Seven Steps to Leading a Gender-Balanced Business

3

Build Support at the Top

The single most predictive element of the success of a gender initiative is leadership. In companies that successfully rebalance, the issue of gender balance is strongly and visibly led by the CEO. The CEO understands that the minds he needs to change are mostly among his existing (and usually male-dominated) management teams, and that those people will require strong convincing by someone who is perceived as credible.

FRONTLINE FEEDBACK: “Two years ago the CEO said [gender] was on his agenda, and that has created a real behavior change in the company.”

 

Yet most companies give the leadership roles for their gender initiatives either to their most senior woman (who often heads up HR), to their women’s network, or to ...