Results at the Top: Using Gender Intelligence to Create Breakthrough Growth

Praise for RESULTS AT THE TOP

"Results at the Top is full of stories and examples of male leaders accepting accountability for greater gender diversity in their companies. What′s different? They′re not doing it out of compliance, but out of a personal commitment to advancing women in leadership."
Johan Bjorklund, Vice President and General Manager, Ericsson North America

"Barbara and Richard help envision an achievable future where gender–intelligent leaders and advocates will unleash 100 percent of the world′s human capital and create the future we all cherish. For the common good of human wellbeing, it′s up to us to begin working together, NOW!"
Woody Buckner, Chair and CEO, Buckner and Company

"The evidence is overwhelmingly clear gender diversity at the senior leadership level correlates with greater business performance. Yet the number of women leaders remains very low and is truly unacceptable. Results at the Top is extremely valuable in providing new paradigms and actions to close this gap."
Bob Cancalosi, GE Director of Customer Leadership Education

"The male leaders featured in Results at the Top are true change makers who realize that gender equality relies as much on men as it does women. Annis and Nesbitt provide an important new contribution to understanding how genuinely to change future outcomes for women. Their solid advice can help to drive diversity goals and accelerate progress in boardrooms and executive suites around the world."
Kathleen Taylor, Former President and CEO, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts

"I wish I had read Results at the Top and become more gender–intelligent much earlier in my career. Luckily, it is never too late to learn. This book provides business leaders deep insights and opportunities for creating value through high performing, gender balanced organizations."
Lars Terney, Partner, Nordic Capital

"Annis and Nesbitt focus their lens on the unconscious biases that exists in the systems, procedures, and policies guiding our companies today. Fascinating revelations and common sense solutions makes Results at the Top a must read for any leader hoping to succeed in this changing business landscape."
Lara Warner, Chief Compliance and Regulatory Affairs Officer, Credit Suisse Group AG

Acknowledgments xi

Introduction xiii

Chapter 1 Your Wake–Up Call 1

Diversity at the Top: Correlates with Better Performance, 1

How We Came Together, 3

Barbara s Wake–Up Call, 4

When I Became a Real Manager of People, 6

The Diversity Money Pit, 7

What Makes the Difference, 9

Brushing Your Horse, 10

Lack of Gender Success Is Costly, 11

This Is Your Toolkit, 11

Endnotes, 12

Chapter 2 The Business Case for the Advancement of Women 15

Let s Do It! , 16

Defining Superior Performance, 17

Adding Women to Boards, 18

The Reason for the Improvement in Financial Performance, 20

The Future of Leadership, 20

Values Don t Matter If We re Not Making the Numbers , 21

Endnotes, 31

Chapter 3 Ascent of Neuroscience 35

Equal Does Not Mean the Same!, 36

The Ascent of Neuroscience, 36

The Domino Effect, 36

Bell Curve of Gender Tendencies, 37

The Ability to Peer More Deeply, 38

Sex Differences in Brain Structure and Function, 40

Sex Differences in Hormonal Composition, 44

The Breakthrough That Knowledge Brings, 45

Endnotes, 46

Chapter 4 Ascent of Women 49

The First Long Step, 50

Women Joining Business Clubs, 51

Cultures Clinging to Tradition, 52

The Ascent of Women, 52

An Economic Necessity Versus a Choice, 58

Areas Where Glass Ceilings Still Exist, 59

Endnotes, 66

Chapter 5 Ascent of Men 71

Men Accelerating Change, 71

The Evolution of an Attitude, 75

Evolution in Our Thinking, 80

Are We Stalled or Advancing?, 81

The Aha Moment, 83

Breaking the Mold, 84

Endnotes, 87

Chapter 6 Millennials: Facts and Fictions 89

It s Not a Generational Issue, 89

How Much the Same We Really Are, 96

Why Women Are Needed in the Tech Industry, 97

It s Not a Generational Issue, 99

Endnotes, 100

Chapter 7 What Works and What Doesn t 101

We re over the Tipping Point, 103

How to Create Sustainable Change, 104

What Works and Why, 105

What Doesn t Work and Why, 108

Other Best Practices, 112

Critical Mass and Critical Mindset, 114

Endnotes, 114

Chapter 8 The Role of the Board 117

Lack of Mentoring, 118

Stereotypes in Business, 118

Richard s Story: Boards in the 2008 Financial Crisis

and Their Gender Composition, 119

The Quota Experience in Norway, 121

Picking the Best Candidate Remains Vital to Success, 122

It May All Start with the Board of Directors, 123

Humans Follow Role Models, 126

Role Models Are Leaders, 126

Women s Participation in Management and on Boards, 129

Men s Beliefs and Behaviors Are Changing Slowly, 130

Endnotes, 131

Chapter 9 Measuring Commitment 133

A General Model for Gender Diversity in Management

Information Systems (MIS), 134

Defining a Model for Gender Diversity, 135

Gender Diversity Model for Management Information

System (MIS), 138

Constructing a New Gender Propensity Index©, 142

What Happens Next?, 143

Endnotes, 144

Chapter 10 How to Rid the Plumbing of Bias 145

Gender Parity in New Graduates, 146

Sourcing, Job Descriptions, and Interviewing, 146

Nine Levers for Creating Gender–Intelligent

Organizations, 150

Areas Where Systemic Biases May Form, 152

Just Go in There, 153

Having a Hard Time Getting Women to Join, 154

You re Creating a Lose–Lose Scenario, 154

Fixing the Plumbing, 155

Endnotes, 156

Chapter 11 What the Future Holds 157

How Engaging Are Your Engagement Surveys?, 157

Brushing the Engagement Survey Horse, 159

  Are We Being Gender Intelligent about This? , 159

Challenging Tradition, 160

Feminine Values in Financial Services, 161

Why Does Gender Success Elude So Many Businesses?, 162

What If We Do Not Act?, 163

Steps to Gender Success, 165

The Long Ascent, 167

Endnotes, 168

Index 171

BARBARA ANNIS is founding partner of Gender Intelligence Group (GIG). She is the author of Same Words, Different Language, Third Edition, and coauthor of several books, including Gender Intelligence and Work With Me.

RICHARD NESBITT is president and CEO of Global Risk Institute. He is also adjunct professor at the Rotman School of Management of the University of Toronto and chair of the advisory board to its Mind Brain Behaviour Hive.