Welcome to Inclusion Bites, your sanctuary for bold conversations that spark change. I'm Joanne Lockwood, your guide on this journey of exploration into the heart of inclusion, belonging, and societal transformation. Ever wondered what it truly takes to create a world where everyone not only belongs but thrives? You're not alone. Join me as we uncover the unseen, challenge the status quo, and share stories that resonate deep within. Ready to dive in. Whether you're sipping your morning coffee or winding down after a long day, let's connect, reflect, and inspire action together. Don't forget, you can be part of the conversation too. Reach out to jo.Lockwood@seechangehappen.co.uk to share your insights or to join me on the show.
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
The Inclusion Bites Podcast
Igniting Change From the Top
Speaker
Joanne Lockwood
Speaker
Mark Bateman
00:00 Leadership: Nature, nurture, or belief-driven emergence? 05:03 Distinguishing between manager and leader roles.
✨ Magic Chat
Don't have time for the full episode?
Ask anything about this conversation — get answers in seconds, sourced from the transcript.
Try asking
Featured moments
Highlights
“Ever wondered what it truly takes to create a world where everyone not only belongs but thrives?”
“he is incredibly insightful when coaching others and able to build trust very quickly and get to the root of the challenge, also incredibly quickly.”
“We work with the world's largest companies to drive gender equality.”
“For every dollar invested in women, it's 70 something cents back. Right? So it's more than double the return.”
“what to do when they're the only woman in a room, what to do when a man shuts them down, takes their ideas, the the the the, you know, the subject of mansplaining.”
Timeline
How it unfolded
Read along
Full transcript
So adjust your earbuds and settle in. It's time to ignite the spark of inclusion with Inclusion Bites. And today is episode 116 with the title, igniting change from the top. And I have the absolute honor and privilege to welcome Mark Bateman. Mark is the CEO of Wequill and author of Disruptive Leadership. When I asked Mark to describe his superpower, he said, he is incredibly insightful when coaching others and able to build trust very quickly and get to the root of the challenge, also incredibly quickly. Hello, Mark.
Welcome to Jo. Yeah. Pleasure.
Brilliant. I hear you're in Malta. That's a lovely part of the world.
Yes. I recommend it, especially if anybody's currently under gray skies.
Looking out the window here in, sunny UK, not wind and rain and floods everywhere. So oh, yeah. Envious. Envious. So, Mark, igniting change for the top, tell me about that.
Jo I I I think I generally believe that leaders play well, self evidenced really, but leaders play an incredibly important role in not only our society, but our lives. And whether we are a leader or we follow leaders, Leaders are those that influence outcomes in some way. And it tends to be leaders that are top of organizations. And therefore, really what the leader or leadership team says, this is the direction we're going in, and this is how we all want to behave together. This is the culture you want to build. That tends to be what we tend to follow. So very much changes both at the top, but also led from the top.
Are people born leaders?
Well well, that's the age old question, isn't it? You know, I did a master's in leadership coaching, and it it was one of the really key questions that we looked at. I think that some have a personality type or traits that are maybe more suited, shall I say, to leadership. But others find themselves in leadership positions that never in a 1000000 years dreamt that they would be influencing others. So maybe there's an aspect of both nature and nurture, but actually many become leaders because they believe something powerful enough that they want to drive change in some way, and they find themselves as a de facto leader and then learn the skills of leadership in the process.
Yes. And you say that, become a de facto leader. A lot of people kind of end up, as you say, in leadership through progression, through opportunity. It's not always a tactical or strategic move. It's sometimes top top of the pile stuff. You know? You you're last one standing sometimes.
For sure. Yeah. You you have a you have a you see the world in a certain way or you have a certain ability or capability or a frustration or an anger or an excitement, and you take the lead. Literally, you influence. So you desire to drive that change. And whether you've got a capital l or a lowercase l, it doesn't really doesn't really matter. And it's not just in organizations either. Right? It's any aspect of community, society, in the family.
You can be the oldest. You can be the youngest. It doesn't it doesn't actually make any difference whatsoever. You could be a leader in one sphere and not a leader in another. So it's not like you are the leader and or you're not. It's very context driven as well.
Yeah. I can relate to that. Sometimes I wanna take my hat off and, sit at the back, and sometimes I wanna march at the front and, and inspire. You know, I I can it's a bit like playing some pub games like pool or dart. Sometimes I wanna win, and sometimes I'm just there for a laugh and and not I don't need to win. And No. Same with leadership. I don't need to feel that I'm driving everything.
