This post comes with a little baggage. I am both resentful to a degree, but also thankful. If I had been gainfully employed over the last couple of years, I may not have had the energy, time, and dedication to finish the book – Action Leadership From the Edge. Having the text and cover done is such a great feeling. Now the rest of the bells and whistles to make it all so much more real — like this site.
I still work. I love to get out in the world and add the value I can when given the opportunity. One of my latest events was a large training event in the I.T. space. I would be returning to a team responsible for training about 1200 Field Service Technicians. I am also the only returning speaker/presenter/trainer to rejoin the team. As I joined my new team this past week, I noticed I was the only male to be hired. I also noticed I was the only caucasian to be hired. Now five years ago, I may not have cared to notice. However, after the last couple of years of applying for Exec-level positions and losing out only to women of color… my radar is up a bit.
The project is run by a woman of color and the truth is – I love working with her. She is bright, communicates very well, and sets her expectations well. She is also not afraid to do the work, to grunt it out when the stuff hits the fan. We seem to have a great working relationship and we’ve had conversations beyond the position itself. Others on the project have had similar conversations with me. It usually goes something like:
Them: It’s great to have you back again. You are so good at this.
Me: Thanks, I am glad I could swing the time to do it. It’s a great project.
Them: What else have you been up to? Where do you usually work?
Me: Well, I got laid off from Suzuki before the pandemic and while I have applied for tons of jobs – interviewed for some, I am super thankful that God gave me the heart of an entrepreneur.
Them: What? You are telling me you can’t find a job?
Me: I might be able to find a job. But it would seem that I am unable to fit into a job that is commensurate with my previous station. I mean, while it may sound crazy… how many white men are you seeing with awesome job announcements on your LinkedIn feed?
Them: You think…
Me: Yeah I know I sound crazy… but the worst part is that when these companies put Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion before the required experience or skill set, they not only hurt the brand – they damage the person that receives the position unless they are willing to invest in that person’s development.
I need to be clear in this messaging. If your company or organization really believes they have misstepped and hired the wrong people, favoring white men, and they need to walk it back through proactive hiring action… I am completely OK with that. Sure, it stings a bit. Seriously, I am OK with it. Our media and government agencies are all for it and to speak or write against it can be career suicide. Here is where I am not OK with it.
Train them. Build them. Set expectations and hold them accountable for the growth and development of others in their wake. Corporate doesn’t seem to have the follow-through. Instead, they make the hire and wash their hands, like some kind of social justice has been accomplished. When you force an unnatural fit for leadership, bad things happen. The team is damaged, and morale breaks down. Productivity and profit take a hit. Then the golden parachute comes out. Corporate either needs to expand hiring to backfill the lack of leadership performance, pass down the leader’s work to the team and further damage the team’s morale, or simply move the unnatural leader to a lateral or worse, promoted position where they can do less harm.
As I sat in the room the first day with my new team of professional speakers, who all passed the entrance to the team via application and Zoom interviews… one came sick the first day, and couldn’t keep up in the opening train the trainer sessions and asked to not have to participate on the first day. Another got up to the podium to present, didn’t know how to plug in their laptop, and was unaware of how to initiate “presenter” mode on her PowerPoint presentation.
From the outside looking in, with us living in SoCal with all the people to choose from and a budget that is favorable… did we choose the best? I am not writing to say that Men would be better. I am not writing to say that White Women would be better. I am writing to say that when Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion directives infect your thinking, you stand the chance to fill the role in those categories and take your focus off of finding the best fit for the skills you seek. Your focus clouds your judgment of the big picture.
It’s like thinking you want to buy a new car. You click on a few sites and begin to fall for the hype on Electric Vehicles. You begin to think you want to be a leader in your own community and how cool it would be to be the first in your neighborhood with an Electric Audi. Then all of the sudden, you start to notice all kinds of EVs in your neighborhood. Tesla, Lucid, and even yes… the Audi you wanted. You start focusing so much on spotting EVs with your subconscious that you begin to blur the big picture from your perspective. You actually begin to believe that EVs have momentum and you have to join the party – but in the real world… the big picture still says EVs aren’t even 5% of the market yet.
You see… when you allow your organization to pigeonhole itself in leadership and culture, seeking a specific outcome, you stand to miss the big picture opportunities. If you bypass the opportunity on purpose to achieve a social outcome (which you may be able to justify) meet the situation head-on. Be honest with the person, your organization, and your intentions. Everyone has the ability to improve, learn, build, and with the proper attitude and dedication with support… can exceed expectations.
Leadership moving forward is more than ticking the boxes. We need follow-through. If you are unsure how this fits into your circle – I welcome you to check out the Action Leadership Team.