legislative, and public pressure to jump-start diversity at the highest level – the boardroom. On this stage, the question of black leadership – who will lead and how – is timelier and more essential than ever. Current events underscore the societal role board leaders play in keeping public interests accountable to race issues with the power of private business behind them. And black directors wield economic influence at the highest levels – shaping the
3
