Exploring the Power of Female Leadership & Other Lessons

Welcome back to The Leadership Lens , a newsletter dedicated to bringing you insights from top executives.

In this edition, we'll take you through the power of female leadership and how 希尔顿全球酒店集团 's Chris Nassetta rose to his position as CEO of one of the world's largest hotel companies.

The Power of Female Leadership: How to Demonstrate Inclusion

Did you know that women CEOs are more likely than their male counterparts to exhibit empathy, foster inclusion and support employee career development and well-being?

Yep, it's true. Research from McKinsey and Company shows that women in leadership are 2x more likely than male leaders to spend much time on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) work. While this is true, women often aren't recognized for their DEI work and burn out more quickly than men in the same positions.

Thasunda Brown Duckett , President and CEO of TIAA , is one of those women leaders who prioritize DEI. Since becoming CEO in May 2021, she has backed several inclusivity programs, including TIAA's Sponsorship Program and the #retireinequality campaign.

Claire Borelli , TIAA's Senior Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer spoke to DiversityInc about Duckett's work.

“Thasunda is a leading advocate in her own right, working to close historical achievement gaps for women and underrepresented communities, and she has prioritized addressing these issues from within TIAA, inspiring our associates to join her in being the change.”

Subscribe to DiversityInc Best Practices to read more on how women are transformational leaders and the different perspectives and experiences they bring to the table.

How Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta Has Led the Company to Be a Top Employer for Diversity

Hilton President and CEO Chris Nassetta has run the hotel giant for over 16 years.

Believe it or not, he started out plunging toilets at hotels and spent some time in real estate and private equity before moving back to the hotel industry.

In an interview with DiversityInc, Nassetta shared DEI lessons he learned early on in his career that have carried him through to his role as CEO and led Hilton to be a top company for diversity. (Hilton ranked No. 1 on DiversityInc's Top 50 Companies for Diversity list in 2021.)

Early on, he said he learned not to surround himself with people with the same background or viewpoint. He said forming a team that challenges you and brings their distinct skills and life experiences is essential. Leaders must also actively listen and learn from others for personal and professional growth.

That diversity of thought, coupled with our bias towards action is really important at Hilton and helps us better serve all our stakeholders. It’s also helped us build this really inclusive culture that enables our team members to bring their authentic selves to work each day – because they feel supported and know that they have a meaningful impact on the business.”

Read through the full Q&A and catch Nassetta on the Top 50 stage on May 2. Register here !

Thanks for reading! Check back on Friday for the latest edition of "This Week's Must-Read Articles."

Best regards,

The DiversityInc Staff