While we are on the topic of diversity in leadership/management (See Amanda's post that follows up our conversation on Do Women Make Better Managers...), see this great article I just found on blueavocado.org:
Ten Things I Learned About Leadership from Women Executives of Color
http://www.blueavocado.org/content/ten-things-i-learned-about-leadership-women-executives-color
Apart from the discussion on diversity, it also touches on many of the issues we spoke about the other night, such as the mix of "soft" (leadership) skills and technical skills, the applicability of leadership theories, the need to know the jargon, etc.
Also note the book that the article is extracted from. The Leader of the Future II, edited by Frances Hesselbein and Marshall Goldsmith is one of the classics.
But remember, your popular media review doesn't just have to be about a book. You can use a blog, web site (e.g. see blueavocado.org), film, play ....
John
The diversity question is a big one. I have often heard that there is a lack of people of people of color in senior leadership in the non profit sector. Most of the non profit organizations that I am more familiar are led by whites, and often from Ivy League Schools. Currently I cannot verify this - these are my impressions, which may also be influenced from what I have heard over the years. It may be a touchy subject, so, to hopefully spark some conversation about this topic I will add these links: http://www.gazette.net/stories/08202010/businew173121_32536.php
ReplyDeletehttp://philanthropy.com/article/Achieving-Diversity-at/63208/
http://www.naccouncil.org/pdf/ARNOVA%202005%20Paper%20Judy%20Weisinger.pdf
For me a particular challenge (on the East Coast anyway)is that non profit organizations seem to require a minimum of a Master's degree for career growth. For minorities who did not grow up with a lot are often hard pressed to afford college, let alone graduyate school. When they do, and if they have had to take loans out for college then it is much harder to justify a lower paid job in the non profit sector if there is pressure to also pay back student loans. This in my opinion, and is only a part of a larger problem though.
To hopefully spark a broader conversation about this I will pose this question to all of you. An organization that I am very familiar with was seeking a CFO. They interviewed many candidates but had a preference for a minority candidate. They never expressively stated this in their employment ads, opting only to post the ad and screen for candidates internally for a well qualified minority. Well qualified white males and females were disqualified after their interviews, but also disqualified were a Hispanic and a black male as well as two Indian females because they did not meet other technical requirements. The search stretched over months and months having an impact on the day to day fiscal functioning of the org. So, the question: Would the organization have been better served if they stated in their ad - minority candidates urged to apply (or something similar)?
Does political correctness and the current laws hinder or support the conversation on diversity?
-Ken