Has Equity Become Taboo Already?
April 2023
What comes to mind when you hear the word Equity (vs. Equality)? Does it make you feel warm and fuzzy inside? Does it make your hair stand on end? Or do you wish the subject would just go away?
My blog post last month, Reject Equity. Embrace Your Strong Suits was the first time I deliberately broached a topic on this website that some might consider political. I wrote that article because the International Women’s Day campaign theme of #EmbraceEquity was so antithetical to everything I believe in—in terms of accelerating the advancement of women in leadership—I felt it necessary to speak up in condemnation.
As I usually do after writing a blog, I posted a link to it on LinkedIn. Candidly, some of my posts garner more impassioned feedback than others, but the LinkedIn response to this post was shocking. There was not one written comment, and only four “likes”—three from men (two former U.S. Marines and a retired teacher from the Netherlands) and one from an anonymous individual representing a writer’s group. No identifiable woman refuted or supported my position.
Could it be that businesswomen actually embrace equity—where resources and opportunities are deliberately allocated unequally, based on race, gender, or national origin rather than on merit, talents, and effort? Could it be that the last 14 years of my career have been fruitless in terms of inspiring women to stand up for themselves, speak up, proudly wear their Strong Suit and take responsibility for their own success?
If so, it’s time for us to take a few lessons from those U.S. Marines who took a stand. Become part of the few, the proud. Or be like West Point cadets who learn at the U.S. Military Academy to choose the harder right over the easier wrong. When faced with ultimatums that come with great personal and professional risk, cadets learn to do what is right, ethical, moral, and courageous. Don’t simply stand by and watch as an entire class of women sink further into a lowest-common-denominator abyss. Be courageous and say what you think. Demonstrate leadership.
If you aren’t willing to take a stand against equity, then rest assured you’ll own nothing—including your dignity—and you will not likely ever be happy. Since you are reading this post, I know you want better than that for yourself. So, take a stand and speak up for your beliefs before it’s too late.
I was recently honored to be a keynote speaker at the University of West Florida (UWF) Women in Leadership Conference: Designing Your Future. The conference was a life-enriching day of inspiration and engagement, chaired by Dr. Sherry Harnett, Director of the Executive Mentor Program at UWF. There was a record-breaking sell-out crowd, with 430 in-person attendees and 470 watching on-line.
My talk was on Heartfelt Leadership: Inspiring Passion and Engagement. The two other keynotes included Winning Big and Living Fearlessly by world champion triathlete and cancer survivor Siri Lindley, and The Three C’s of Leadership (Courage, Communication, and Connection) by the first woman US National Parks Service Director, Dr. Fran Mainella.
The two executive panel discussions were also incredibly insightful. The first panel, moderated by Nicole Bastian, Lt. Col., U.S. Marine Corps, was on Leadership Lessons for Success and featured three senior military leaders including Sandra Strosz, Vice Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Ret.; Ann Burkhardt, Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy, Ret.; and Leslie Maher, Brigadier General, U.S. Air Force, Ret.
The second panel discussion, moderated by Kara Bloomberg, Chief Operating Officer for LandrumHR, was on Keys to Success: Understanding Yourself and Using Your Insights to Build Your Future. This one featured three executive businesswomen, including Kara Cardona, Executive VP of Greater Pensacola and Contact Center Operations for the Navy Federal Credit Union; Dr. Lusharon Wiley, VP of Corporate Culture for Innisfree Hotels; and Jill Stinemetz, Associate VP of Field Operations for Cox Communications.
Additionally, the event featured a rousing interview with Florida State House Representative, Michelle Salzman—a true force of nature and role model Momma Bear. What an impressive go-getter she is.
The following themes resonated throughout the day:
Leaders must have the courage to take risks, be bold, and possibly fail.
Relentlessly pursue your passions. When the going gets tough and you feel like quitting, look at all the progress you’ve made and keep going.
Don’t give up until you achieve your goal. You never lose until you quit.
Don’t expect to be promoted because you are doing an exceptional job. You must ask for what you want.
We have more power than we realize. Leverage your strong suits and help others do the same.
Leadership is about communications and connections. Use your head to touch hearts.
You can’t do everything. Strive to be your best at what reasonably fits on your plate. Be willing to ask for help and accept help. It’s not a weakness. It’s a strength.
Delegate what you don’t love to do to those who do. Developing others is a win-win.
Overall, it was an extraordinary event, chockfull of fabulous mentoring aimed at helping women become the very best leaders they can be. While there was some limited discussion of Diversity and Inclusion, there was no mention what-so-ever of Equity—at any point, by anyone. Despite the worldwide marketing efforts of those behind International Women’s Day, Equity did not seem to be a determinant of success for any of the women featured at this conference. Based on what was said, one might even infer that Equity is either a taboo topic or it’s antithetical to women’s career success.
I’m a big believer in the philosophy that the best leadership lessons learned result from failure. Perhaps those who came up with the #EmbraceEquity theme for International Women’s Day could learn something from all this.
Regardless of whether you are a man or a woman, in the business world or in the military, leaders must have the courage to take risks, be bold, and possibly fail. Hopefully #EmbraceEquity will turn out to be one of those failures that no one will ever have to learn from again.
Rest in peace, Equity.