Harnessing Diversity in Leadership Teams

Ever wondered why some companies thrive with innovation while others stagnate? The secret might just lie in the diversity of their leadership teams. Join us as we unravel the underestimated power of varied perspectives in the boardroom. By sidestepping the comfort zone of hiring clones of ourselves, we reveal how a blend of different backgrounds can ignite creativity and propel organizations forward.

We also discuss the balance of optimists and pessimists within a team, shedding light on how this dynamic can harness a full spectrum of insight, and even touch on offbeat strategies like artistic exercises to stimulate diverse thinking. 

In this episode, we discuss the following:
1. The importance of surrounding yourself with people who think differently from you.
2. Creating teams with diverse viewpoints and approaches to foster innovation and comprehensive problem-solving.
3. Approaching meetings and problem-solving with a mindset of curiosity rather than control. 

This episode is sponsored by LucidPoint
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CONNECT WITH SUSIE:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/susietomenchok/

CONNECT WITH JAMES:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/capps/

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:15

Welcome to the Quick Take podcast, the show where you get targeted advice and coaching for executives by executives. I'm Suzy Tominczuk.

Speaker 2: 0:24

And I'm James Capps. Give us 15 minutes and we'll give you three secrets to address the complex topic of issues that are challenging executives like you today.

Speaker 1: 0:35

Hey Quicksters, welcome to Quick Take. I'm Suzy, along with my fantastic co-host, james. How are you, james?

Speaker 2: 0:43

I'm super good this morning, feeling really good. Yeah, it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, as I like to say.

Speaker 1: 0:49

Yes, feeling like a DaVinci.

Speaker 2: 0:52

You know, I've got that artistic bend in me today, so yes, yeah, this is an interesting topic.

Speaker 1: 0:59

I just know that we were. I was just looking at the title of what we were going to talk about, kind of the left brain versus the right brain and what the different types that find themselves in the boardroom. And it's funny because I'm probably more right-brained and you're probably more left-brained, so we can also go around on that. But like, how do you take the best of everybody in the room? And we've all been there where it just feels a little bit lopsided or it's hard to find that synergy. So how do you have, how do you take the advantage of the best of all worlds?

Speaker 2: 1:34

Well, I think the key is to realize, first and foremost, that you've got to surround yourself with people that are different than you, and I think that's the number one mistake every board makes, every leadership team makes. I think the data shows that people tend to hire people that look like themselves, visibly, physically look like themselves. I think there's just a lot of subconscious and unconscious biases that happen there, and when you want to create an organization that is diverse in its thinking and not, you know, get and get stuck in its ways, I think bringing people around you and having a board that's diverse in thought is huge.

Speaker 1: 2:17

Yeah, and you know what's interesting is I work with leaders who say that just that I need to have diversity on my team, and they go through the interview process and they're like but this person's really good and really qualified, like you really have to keep your kind of bias in check and really go all right. How do we stay objective too? Because I agree with you, the diverse thought and I remember hearing a chief learning officer say one time diversity isn't easy, and so some days it's like I don't want to have to deal with diversity of thought because it takes a lot of work, but it's super important.

Speaker 2: 2:58

Yeah, I think that you know one of my first pieces of advice, you know to kind of jump in is, you know, no-transcript. I like to remind the technology organizations that creativity and that artistic element is so important. And so you know, I always say, you know, embrace your artistic side. Now, that's hard when you're, when you're, you know, working in an industry that may be very specific in its technology, but but you know there was a period of time when a lot of the original software developers were musicians and artists, because there was that creative element of writing code.

Speaker 2: 3:34

And I think you know my first piece of advice is to for a group of leaders or a board is to to embrace some sort of artistic, creative activity to get a different part of your brain working. I know I worked with a CEO who brought in a art teacher to do an art class, essentially in in the boardroom, to force everyone to do some sort of impressionistic drawing, and the eye rolls and the scoffing and the and the disdain for that exercise. You know the lunchtime discussion on it was cruel, but at the end it made sense. And then there was a realization that that you know we need to have some diverse, well, some, some unique ways of thinking and bringing in that artistic element. I think is always really a clever way of doing that.

Speaker 1: 4:23

Yeah, that's so interesting and it can feel really uncomfortable because you almost you know you're going to get those you don't want to like make a silly mistake or you don't want to look like you're a leader that is doing something that isn't going to work and you but you need to. You need to embrace that uncomfort and know that it you know, be creative and be courageous.

