Trailblazers

How Top Business Leaders are Accelerating Results through Inclusion and Diversity

Lenora Billings-Harris, Redia Anderson

• Publisher: Wiley
• Year: 2010
• Print ISBN:
  9780470593479
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9780470881101
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Human Resource Management
• Index: Business

Make diversity your competitive advantage

To reap the full benefits of diversity and inclusion, today's forward thinking companies look past "diversity" training towards a more comprehensive, holistic business approach. These leaders incorporate diversity and inclusion into every aspect of business culture, employee engagement, talent management and market penetration.

Trailblazers reveals the practices, metrics and research, as well as the anecdotal evidence, for building and sustaining workplace cultures that make strategic diversity and inclusion a business necessity. Focusing on concrete actions you can implement immediately, this insider guide profiles the best practices award-winning companies have used on a sustained basis to transform their organizations.

• Captures insights and best practices from the most effective Chief Diversity Officers, several of which are determined by the Diversity Inc Top 50 Companies for Diversity
• Companies profiled include IBM, Dell, Verizon, Merck and Co, Sodexo, Verizon, Andrews Kurth, The Coca-Cola Company, American Airlines, Citi, Ford, Shell and Pitney Bowes
• Covers everything from how to use employee resource groups to help target consumers and forge tighter client relationships; from talent optimization, leadership development and retention, to increasing middle management engagement and the skill-sets required for effective Chief Diversity Officers as true business partners and more

Trailblazers gives you an in-depth view from the inside out of which practical solutions make diversity and inclusion efforts a systemic and winning way of doing business for today's top-performing companies.

1

Meet the Trailblazers

“Don’t bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself.”

—William Faulkner

Industry leaders—especially those determined to build a culture of inclusion and diversity within their organizations—are becoming more abundant. You don’t have to look far to see the effects of the efforts that so many visionary people have made in industry as well as in society. They are often unsung heroes that step up, face the unknown, and move forth in sometimes the darkest hours, clutching the belief that what they do now will have a lasting impact on others for years, and generations, to come.

These Trailblazers, as we will refer to them in this book, each have a story to go along with their incredible efforts and accomplishments. Each was carefully chosen to exemplify the true spirit of not only diversity and inclusion, but also of holding true to one’s own and the organization’s values.

As we conducted our interviews, what became apparent was that each person had unique experiences and stories, which shaped their views and behaviors regarding inclusion at a relatively young age. Each individual we’ve spotlighted has faced many challenges along their journey. Rather than accept what was good enough and handing down the idea of a system that wasn’t effective to the next generation, they instead focused on actions to create a better tomorrow for everyone.

All of these incredible people, both men and women, are pioneers in their fields. Many of them have worked for and led diversity and inclusion initiatives in more than one organization, moving forward to continue paving—and trailblazing—the way for others who will ultimately follow. These Trailblazers deserve more than they would accept, and ultimately, this qualifies them as true leaders of our age.

It’s important that you get the chance to know each of these individuals from the outset. We want you to understand where they come from, what helped to guide them to their true calling, and what continues to inspire them to this day. Strangers are easily dismissed, but those with whom we become familiar can often inspire and instill hope in others to move toward the dreams and paths they have begun to lay out.

Take a moment to meet these 12 inspiring individuals we interviewed. Meet the 12 Trailblazers who have accomplished incredible objectives and continue to instill the benefits of inclusion and diversity within their organizations.

“The most dangerous phrase in the language is, ‘We’ve always done it this way.”’

—Rear Admiral Grace M. Hopper, U.S. Navy

Michael Collins

Managing Director of Diversity Strategies, American Airlines

The passion that inspires Michael Collins in the field of diversity and inclusion was sown at an early age. The son of a Baptist minister, Michael came into his faith when he was around 9 or 10. His faith puts forth the basic premise that all people matter, that everyone makes a difference. The color of your skin or where you come from doesn’t matter; everyone is valuable.

Growing up in an environment of inclusion certainly had its impact on Michael’s professional life. The concepts to which a person is introduced and with which he is surrounded can have a lasting impact on the rest of his life. Michael certainly captured that essence and carried it with him through his professional career.

In 1989, Michael Collins started his diversity work with true passion and desire. American Express was beginning to consider the concepts of diversity and inclusion within their business model. The company opened a new operations center in Greensboro, North Carolina, that was facing a much different workforce than any of its others. A large portion of the staff included highly educated African Americans; and the need to retain these employees for the long term meant that American Express would have to provide broader opportunities for advancement. Another issue that faced the company also had to do with maintaining satisfaction among all the employees as well as the community.

Michael Collins was only one of two African American managers at his level or higher at the time, and the company had already noticed his potential. While excelling in a leadership role that included managing two large groups, he developed a quality reputation within the organization. It was at this time that he began to research the idea and concept of diversity and inclusion.

Michael took it upon himself to present some innovative ideas to his leadership team. Due to his ambition and passion, American Express asked Michael to participate in helping them to develop a diversity strategy for the entire company. This allowed Michael to delve even deeper into the value of diversity and see how it impacts not only employee satisfaction and well-being, but productivity as well. The more he learned, the more he knew that this was what he wanted to do with his professional life. Michael has devoted 21 years so far to the field of diversity and inclusion. Today, with American Airlines, Michael has become an integral part of their continued growth and leadership with regard to diversity and inclusion.

