Some of the discussion at the AWESOME 2014 Symposium centered on whether the approach to diversity and leadership development should be “gender blind” – or whether specific programs for women and other minority groups need to be implemented. The panel of male supply chain leaders – “Insights Uncensored” — offered interesting insights on this topic.
- “I’m not saying, ‘Oh, I’m just going to sit back and wait and I’m going to be, you know, blind.’ It’s not that at all. You have to absolutely be very active. Because what’s happened is you have entire talent bases that have been shut out.”
- “If you look at MBA programs, it’s close to 55 percent women coming out with advanced degrees. So, as a business person, I’m nuts to not figure out how to tap that talent pool so I can make the best choices to bring people to my organization.”
- “I can’t be passive about that. I have to be active, because I think we’re missing out on talent. And you know, if I look at the traditional way leaders are chosen and promoted, I’d say probably the good old boy network was what drove a lot of the decisions in the past — because it’s a ‘get it done mentality,’ right?”
Read more AWESOME Insights from the 2014 Symposium when Collective Wisdom is posted here in August.