The Diversity Dilemma

Major corporations, organizations, and institutions make regular announcements when they tick off a diversity accomplishment.

XYZ Company welcomes the first African-American CEO. ACME Corp elevates the first women to the Board of Directors. Widgets, Inc., proudly announces that Mrs. Jones is the new President of the company. Main Street, LLC promotes the first openly gay man to Chief Operations Officer.

If I was any of those folks I would not be feeling so much like doing the happy dance. Did the ‘what I am’ mean more than the ‘who I am’ in the decision. Personally, I would prefer to have it clearly stated that I was the best for the particular job, no matter my gender, race, ethnicity, etc.

These personnel announcements are plentiful, especially in business publications and their social media counterparts.  There is the smiling face of the newly crowned forever labeled with a qualifier. 

At the risk of being called some nasty names, I unequivocally state that I don’t have a horse in this race. The push in today’s world for adding diversity to professional ranks has at least some value in calling attention to more possibilities. Leveling the playing field is a noble and just endeavor. However, I do believe that adding a label or qualifier does a disservice to a very proud accomplishment.  

With so many competing agendas it is difficult to be blind to pressures that are put on companies, especially larger companies, to check off the diversity box. So, when they do, you see an announcement when they make a promotion or hire a highly qualified woman or a person of color or anyone from one of the diverse segments of the community. It reminds me of a child sharing the gold star they got at school so it can go on the refrigerator.   

I am a firm believer that all of those elevated, hired, or promoted were so because they had the goods. They had the skills necessary to achieve success. Any CEO or Board Chairperson worth their salt should be blind to anything other than does this person have what we need to get the job done. Anything short of that, even in the name of social justice, is unacceptable in the business world and society in general.

I was in attendance for the interview of a CEO of a national publicly traded company. It was a conversation about perseverance, hard work, discipline, and ever-rising responsibility. It was about values, the importance of family, and personal fortitude. And interestingly enough the CEO was an opponent being in a victim class to advance. This CEO refuses to be labeled as a women CEO, she stands toe to toe with any CEO by the weight of her accomplishments, vision, and her ability to lead major companies.  Her ability turned around a declining publicly traded brand, doubled its revenue, and managed the sale to a synergistic competitor. Her prowess was recognized by being the CEO and Chair of the Board of Directors for the combined company.

Calling her a women CEO, even though that is an accurate description, would not be doing her a favor. I am certain that any CEO or executive wants to be acknowledged by their accomplishments exclusively.

Let’s all stop labeling really good folks and allow them to bask in their accomplishment one hundred percent sure they did so on the strength of who they are and not what they are.