As stated in American Airlines’ Diversity Statement, “By encouraging and supporting the talents of diverse people, we’ve created a rich tapestry of engaged, dynamic teams, all committed to our airline. Our focus on diversity and inclusion is felt by our customers, employees, and the communities we serve around the world. We remain steadfast in the important everyday work of bringing people together through diversity and inclusion” (www.aa.com/i18n/aboutUs/diversityInclusion/leadershipSidebar.jsp).

Company Profile American Airlines

GERARD J. ARPEY, CEO

• Second largest airline in the industry.

• Encompasses American, American Eagle, and American Connection.

• Serves 250 cities in over 40 countries.

• Manages over 4,000 flights per day and has a workforce of nearly 80,000 employees.

• A founding member of the Global OneWorld Alliance, which unites the biggest names in the industry to offer more destinations and benefits than any single airline can offer.

• The first commercial airline to hire an African American pilot.

• Launched the first GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender) employee resource group (ERG) in the industry.

• Reported to be the first to establish a Christian ERG.

Diversity Awards and Recognitions:

• 2010 Diversity Leadership Award by Profiles in Diversity Journal.

• 50 Out Front Companies for Diversity Leadership by Diversity MBA Magazine.

• Honored by Women of Color magazine.

• Named Best Company for Blacks in Technology.

• Named to Corporate Honor Roll by Latin Business magazine.

• DiversityInc Top 50 Award: 2002, 2010.

• And many more.

Elizabeth A. Campbell

Partner and Chief Diversity Officer, Andrews Kurth, LLP

Elizabeth Campbell’s work with diversity and inclusion includes a long and personal awareness of the impact of the Civil Rights era. Though she doesn’t feel that she was “called” to get involved in this kind of work, per se, her upbringing, the challenges she faced, and the accomplishments she achieved helped her to realize that her background positioned her to have a positive impact on others who were attempting to carve their own path through life.

Growing up in New Jersey during the earliest stages of the Civil Rights era, Elizabeth recalls experiencing overt discrimination and was impacted by comments from detractors that said she couldn’t be a lawyer. The people who were telling her these things were not neighbors or peers; they were her educators and advisors, those who were meant to inspire and support young burgeoning talent such as hers.

But instead of allowing others to keep her dreams from coming true, Elizabeth took their lack of support as a challenge—and used it to press forward with her dreams and aspirations. As a young woman, Elizabeth was amazed that there were people in the world who not only failed to encourage others to become their best but in fact attempted to undermine their confidence and hinder their abilities to move ahead in life. Elizabeth turned this on its head, however, and used it as encouragement to apply to and eventually attend Princeton University and Michigan Law School. Today, she views the naysayers as catalysts for her success.

In her previous work for Aramark, and now for Andrews Kurth, LLP, Elizabeth realized that her life history—the path that brought her to this point in time—might serve as a positive influence for other people. She pondered the notion that people may not get a chance to succeed if they aren’t told that their differences—the things that make them unique—are valued. Elizabeth truly believes that celebrating people’s differences makes far more of a difference than merely “not discriminating.”

This is the very tenet of proactive inclusion that Elizabeth has built into the diversity and inclusion strategic plan for Andrews Kurth, LLP. She works with the firm’s leadership and marketing team to help drive branding strategies. In addition, she is a Community Relations ally who works within the community to help promote endeavors that align with the firm’s strategic plans. Elizabeth, an attorney, has worked in a variety of positions in human resources, including employee relations and diversity with several large corporations. Elizabeth has used her past to help positively shape the future of countless other individuals by ensuring that they have the opportunity to contribute their talents in an organization that respects, needs, and encourages diversity of ideas to solve client issues.

Some of the awards she has received include: 2008 Diversity Officer Leadership Award by Diversity Best Practices and 2008 Legal Diversity Award by the Texas Diversity Council. She has had numerous articles published on diversity and inclusion in business and law journals throughout the nation.

Company Profile Andrews Kurth, LLP

BOB V. JEWELL, CHAIR OF EXECUTIVE CO...

Table of contents

• Praise
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Foreword
• Acknowledgments
• Preface
• Chapter 1 - Meet the Trailblazers
• Chapter 2 - The CEO’s Role in Success
• Chapter 3 - Trailblazers
• Chapter 4 - Communicating the Vision
• Chapter 5 - Accountability for Results
• Chapter 6 - Middle Managers
• Chapter 7 - Changing the Culture Through Education
• Chapter 8 - Sticky Strategies™ to Keep Your Pipeline Filled
• Chapter 9 - Community Involvement and Social Responsibility
• Chapter 10 - Global Diversity and Inclusion
• Chapter 11 - Marketplace/Brand Eminence
• Chapter 12 - And the Research Says. . .
• Chapter 13 - Diversity and Inclusion Councils
• Chapter 14 - Employee Resource Groups or Networks
• Chapter 15 - Supplier Diversity
• Appendix - Study Methodology and Samples
• Notes
• Index