It's nice to have a back seat and the shoulders drive.
Surely as well that that's an aspect of good quality leadership is knowing when to lead and when to step back. It's kind of an aspect of of self awareness, really.
Yeah. That's a really good point. Yeah. So how how do how do how do organizations identify potential leaders? What sort of skills are they really looking for?
Oh, great question. So there's a for me, there's almost this discussion around what makes a manager and what makes a leader. Right. And is there a difference between the 2? So you start off in your career. At what point do you become a manager? Is it capital M or a lowercase M or at what point do you become a leader? So my my personal working definition is that a manager manages what is, and a leader takes us to what is to be. Right? So so a leader tends to be more future orientated, whereas a manager is managing the current resources in order to achieve an objective that's already been set. The lead is very much about the future. I think you can be a leader from so we're really coming back to your first question.
I think almost that you cannot not even so much that you're born with it, but almost a sense that you you your family can tell straight away. You're not happy. You wanna change the world in some way. Right? And it Joanne be for a whole host of different reasons versus, as you said earlier, you know, it's thrust upon you. You just happen to be in, depending on your perspective, the right place or the wrong place at the right or the wrong time. And suddenly, here you are. You've got responsibilities to drive some kind of outcome. You know? If you find yourself in a crisis situation, you're the only person who can find the solution.
You find yourself in a leadership role whether you want it or not. So what makes a leader inside an organization, I think, is is those that are able to see something about the future that ultimately aligns where the organization's wanting to go and then can affect change, can influence others to to achieve that in some way. So you can be a leader without having the title, for sure.
Yeah. I'm I'm I'm sure you would you'll agree with this, but we all are leaders of self, aren't we, in some of some area?
We're not. Then who's leading us?
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Lowercase l or we we just follow us all the time. But
Exactly. Yep. Yeah. Yeah.
So if we look at, I suppose, the evolution of leadership, going back about a couple of 100 years, you know, it's we've gone from that sort of army hierarchy
The hero.
Command and control
Yes.
Type leader. Yeah. To what the contemporary leadership model is is more soft skills, more empathy, more compassion, more humanity. Yeah. And influence. I I appreciate we've got different styles of leadership, top down, bottom up, transformational, all those kind of different definitions. So you particularly work, from my understanding, around empowering female entrepreneurs, female business people, people in organizations around gender equity. So how do you think if we look at the yin and the yang of femininity and masculinity, how do you think female leaders bring a different dynamic to organizations?
For sure. So to set a bit more context, so as the CEO WeQual, we work with the world's largest companies to drive gender equality. And to date, we work for about 350 global companies. We work at that sort of board c suite minus 1, minus 2 type level. We just launched a program right now for for mid managers. And what's fascinating so I've personally coached in the last 4 years, maybe about 300 women at that c suite minus 1 in these big global corporates. And what I've been surprised by what I've been extremely humbled, I have to say for starters, and that I found myself in a position where I'm meeting these incredible leaders who are genuinely driving positive change within their companies and yet are also having to overcome the fact that they're in the minority as as a woman. And what's fascinating to see is the the journey they've had to take to gain success within these typically male dominated environments.
And as a man, and for those of us who are listening as men, we don't always realize what what we do or how we behave or how we act and the impact that can have on others. Others. The whole definition of a successful leader or even a successful manager or a successful business leader or a successful entrepreneur or a successful founder, anybody, success defines success typically is through that historical lens, where if we go back 200 years, there's still some of those very strong masculine perceived traits as to what defines success. And you can see that even in funding conversations. When you look at, you know, for every dollar I come with the exact stats, and I write about this in my book. Something like for every dollar that's invested in the US, a man might get 38¢ back. For every dollar invested in women, it's 70 something cents back. Right? So it's more than double the return.
And yet women get much less than 5% of all of all funding. And the similar for for, as they call it, in in in America, you know, men of color or women of color, so non white, non Caucasian men, is much less than 1%. So there is a perception of what success looks like, and it looks like a Sam Bankman Fried, for example. Right? The founder and c CEO of FTX. It's a Mark Zuckerberg. It's an Elon Musk. It's a it's there's a very specific type that we perceive to be associated with success, and that's been driven through history. And that's where the challenge lies because, actually, there's a better return if we increase the diversity pool of those that are willing to invest in.
