The Generous Leader

5 STAND UP FOR THEM

The Generous Ally

In today’s Fortune 500 companies, half of the managerial positions are held by women—a big step forward from 20 years ago, when 75 percent of managers were men and only 25 percent women. However, 71 percent of these managers are still white, and in the C-suite, 86 percent are white and male. Many groups of our citizens are underrepresented in corporate ranks; people of color make up only 6 percent of that group, and only 1 percent of CEOs are Black.

Leaders who want to lead from the heart must recognize the ongoing disparity between the makeup of our executive leadership and our population as a whole. Structural disadvantage—the result of society-wide and historical discrimination and inequities—continues ...