In early summer 2022, I suggested to a good friend of mine, LinkedIn influencer Chris O’Connell, that he go beyond a post he’d created to recognise a small group of women that inspired him and encouraged him to create a whole global directory – which he did!
Here is an interview between Chris and I, we to discuss the importance of the project and equality for women across the board.
Why is a directory like this so important?
It’s organic and has grown because other women chose to elevate the work of other women, for me that’s what has made this project so significant. It isn’t one of those directories that folks have had to pay to play, it’s a result of those everyday interactions that we’ve had with Women that have impacted either our work or personal lives, inspired us, helped us grow our businesses or contributed to our growth. It’s almost a way of saying thank you, I see you, I hear you and I appreciate you.
What’s made you get behind it?
Honestly – I’ve grown tired of not seeing myself, whether that be in a consultancy role, on the panel of an event or in the NED space. Those lame excuses I hear regularly about a lack of representation ‘we couldn’t find a woman, there are no women’ when questioned about the overrepresentation of men. This directory challenges that notion because here, in one place you have hundreds of women, potentially thousands globally – no more excuses, they are just a click away on LinkedIn. I am also proud that my name sits amongst such a rich mix of ALL women, the way in which it’s been created has meant more diversity and representation, this isn’t just one person’s network, perspective, or opinion on who makes the cut.
How do Men play a role in equality?
That’s a massive question, do we have the space? I mean I’d like to see men actively using the directory, I’d also like to see them contributing to its growth. The fact it’s been mostly women highlighting the work of other women is telling, especially as this whole movement was created by a man, working in a majority male space. In relation to this project, I’d like to see a proactive effort to stop the default setting of men reaching out to their immediate networks when they need consultancy services, I’d like to see men refusing to join all-male speaking events, a solid commitment to hiring women for NED roles, and just more consciousness around overrepresentation of folks like them in the rooms they often enter. You need to SEE the problem before you can begin to fix it, too many are still oblivious.
What must change in the workplace?
The structure of the workplace needs to seriously catch up, I mean we are still using the 1950s model of work in a world and society that’s totally changed. Built around men and their power structures, it’s just not fit for purpose anymore and it certainly doesn’t allow for inclusion, especially for women. Nothing will ever change unless we change – that’s when, how and where we work, how we promote, how we reward, our family-building policies, talent attraction, hiring processes, our boards, leadership styles and the technology we use to name just a few. Anyone running a business that lacks representation should be doing the work to fully understand how it got itself into that position and make the changes needed that break the cycle – not hiring themselves out of their overrepresentation problems.
What would be your advice to young leaders looking for representation from the start
As tempting as it may be, don’t lay the foundations with your immediate network, these people will stick and attack folks just like them as you grow, if overrepresentation is an issue in the early days, it will simply multiply. Thinking about diversity after your growth spurt is too late, you need to grow with representation front and centre of your development strategy. Be conscious of your hiring strategy, often start-ups don’t have one and recruit through referrals, don’t do this, before you know it your business will be full of clones who are interconnected from the same spaces. Consciously seek the perspective, support, and expertise of people outside of your usual world, and actively choose to engage people that are not the usual suspects – it will transform your mindset and your business!
