The Loudest Duck Summary

Diversity is the piece that makes the modern workforce so amazingly unique and challenging at the same time. Valuing diversity means creating a work environment that respects and includes differences, recognizing the unique contributions these differences can bring, and maximizing the potential of all employees and the company. In The Loudest Duck, the author describes what often happens when diverse individuals enter the modern diverse workplace. Liswood gives great examples, analogies and shares simple insights into the hardships of bringing people from diverse backgrounds together to accomplish goals. The main emphasis is put on recognizing that diversity strictly by statistics of different races and/or genders present is insufficient.

Laura Liswood, a Senior Advisor at Goldman Sachs, argues for thought diversity and support for different groups to succeed. "The benefit of diversity will emerge only when we become aware and conscious of how we feel about the other who is sharing our space in the ark" (Liswood, 2009, p. 2).
Through the use of analogies the author wants to demonstrate in an easy and comprehensive way for everyone what the real underlying issues companies, leadership and management face and miss when dealing with diversity in the workplace.

The first analogy used by the author is Noah's Ark, explaining that diversity is not just about the numbers. Having two of every type in the ark does not mean by default collaboration and cohesiveness. It just means that there are many different types all trying to be noticed, heard and understood.
Second analogy used is about the Elephant and the Mouse. The elephant is the predominant or homogenous group within the workplace and the mouse the small percentage of the diverse group. Often the diverse group feels insignificant and small, misunderstood and helpless.
Furthermore, the author uses the "Grandma" analogy. The "grandma's voice" is the unconscious voice therefore most people are unaware of how they act, just moving through with what's familiar behavior. The subconscious consists of what the culture, society, family and friends instill to be ok and acceptable. Then these values are brought and continued to be practiced within the

workplace.
The arguments the author uses is not to say that heterogeneity and diversity are not valuable and highly important for obtaining the best results, but in order to facilitate meritocracy and an equal place for all it requires a lot of consciousness of what we think of others and their differences and how we react to these differences.
Leadership
Diversity requires leaders to be more prepared, aware and conscious about the differences that people bring.

They have to understand and practice the tools needed to manage a diverse workplace. As discussed in The Loudest Duck leaders can employ these methods to obtain a harmonious, all-inclusive environment: appreciate, promote, employ and celebrate diversity. Leaders must show appreciation and interest in the diversity of their workforce, not just look at percentages and how those are fulfilled but truly engage in understanding and developing the challenges and successes diversity brings. They need to understand how their subconscious is predisposed towards other's differences and develop a character and attitude that is not biased or predisposed to people and situations that are only similar to them. It's important for leaders to have an open-door policy that encourages sharing thoughts, rationale and feelings will help unify the diverse workforce. Leaders more than others need to understand that for a company to succeed everyone needs to feel valued and appreciated regardless of the

differences.
Conclusion
The Loudest Duck is a book equipped with lots of knowledge and explains why companies, now more than ever, need to migrate from the old-style approach to diversity and embrace the benefits and beauty that diversity brings by looking at it not in a numerical form but in a more personal and more inclusive one. It is a great resource for leaders and managers to be used while faced with the challenges of dealing with people from different backgrounds, cultures and walks of life.
Although the book was a very good read and thought provoking I disagree with the author on some instances. All of the biased approaches she mentioned can also happen because one's likes or dislikes and not from misuse of diversity. I think there is a fine line between being biased and simply having personal preferences but the two are definitely not the same.
Regardless of my small disagreement, the author did a great job to convey the most important point in The Loudest Duck - leaders need to learn to create value and embrace diversity in order to maximize the workforce potential and achieve organizational success.
Diversity - an idea increasingly becoming a prominent practice in our lives. From school, social life, work and family it is a something no one can deny or ignore. Nowadays more than ever fostering a work culture that emphasizes the importance of diversity and inclusion is a business imperative, not just a moral or ethical one.