Trust me, it is a worthy five minute read, if this picques your curiousity -- over at Fast Company:
. . .Ken Chenault (Former Chairman of American Express): I think it’s very dangerous that people are saying, “We need to get rid of DEI.” But they’re not frankly also saying, “But let me be clear, here’s our commitment to diversity.” And I think there are forces who are against giving people opportunity. And I think companies do need to assert that they have a commitment to giving all types of people an opportunity.
Ken Frazier (Former Chairman of Merck & Co.): I think the challenge in this country is that some people are arguing that expanding opportunity for people is inconsistent with merit. And I think that’s untrue. So the question is: How do companies take advantage of the best talent that is available in an increasingly diverse society? And how do we expand opportunity for people who have been historically marginalized without discriminating against people who haven’t been marginalized? I don’t think those two things are at all inconsistent.
Ken Frazier, you have a legal background, right? Businesses are also grappling with increasing legal risks about affirmative action in addressing historically marginalized communities. Is that a dramatic change? Are the legal risks things that business people are using as an excuse not to do things they want to do?
Ken Frazier: I think it’s a change in atmosphere for business. The Supreme Court’s opinion has become a catalyst for some of the groups that are totally opposed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. . . .[* * *snip* * *] Ken Frazier: I heard someone say, “If you’ve read 10 books about the origin of today’s situation in Palestine, all that qualifies you to do is to read another 20 books.” So, a lot of the people who are taking strong positions, including I think some of our younger people, haven’t read the first book, let alone the first 10 books.
And I think this chapter gives the colleges an opportunity to rethink their social contract with society. At every stage, universities have to ask, “Are we forming young people to be constructive leaders in society?” I think if you look at the campuses now, university leaders are probably questioning whether they are. Common ground will never be reached unless we go to higher ground and talk about the principles that unite us.
Ken Chenault: I had this term that I used at American Express: I wanted people to engage in “constructive confrontation.” Do it respectfully. We need to debate and argue, certainly on our college campuses. That’s part of what you have to learn. But you have to understand the other person’s perspective.
Ken Frazier: We live in turbulent times. One of the keys is for leaders to spend time reflecting, not to instantaneously react to what’s going on around them, to listen to others, to prompt others, to give you feedback that can help you decide what the right course is. Implicit in that is being the kind of leader whose people actually trust you enough to tell you what they really think and helping you to see the big picture.
So I do think there’s a lesson, not just for college students, not just for university leaders, but for all leaders—and that is: Whenever you’re facing these turbulent, challenging times, it’s important to do some reflection before deciding what you’re going to say or do. . . .
Onward. . . smiling, just the same.
नमस्ते
No comments:
Post a Comment