In a global economy, a diverse leadership team can be the key to a company’s success. An article in Pittsburgh’s Post Gazette says that “savvy CEOs … make diversity part of their company’s strategy.” Philip Merry, a cross-cultural management consultant based in Singapore, noted:
Once the group works through the potential clashes that diversity brings, the diversity of the leadership team in itself becomes a competitive advantage. Most managers tend to choose team members who are similar to them in one way or another, often with disastrous consequences. For example, putting only intellectually bright people together in a team was especially problematic, as they spent most of their time arguing about who had the smartest idea.
A leadership team that reflects diversity in gender, ethnicity, education, age, experience, etc., can surely see more possibilities and imagine more paths to success.