Speaker 2: 4:46

Right, right, I think it's that, that, that courage to embrace the unexpected muse. What is the thing that's going to come in? And you know, obviously, as a technology leader, you know the the the other side of that coin tends to be something in the more artistic space, but that applies for to any organization, whether you're a nonprofit or you're running a music academy. You know, bringing in somebody who has a different way of thinking, that unexpected muse, I think is is huge.

Speaker 1: 5:13

Yeah, you know, it makes me think. You know, I do a lot of team sessions with different diverse groups and I'm doing an engineering team. I'm working with an engineering team in the next couple of days and it makes me nervous because I know they don't like to go outside of the box Like I'm reading into what I think they would feel comfortable doing and just making people look at things different.

Speaker 2: 5:38

So that's the only way to shift that perspective and mindset, to understand everybody else in the room 100% agree and I think you know my second piece of advice builds on that really well, which is, you know, your team needs to be diverse in general as a whole. And you know I'm trying to avoid using the word diverse because DEI and diversity is getting its time in the grinder right now. But having a group of people who are your leadership team, who are from different points of view and have a different way of thinking, is so important. You know, I talked about having embracing, you know, that different type of muse, that embracing that unique. That's one thing.

Speaker 2: 6:19

Building a team that tends to have optimists and pessimists. You know, I've talked at a great length on many podcasts how I worked with a guy who was a natural pessimist and I loved it because he always brought the negative to the conversation. Now, he wasn't an under minor, but he did ensure that we were looking at the possibility of failure, which in my case, you know, is not always my strength. So I think building a team who's going to look at things from different points of view is essential to ensure a well thought out leadership approach.

Speaker 1: 6:52

So I have a question for you. I work with a senior leader who she likes to bring her team together, and she knows how important that is. But she'll sometimes go well, I don't need them all. I'm just going to bring these two with me and have this dialogue, and I almost think it's because she's more comfortable with those two, and so it's not a. I'm going to set up this team and then we're going to be diverse thinkers. You also have to watch your patterns and be cognizant of bringing that diversity in every day, every conversation. Yep, yep, I think it's important.

Speaker 2: 7:28

I love that opportunity to have that discussion with that leader and say why do you only bring in these two? And your answer? I'll tell you exactly what she's going to say. She's going to say well, because they understand the situation better and it's easier to get to the answer.

Speaker 1: 7:43

Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 2: 7:44

Because it is. It is easier to get to the answer when you know that they see it from your point of view. Of course it is Totally. It's like I'm. I have this really challenging situation and I'm going to go to my dog for advice. Well, of course, my dog is going to agree with me it's my dog. But I think that the opportunity for that leader is to realize that the reason it's hard to bring all five of your direct reports together is also the reason you bring all five of your direct reports together.

Speaker 1: 8:13

Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 2: 8:14

And so challenge her to recognize the moment that she's saying I'm only going to bring these two folks in, and that's when the red light should go on and say that's why I need to bring in the other three. Now, if she does have a leader who is just a curmudgeon maybe they're a recalcitrant jerk and no answer is good enough then maybe they just need to move that person off the team. But the truth is, is you, do you know? The important things are hard and you should ensure that you look at them with lots of points of view.

Speaker 1: 8:43

I love it. Yeah, I think you're exactly right. And it's hard too, because sometimes time is of the essence and you can also say I just don't have time to bring everybody in, I need to do this right away, and that's a, that's a ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. You are going the path of least resistance.

Speaker 2: 9:01

Stay away Right. And if you don't, you know, honestly, if you you don't have time to get all the five of your people together, that's there's other problems there. I mean you should be able to get five people on the phone in five minutes. You know your team should be, agile, should be. I know we're all busy, we all have lots of meetings, but if I need, you know, the A team to opine on this particular topic, I should be able to get them all on the phone and that's just. I think that's a good team that is working together for a collective goal. They're going to find that agility when it matters.

Speaker 1: 9:34

Awesome, yeah, all right. So what's your third?

