Leading by example (cont)
It is all the more essential to emphasise the importance of diversity within the context of leadership. Workplaces may have cliques that minority groups are excluded from (this in turn could work in reverse); a low level of trust and evidence of stereotyping that prevents staff progressing or being supported on the basis of their ability. Managers and leaders have a key role in influencing the culture and climate of the organisation as well as being responsible for the development and motivation of individual members of staff. Key activities include defining roles and accountabilities particularly of senior leaders and linking reward structures to diversity performance. One way that a CEO/Chair can develop senior leader’s ownership for diversity initiatives is to make each member of the company’s management or executive committee accountable for the success of one key component of the initiative for example communication, evaluation. Other ways could be establishing diversity goals for business units and individual managers, focusing on diversity outcomes in manager’s reviews, educating managers with regards to the business case for the initiative, how results will be monitored and measured etc.
Hooper and Potter distinguish seven core strategic leadership competencies:
- Direction, vision, mission, strategies and values
- Alignment
- Example and role model issues
- Developing people at all levels
- Effective communication
- As change agents
- Action in crisis and ambiguity.
Senior leadership best practice – The Proctor and Gamble Company
Proctor and Gamble markets more that 300 brands to nearly five billion consumers in over 140 companies. P&G builds its organisation from within, hiring individuals at entry level, investing in their development, and promoting and rewarding them based on performance. The Advancement of Women Initiative was developed to increase the number of women officers with line responsibility at Proctor and Gamble and involved internal benchmarking focusing on the brand management/advertising areas of the company. A key success factor in the implementation of the initiative was strategies used to build senior-level commitment and ownership for action. A woman general manager leads the task force managing the initiative and two senior managers are active sponsors. Marketing directors or brand managers from each of P&G’s five business sectors own key strategies and implement task force programs within their organisations. Senior managers from HR, diversity, organisational development, and staff advertising provide functional expertise and support. Specific ‘Advancement of women action plans’ are developed each year based on research results and input from the organisation. Senior line management’s ownership of this work and the disciplined business approach taken have created alignment and sustained support throughout the organisation.
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