Townes-Whitley: CEO diversity requires "showing up"

Townes-Whitley: CEO diversity requires "showing up" | Kim Kardashian shares her approach to private equity | Reverse mentoring can help firms grow, address biases Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version]( October 5, 2023 CONNECT WITH NEXTUP  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( €‰€‰[Tik tok]( [NEW SmartBrief]( Gender equity news from NextUp, Advancing All Women in Business [SIGN UP]( â‹… [SHARE]( [] Top of the week [] [Townes-Whitley: CEO diversity requires "showing up"]( [Townes-Whitley: CEO diversity requires "showing up"]( Townes-Whitley (Mike Coppola/Getty Images) Toni Townes-Whitley of Science Applications International -- one of two Black women CEOs of a Fortune 500 company -- recently took the reins from Nazzic Keene, another woman, in a "seamless transition" that Townes-Whitley attributes to leadership experience, a supportive board and the organization's culture. To move the needle on diversity in leadership, "we have to show up," Townes-Whitley says, adding "We can grow businesses, we understand top line, bottom line, and all of the shareholder pressures, and we can deliver. And I think the more that occurs, you're going to start to see some changes." Full Story: [Inc. (tiered subscription model)]( (10/2) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Today's leadership [] [Kim Kardashian shares her approach to private equity]( [Kim Kardashian shares her approach to private equity]( Kardashian (Paul Bruinooge/Getty Images) Kim Kardashian aims to build on her entrepreneurial success with SKKY Partners, a fund created with private equity veteran Jay Sammons that plans to invest in areas including fashion and beauty. In interviews, Kardashian talks about earning the right to be heard and the importance of collaboration. "I wouldn't be involved in anything if it wasn't fully hands-on," she says. Full Story: [Fortune (tiered subscription model)]( (10/4) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Reverse mentoring can help firms grow, address biases]( Reverse mentoring, where leaders are mentored by underrepresented employees, is gaining traction as a tool that helps organizations foster diversity, equity and inclusion, with companies including Target, Accenture and Estee Lauder seeing major cultural shifts, writes Patrice Gordon, founder of Eminere. The practice addresses workplace challenges including generational gaps, gender equity and ethnic representation, and successful implementation requires courage, curiosity, openness to change and self-awareness, Gordon writes. Full Story: [Fast Company (tiered subscription model)]( (10/4) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Peloton instructor on the importance of leading yourself]( Peloton instructor Alex Toussaint got his start as a spin instructor while working as a janitor at a cycling studio in the Hamptons, and says becoming Peloton's first Black instructor taught him that leadership is about managing yourself and inspiring those around you. "Everything is self-reinforcing. We help motivate others when they need it. They help motivate us when we need it. When we win, everyone around us wins," Toussaint says. Full Story: [Charter]( (10/3) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Being stingy with praise of others damages leadership]( [Being stingy with praise of others damages leadership]( (suriya puhoy/Getty Images) Leaders who make sure to give credit to others when it's due are seen as more effective than those who take credit for themselves, according to research by Zenger Folkman, and authors and leadership experts Gregg Vanourek and Bob Vanourek offer three scenarios where leaders should exercise care in how they credit others. "When in doubt, we should err on the side of giving credit and recognizing others, but also pay attention to whether we're vulnerable to glory hounds or to being overlooked in uncertain environments," they write. Full Story: [Triple Crown Leadership]( (10/2) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Why truly heroic leaders don't need capes]( [Why truly heroic leaders don't need capes]( (Bulat Silvia/Getty Images) Larger-than-life leaders get a lot of attention, but those who focus on more subtle details by being vulnerable and creating a positive culture of collective responsibility with a focus on manageable workloads will have more long-term success, writes psychologist, author and consultant Kathy Miller Perkins. "So, the next time the drumbeat of 'go big or go home' echoes in your ears, remember: True leadership might flourish in the nuances -- the understated, the straightforward and the elements often deemed trivial," Miller Perkins writes. Full Story: [Forbes (tiered subscription model)]( (9/30) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Read the latest from SmartBrief [] - [Improve your EQ skills to thrive alongside AI]( SmartBrief/Leadership (10/3) [] - [Are you an "I'm not their babysitter" manager?]( SmartBrief/Leadership (10/2) [] - [Global teams need flexible, accommodating leaders]( SmartBrief/Leadership (9/29) Free eBooks and Resources Free eBooks and resources brought to you by our sponsors - [The Communication Process: Skills to achieve desired outcomes]( - [Microsoft Excel: Unlocking the Power of Spreadsheets]( - [The Top 75 Leadership Quotes of 2023 - Part 1]( - [ChatGPT Newbie: Your Essential Handbook for Navigating ChatGPT]( - [The Visual You - Why Body Language Matters When You Speak]( [] Diversity & Inclusion Trends [] [Are invisible disabilities part of your DEI plan?]( Diversity, equity and inclusion programs should include accommodations for people with invisible disabilities such as epilepsy, chronic pain, diabetes and hearing loss, writes Televerde HR head Yolanda Slan, who recommends employers offer training to increase employees' awareness about these disabilities, create employee resource groups, build a workplace culture of acceptance and provide flexible accommodations. "The spectrum of limitations varies from person to person, making it essential to treat each individual and their needs with the understanding and empathy they deserve," Slan writes. Full Story: [Fast Company (tiered subscription model)]( (10/1) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Tips for handling weight bias as part of DE&I programs]( Weight stigma makes larger people more likely to earn less and to encounter challenges getting hired or promoted, according to research. Business leader Katie German writes that weight bias should be part of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and gives examples of how to approach office chairs and T-shirt sizes for uniforms or events. Full Story: [Canadian Business]( (9/27) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Corporate DEI faces new hurdles]( Companies now find themselves treading a thin line between their DEI goals and perceptions of favoritism toward underrepresented racial and gender groups after the Supreme Court decisions around affirmative action in college admissions and subsequent lawsuits. While hiring based explicitly on race is banned by the 1964 Civil Rights Act, DEI advocates say companies need to find ways to recruit and retain employees by maintaining aspirational policies instead of quotas. Full Story: [The Washington Post]( (10/2) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [] Don't plan it all. Let life surprise you a little. [Julia Alvarez](, writer National Hispanic Heritage Month is Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( LEARN MORE ABOUT NEXTUPâ„¢: [About Us]( | [Events]( | [Regions]( | [Partners]( | [Learning](   SmartBrief publishes more than 200 free industry newsletters - [Browse our portfolio]( [Sign Up]( | [Update Profile]( | [Advertise with SmartBrief]( [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy policy]( CONTACT US: [FEEDBACK](mailto:nextup@smartbrief.com) | [ADVERTISE](mailto:cwarne@smartbrief.com) SmartBrief, a division of Future US LLC © Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY, 10036