Career Coach: Do You Work for an "Inclusionist" Leader?

I’ve worked in more than one company where talented women who were continuously bypassed for promotion left to join competitors who recognized their value. 

When I asked the CEO of a client organization why he never promoted these women within his company, he responded, “Those women just weren’t strategic enough. I need to find better ones.” What he didn’t understand at the time was that not everyone has to be his thinking clone – in fact, there are many different ways to be strategic and still increase profit. 

I’m glad to say he “saw the light,” but it took the exit of several of the best women in his organization. He became an inclusionist leader, and before he left the organization, there were many more women in senior management roles and even on the executive team. 

If you haven’t had a face-to-face with your manager to define or redefine strategic thinking, this is your chance. Be prepared to show the results of your leadership style and the way you think and act strategically. Focus on accomplishments as opposed to your process. It’s time for old school leaders to develop an inclusive mindset when it comes to female executives. 

If your leadership and diverse thinking style aren’t valued, and your manager can’t see past his gender-filter, it may be time to move on. There are too many companies run by men and women who value diversity of all kinds and who want to see all of their employees succeed. 

–Simma Lieberman, Career Coach