What Is The Difference Between Leadership And Diversity

The two articles are very different yet similar. Top 9 Leadership Behaviors That Drive

Employee Commitment by Joe Folkman talks about the leadership behaviors that have the

greatest impact; while Great Leaders Who Make the Mix Work by Boris Groysberg and

Katherine Connolly talk about diversity. Leadership, behaviors, and diversity should go hand in

hand. The leadership behaviors that have the greatest impact according to Folkman are as

follows:

 Inspire and motivate others – Leaders who can inspire and motivate others know

how to energize their team to achieve difficult goals and increase the level of

performance from everyone on the team (Folkman). Leaders who can inspire and

motivate are inspirations to their employees.
Leadership and Diversity 3

 Collaboration – Working together among employees and groups within the

company is key. When leaders demonstrate that they can achieve objectives that

require a high level of intergroup cooperation, synergy is created and employees

enjoy the work experience (Folkman).

 Walk the talk – Leaders need to be role models and set a good example for their

employees (Folkman).

 Trust – People trust leaders with deep expertise and knowledge because they

project confidence in their ability to make informed decisions (Folkman).

 Develop and support others – Leaders work side by side with their employees and

push them to develop new skills and abilities. Leaders build higher levels of

employee satisfaction and commitment with their employees.

 Building relationships – leaders build relationships with their employees. Leaders

balance individual needs against the organizational deadlines and demonstrate

that their employees are valued.

 Courage – leaders deal with issues head on. They address issues immediately.

The article by Groysberg and Connolly discusses diversity in the workforce. How are

the two articles related? The article by Groysberg and Connolly discuss the practices
The next practice would be

to support flexible work arrangements. Providing greater flexibility during childbearing

years for women could be instrumental in keeping women in high ranking positions and

promote diversity in the workforce. Workforce diversity begins with the search for talent

and tracking retention of different groups, such as women, interns, and African-American

individuals is key. Implementing quotas for hiring minority employees helps with

advancing diversity. Another practice is providing leadership development opportunities

for women at the lower levels. These opportunities are great at promoting diversity. An

employer should also offer resource groups and mentoring programs. Employee

networking and multicultural events promote diversity. Lastly, a company should offer

quality role models. Diversity at the top promotes diversity throughout an organization

(Groysberg & Connolly). If a leader walks the walk and talks the talk of diversity,

employees will be serious about diversity, and will take pride and ownership in their

position and within the company.