Speaker 2: 9:37

My third one is really about creating an environment of curiosity, right? I think that that curiosity is the openness to different ideas and to say, hey, I'm willing to do this little interesting drawing, painting clay project in our offside because it might open my mind up to something else. Hey, I do want to hear Jerry's point of view even though we always disagree, I do like to see where he's coming from that curiosity is just a much healthier way of going into meetings. And so I think, when you think about the left brain, the right brain, the top brain, the bottom brain I just coined that phrase, I don't know what that means.

Speaker 2: 10:19

I'm a top brain person, she's a bottom brain. That you know you've got to be curious as to way people are wired. You know there's a million personality tests out there. Whether they're good or bad or right or wrong. I'm always curious as to how they come and come about, and I love more than anything hearing about people's way of thinking, and that's the interesting part. And so if you're curious and create a foster an environment that curiosity is acceptable, then I think you're going to go a long way.

Speaker 1: 10:52

Yeah, so I can't help but go to techniques around that, like practicing silence, being careful that you don't just keep rambling on. Give yourself a, this is the problem, and then stopped.

Speaker 1: 11:06

Or this is the thing that we want to do. And then another thing to your point some people don't always let the same person be the one that interjects. First, because we tend to have patterns within teams as well. So maybe have everybody. Give me your top three ideas and the three reasons why it won't work, write them down, and then we're going to go around the room Exactly.

Speaker 2: 11:27

Right. I think it's up to you to figure out a way to facilitate that. I think if you just go in accepting the fact that there could be a happy accident, that these things can happen, that the person who is least involved in the technology space could you know they could be the germination of a really good idea. That's super valuable. We all get caught up in our own stuff and we end up with blinders, and you know there's there's a million different biases that come. You know that address and talk about how we are blinded by our own knowledge. This is a place where you can really take advantage of your other groups of thinking.

Speaker 1: 12:04

Yeah, I love the idea just to kind of restate what you said is go in without the answer. Really really go in with here's what we have to solve, so that the team can feel like it's not already solved either.

Speaker 2: 12:19

Sure, you know. To be honest with you, though, I always go in with the answer in my mind. I think I know where the answer is. What I really love is when the team never doesn't end up there, and it's almost like a game to see how far away I am. My goal isn't to get the team there. I just think, hey, I want to go north. And then I walk out of there going guys, it's so cool, I thought it was north, and we all realized it's east, isn't that great? And explain to them where I was coming from. And then it's for me, it's not about subconsciously or unconsciously manipulating the meeting. It's like, okay, why did I like to do the little retrospective? Why did I think this was the answer? And I think that's just a really fun thought exercise and a way for me to foster my continued creativity.

Speaker 1: 13:05

I love it. I love it. I think you gave us a great way of approaching the situation, so tell us what are the three that you came up with?

Speaker 2: 13:13

Yeah, so I think, you know, embrace the unexpected muse, realize that there, you know, there is somebody or something in the room that could be unique, to help you have a different way of looking at things. And then, two foster cross-pollinated teams. You want to have teams that have multiple points of view on the regular basis. You need to have that kind of that crucible of ideas and thinking. And then, third, you know, lead with curiosity but not with control. You want to go in there and think, being curious as to where this goes, Like I suggested. You know, have an idea where you're going, but you know, just be, don't try to control the situation, Be curious about the situation.

Speaker 1: 13:53

Yeah, I love it have a map but also have the ability to zoom out and really see. You know which path you're going to take. That's a really good approach, great one. Thanks, james.

Speaker 2: 14:06

Thank you.

Speaker 1: 14:09

James, I was wondering what has been the most valuable piece of advice that you've received in your career.

Speaker 2: 14:18

The most powerful. You know, I think the piece of advice that I use over and over, I think, actually comes from Sean's John Sean's where he said and I don't this is definitely not him, but I remember him saying it at the time and it stuck with me because he was a great guy A lot of our listeners know, john, you know he said you know, never let a good crisis go to waste. And I think that that's just a fantastic way of, a looking at the positive side of something and, b understanding the dynamics of human nature and of companies, that a crisis is simply just an opportunity.

Speaker 1: 14:56

Thanks for listening to this week's episode of Quick Take, where we talk about the questions that are on the mind of executives everywhere. Connect with us and share what's on your mind.

Speaker 2: 15:06

You can find us on LinkedIn, YouTube or whatever nerdy place on the Internet. You find your podcasts. Our links to the show are in the show notes. We appreciate you.