LAST WEEK WE TALKED ABOUT THE WAGE GAP. TODAY WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE LEADERSHIP GAP?
Last week, one of the iconic women of corporate America – Indra Nooyi – announced she was stepping down as CEO of PepsiCo after 12 years at the helm. As a result, the number of female CEOs fell again, and the number of female CEOS of color was reduced to a mere handful.
MANY ARTICLES HAVE NOTED THAT IN THE PAST YEAR, WE HAVE SEEN A 25% DECLINE IN WOMEN LEADING S&P 500 COMPANIES. ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT THE NUMBER OF WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP POSITIONS?
I absolutely want to see more women in corporate America. To put the numbers in perspective, we have gone from 32 female CEOs last year, to 24 this year. The fact that there are 25% fewer women in leadership roles than there were last year tells us the trendline is going in the wrong direction. Without question it’s good for America and good for business where there’s no glass ceiling.
However, I would be cautious about reading too much into this particular move. Some of the women who have stepped down this year, like Indra Nooyi, are simply ready to retire. Others may have had issues related to performance. Some may be choosing to do something else. A lot of work remains, but this move in particular is not part of the bigger problem. In fact, under Indra, PepsiCo has been a leader in empowering women in their workforce.
WHY ARE SO FEW WOMEN BECOMING CEOS, AND HOW DO WE CHANGE THAT?
The biggest problem we have is that there is simply not a bench for companies to choose from that this point. Most of corporate America has failed to create a pipeline that allows successful women to reach the senior management roles. Just look at the numbers!
According to Catalyst, a nonprofit that advocates for women, while women make up half of the workforce, just 39 percent management roles were filled by women in 2017. And the number of women in senior roles decline from 23% in 2017 to 21% this year. These figures tell me that corporate America continues to admire the problem rather than doing something about it.
Diversity in the work force is the only thing that we are always working on in corporate America. Everything else is make or break. To fix the problem, people have to be rewarded for making progress, and held accountable it they do not.
WHY IS DIVERSE LEADERSHIP SO IMPORTANT?
First and foremost, it is good for business. Studies show that companies with diverse leadership are more profitable. To be a best in class company in the 21st century, you want to have a team that can interact with a global customer base, can build the best supply chain, and that reflects and understand the interconnected world we live in.
On top of this, studies show that if you want to solve a problem, you want to have a group of people with many different perspectives. Ultimately, diversity is a competitive advantage. Finally, it is just the right thing to do. Our companies should reflect our diversity as a country. There is the saying you can’t be what you can’t see. By increasing the number of women and people of color in leadership roles, we are allowing children from all walks of life to recognize they can be anything they want.
Mellody Hobson is President of Ariel Investments, a Chicago-based money management firm that serves individual investors and retirement plans through its no-load mutual funds and separate accounts. Additionally, she is a regular financial contributor and analyst for CBS News.
Like BlackAmericaWeb.com on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram
Share your email below to receive our daily newsletter!
Women Leaders Are Dwindling – So How Do We Create New Female CEO’s? was originally published on blackamericaweb.com
