Reshaping Special Interest

Reshaping Special Interest by Amy Friedman and Trish Kyle | Diversity Executive   Women who lead, regardless of their level, must shed the judgments and restrictive thinking of the past and adopt new prototypes that reach out and include all people. Globalization shifted the landscape for business practices, balance sheets and inventory management. It created opportunities where none existed before and opened pathways to markets and customers that were once unreachable. Doing business in a global economy requires leaders to be smart, tenacious and open-minded - and greater leadership agility doesn't hurt. Barriers, perceived and real, continue to fall and opportunities to reshape organizations, business cultures, internal workplace environments and mindsets are readily available.   The new normal presents a challenge, albeit a doable challenge, for today's women leaders. Women have had the benefit of special interest groups to help them find a voice, garner a seat at the table and excel within their organizations. Today, these groups need to reshape their paradigms and align with the new worldview by asking tough questions and demanding purpose-driven answers. Present pervasive dialogue to reframe historical questions into contemporary questions for today and tomorrow.   The most relevant conversation deals with how women leaders transcend the current mindset of exclusivity and compartmentalization to promote more inclusive leadership at all levels. The question is how should women leaders set the tone through their leadership styles and relationships, whether personal or professional, to embrace rather than exclude, transcend rather than isolate, [and] foster, nurture, and encourage inclusiveness?   Innumerable organizations have spent time, money and energy crafting solutions designed for women - programs that continue to give them opportunities to excel and become effective leaders. Those thoughtfully constructed programs and the benefits of resulting successes continue. The impact is measurable and valuable; however, the special interest mindset that drove those programs lingers and keeps many women leaders stuck in a tradition that has not evolved in tandem with present generations in the workforce.   More generations coexist within organizations than ever before, and this influences society and drives transformation and innovation. For example, the new reality demonstrated by the millennial generation is an expression of unbiased thinking and behavior that transcends gender, cultural and ethnic differences. The absence of exclusion and special interests builds bridges instead of creating chasms. For women leaders, the challenge remains to cast off exclusionary thinking and embody a more millennial mindset to break through real and perceived barriers.   Women who lead, regardless of their level, must shed the judgments and restrictive thinking of the past and adopt new prototypes that reach out and include all people - regardless of gender, race, age or cultural background. Women must lead the way to break free of traditional thinking that limits possibilities, fosters an unhealthy balance of responsibilities, leads to resentment and combativeness and often blocks the inclusion of men and other women in meaningful ways.   Leaders who lead from a place of inclusivity exhibit vibrant behaviors that drive employee engagement and permeate cultures in positive and sustainable ways. An inclusive worldview positively influences recruitment, retention and improves employee morale. To make progress toward greater inclusivity, leaders should seek to understand where they fall on the inclusiveness meter. They should identify personal values and beliefs, plan the first steps to shift the existing paradigm, move forward and go beyond old ways of thinking, believing and doing.   Testing new behaviors shows others that leaders - men or women - are committed to making a difference. Changing deeply ingrained patterns of judgment, doubt and mistrust is not easy, but by instigating and maintaining change, we can compel others to do likewise. Bridges can be built, and cultures can be reshaped.   Don't throw away the special interest group - use it in a different way. Repurposing the objectives for special interest groups helps women leverage what comes naturally. A broader, more inclusive conversation can help women move beyond the archetype of adaptive behaviors and open the possibility of better utilizing an individual's intrinsic behaviors. Thinking opens up and embraces men and women together.     [About the Authors: Amy Friedman is the founder, CEO and president, and Trish Kyle is the managing director of brand and talent management, at Partners International.]