How more women in the C-suite benefits companies

Leaders must reach across the organization to build trust | If you want teams to take risks, they need a safety net | Find your purpose to keep your career moving Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version]( February 22, 2023 [WFF Leadership SmartBrief]( Advancing and Empowering Women Leaders [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [SHARE](  [] A Leader's Edge [] [Leaders must reach across the organization to build trust]( Leaders need to reach past their department or direct reports to foster a sense of connection with teams across the company to build a sense of trust, says Stephanie Neal, director of DDI's Center for Analytics and Behavioral Research, which produces the Edelman Trust Barometer that shows proximity plays a big role in trust. "What we see with senior leaders and executives, the best way for them to build trust is to make sure that they're visible and then they're communicating effectively," Neal says. Full Story: [Charter]( (2/19) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Stable. Even here. Imagine if your dining tables wouldn't wobble, even in places like this. FLAT® Table Bases and Equalizers can adjust to almost any surface to bring stability to your operations. Learn more at [FlatTech.com](. ADVERTISEMENT: [] Career Progression: Developing Leaders [] [If you want teams to take risks, they need a safety net]( [If you want teams to take risks, they need a safety net]( (rudall30/Getty Images) Employees are more engaged and innovative when they feel psychologically safe to express themselves in meetings and they know that failure will be treated as a learning experience and not punished, write Karolin Helbig and Minette Norman. Leaders can ensure this safety by listening deeply and creating ground rules and opportunities to speak up and collaborate in meetings, they write. Full Story: [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (2/21) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Find your purpose to keep your career moving]( Having a clear sense of purpose can help professionals push forward when their momentum declines, according to career coach Leanne Meyer. Holding on to this purpose can also motivate you to leave your comfort zone and seek growth, Ms. Meyer writes. Full Story: [Forbes (tiered subscription model)]( (2/16) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Diversity and Inclusion [] [Are job interview dress codes discriminatory?]( American workers might prefer attending an in-person interview, but members of racial minorities say they feel under pressure to change their appearance to conform to outdated expectations about how they look. "To attract the best talent and create more inclusive workplaces, employers need to send a clear message to candidates that they are hiring based on skills and not physical appearance or dress codes from another era," says Richard Wahlquist from the American Staffing Association. Full Story: [HR Dive]( (2/17) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Chipotle to conduct independent DEI audit]( Chipotle has opted to conduct a diversity, equity and inclusion audit via a third-party, leading the New York State Common Retirement Fund to drop a shareholder proposal requesting information on the chain's DEI practices. The results will be published in Chipotle's Sustainability Report. Full Story: [Restaurant Business]( (2/16) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [How leaders can make supply chain DEI a reality]( Top-down company initiatives and community involvement are two ways to increase diversity, equity and inclusion in supply chains, writes Ryan Jessum of Chep USA, and companies that prioritize DEI are better positioned to thrive. "A team that thinks differently and can bring diverse viewpoints to the table can be far more effective than one that's always in unison, creating an echo chamber devoid of innovation," Jessum writes. Full Story: [Supply & Demand Chain Executive magazine (free registration)]( (2/20) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Black Chicago restaurateurs overcome disparity to succeed]( Black restaurant owners in Chicago share how lack of access to funding and gaps in generational wealth made it harder for them to launch their businesses, which were only made possible by an unwavering belief in themselves and initiatives like Uber Eats' Black Restaurant Fund. "We are done with the validation that we thought we needed, and we're just ready to put our stamp on the world," said Dominque Leach, owner of Lexington Betty Smoke House. Full Story: [Crain's Chicago Business (tiered subscription model)]( (2/21) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Union Square CEO urges leaders to focus on DEI at the top]( Union Square Hospitality Group CEO Chip Wade authored a LinkedIn piece that challenged his peers to boost diversity in the industry by providing managers of color a pathway to the C-suite and encouraging leaders to mentor younger talent. "All of this has to start at the top," writes Wade. "More diverse guests won't come if they can't see themselves in the employees, but more diverse employees won't come if they can't see themselves in senior management." Full Story: [Restaurant Business]( (2/15) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Featured Content Sponsored Content from Great American Plant Company [Great American Plant Company Gears Up for Growth in 2023]( Consumer interest in plant-based eating is rising, and offering products that meet their expectations is key to succeeding in the crowded category. Great American Plant Company brought on CSO Armetha Pihlstrom, who discusses how the company empowers its customers to make their brands household names in the plant-based category. [Read the blog.]( [] Women and Innovation in the Workforce [] [How more women in the C-suite benefits companies]( The benefits of promoting women to senior leadership roles are clear and can be seen in a company's bottom line and performance, writes successful entrepreneur and investor Donald Thompson. "When a company has strong women leaders at every level, it gains organization-wide, from better customer experiences to more robust innovation and creativity," Thompson writes. Full Story: [WRAL TechWire (Raleigh, N.C.)]( (2/15) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Chief network helps companies support women execs]( Major companies like IBM and Morgan Stanley are partnering with Chief, a membership network for women executives that helps provide learning and development opportunities. Chief's co-founder Lindsay Kaplan says companies are finding that investing in support of their women executives has value for the company and reduces burnout among leadership. Full Story: [Employee Benefit News (free registration)]( (2/16) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] WFF News [] [Pressure to "work twice as hard" continues for Black women]( Many Black children grow up in the US with the message that they need to work twice as hard to be considered half as good as their white peers. And research shows that unfortunate reality continues today in many workplaces. Black workers receive extra scrutiny that can lead to worse performance reviews, lower wages, higher unemployment and more difficulty advancing than other workers, according to Race in the workplace: The Black experience in the US private sector from McKinsey & Company. Still, Black women continue to report being highly ambitious, confident in their abilities and ready to contribute even more. Read more. 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