And that works at every level through an organization from the very entry level right to the very, very top.
Do you think there are agenda divides in terms of, I don't know, aspiration for leadership. Are men more willing to be go getters at an earlier age? I look
I look for example. So surely even the term a go getter. Right? Where does that term even come from? Right? I mean, I'm very driven. The women that we work with are very driven, but the women that we work with that are very driven have had to learn how to show up differently because if they appear to behave like a Joanne, where it's okay to be a go getter, to be ambitious, to be driven, for a man, that's okay. But for a woman, there are all sorts of labels that they then receive. And so they've had to learn how to navigate the entry level 3 mid management levels. Once they get to the executive level, depending on the culture of the company, that that that point, maybe nobody sees them as a woman anymore. They're now just expects to operate as an executive.
But all the skills they've had to learn as they've risen through those different grades, Like, you know, what to do when they're the only woman in a room, what to do when a man shuts them down, takes their ideas, the the the the, you know, the subject of mansplaining. They're being told they're they're being too bitchy, too ambitious, that they're not resilient enough, that they're too emotional. Whatever it happens to be, that women are judged. Anybody, interesting is that I understand the question, a go getter. Right? For me, what's really interesting is if you get any, any minority in a room, but I'm gonna focus on women because that's the focus that we quote, they're be they're what they talk about and how they behave is very, very different to the moment when a man walks into a room. The moment and, you know, it's probably maybe common sense. Maybe it's not. Maybe we've never thought about it.
But the moment a man walks into the room, the behavior changes, the conversation changes. Why is that? What would it look like if it didn't? Why does the conversation have to change? Just the men's behavior and language change where you could argue maybe it does. Right? So I was watching something from the 19 sixties where I think it was in Australia and a woman went into the pub and said, oh, women allowed to go into the pub now. And these men were, that's not right, is it? Oh, sorry. That was a northern accent, not an Australian accent. But right. Well, that's not right, is it? Because now we can't swear or now we so maybe men's behavior does change when a woman is in the room. But from a position of leadership or from a perspective of leadership, what defines successful leadership? And there is all this research coming out now that shows that actually women tend to be better leaders than men for a number of different reasons.
One, because they've had to learn to be more resilient because the the journey, the path to the top is far harder for women than it is for a Joanne. True for any underrepresented minority. Secondly, they have high emotion intelligence as a generalization. So they're better with people. They're more empathetic. They take less risky decisions for the company. So there were all these incredible strengths that come with being a woman that are more Joanne that feminine trait aspect that most men, and I don't mean this in any critical way, but because of history, we perceive it still as a weakness. She's too emotional.
Hang on. Wait a minute. Why am I she being emotional? And actually more importantly, why is that a bad thing? Is it actually a bad thing? And I'm not saying all women are emotional. I'm not saying that. Right? But we know if you look at hormone cycles between men and women, we're pretty much steady. Right? Our testosterone reduces slightly over time. For a woman, just look at their hormone cycle in 1 month. Poof.
Right? So but is there a strength that a woman brings by being more emotional that men don't recognize that actually we feel almost defensive about I mean, to shut down in some way because we're so logical and rational and whatever happens to be. So there's a really interesting debate, I think, to be had around this definition of successful leadership when we talk about male traits and female.
I've spent a good proportion of my life in male company and and more latterly in more female company. I I I've I've certainly seen a marked difference in styles, as you as you mentioned, conversations. I also believe that men change their their conversation. Men change the way they behave when a woman walks in the room, so it's not just that way around.
Yeah.
Men will suddenly become more polite or more charming. Right. Maybe the the feudalistic competitive alpha type traits tend to minimize a bit because they're now into impress the woman mode as well. So I see there's some kind of different traits come out. And so I think playing on that, there's a there's a there's a necessity for a really great balance of both the masculine and the feminine. Because if if half the workforce, notionally, is gender mixed, then having men in leadership positions isn't necessarily going to build trust and empowerment for women at lower levels. Having women in in or only women in the leadership will make men feel there's no aspirational yeah. So it's like this balance, isn't it?
A 100%. And you're gonna have a perspective on this that I couldn't possibly begin to Joanne. Right? Because of the journey that you've been through. But we see this time and time again is is that difference. And, you know, I've heard so many women even talk to me where they've been invited into, for example, a board meeting or an executive committee meeting, and they're the only woman. Right? They walk into that room and how they experience it. And then when they speak up, what they experience, and the room goes quiet, they feel deeply uncomfortable, and they stop talking. This happened only with 1 one lady, and and she left the meeting.
And after she said to the whoever was running them in the chair or the CEO, you know, what happened? So, well, we invited you, but we didn't expect you to speak. It's like, oh my god. Like, it it you know, this is happening day in, day out, day in, day out. So how is that impacting the business? And as you say, you know, these companies that still there are still a number of executive committees within not only UK FTSE companies, but globally. Right? So many global, especially companies that are all men. And they actually that there may be and I dare use the word token. There's a token woman on there, and they'll be the company secretary. Right? Well, they'll sometimes they're they're invited as the guest chair, whatever that means.
Right? Because now they have a woman in the room. She doesn't say anything. And by the way, can you make the coffees, please? Like, it's like, you know, all those all those kind of, Jo what I mean, I a stat that I I often roll out is globally globally, this is. In fact, if I was to say to you, listen, Jo, there's a 95% chance of rain when you're about to go out to the shop. Right? Before you walk out your front door, you would dress up for rain. Right? Lockwood be fully expecting it to rain. Well, 95% of all CEOs globally are men. 95%, which is practically like saying, it's all CEOs are men.
And I'm super conscious here. I'm running a business on gender equality. I do have a business partner, Katie Litchfield, who founded the company. So there's a whole story there, but that's not lost on me. You know? So how do we what would the world look like even if we doubled the number of CEOs that are women? But we got up to 15% or 20% or even 30%. What what would that actually do? How would that impact the culture inside those organizations? We know from the research, and I've seen this on your website as well. So I know you've spoken to this many times, but, you know, companies that have greater equality. Right? And we're talking about gender here, but we know it applies much broader than that.
Improve revenues as compared to the competition that don't. Improve revenues, profitability, employee engagement, customer service. They make less risky decisions, and they invest more in research and development. And on top of that, those companies also gain more of a focus on ESG and CSR, I. E. They become better for the environment. They be get become better for communities. They're better governed in in terms of making sure there's no fraud.
They're not gonna drain the pension pots and corporate social responsibilities. The way I see it is increase equality is better for business. It's better for people, and it's better for planet. Boy, do we need that right now? So what would it look like if we had anything approaching 50% on the top leadership teams across the world? What what would that look like? What would lee how would we change the definition of leadership at that point?
The the challenge sometimes is that we we want women to aspire to leadership positions. We want women to take on these roles. We want to create this equity. And I I can feel a huge desire in in the world to do that. But when women get there, it's not as comfortable. You know? The the the money is still controlled by by men, often the investment or whatever it is, people being judged harshly. We've seen a lot of women arrive in the boardroom, and within a short period of time, they feel very uncomfortable. You know, there's there's concrete cliff or this cliff that, you know, you get there.
You suddenly you're you're being judged more harshly than your male counterparts.
For sure. And also research shows that it's called the leap pad effect where they have to take more more almost lateral moves. They have to take more more roles. So by the time they do gain that promotion, they're actually more qualified than the men. They have more experience than the men, but also they're often given an opportunity for a role that a man wouldn't wanna take. Right? So let's say it's a really a really risky turnaround situation. Right? Hey. We've got this great opportunity for you.
We want you to go and run, Chad. Right? And we want you to do this turnaround where we want you to sell alcohol to all the village elder, but I'm kinda playing a little bit. But you get the idea. Right? It's almost like the the poison chalice is impossible. And not only is the pressure higher on a woman, but actually often and it's called the glass ceiling for a reason. Often, they're also given roles that men touch with a bargepole because men tend to have more choice than women. And I'm not against men. I'm speaking as a man.
Right? We need men. But what does it look like? How do we better support women to get those top positions for all the reasons that you've just outlined?
Yeah. I mean, we look at politicians around the world, Jacinda Ardern, Thatcher, Truss, Theresa May, and other strong female leaders around the world. The way we talk about them and describe them is from very I'm going to say misogynistic, and I don't mean that in a in a sort of horrible word, but just that kind of male perspective, how we're judging on beauty, on dress, and clothes, even other women Yeah. Judge judge them harshly about how they look as well.
And Yes.
Men men could look like Boris Johnson.
And I'm not saying a word.
Yep. And and people think he's it looks a bit slobbish. Yep. But it doesn't matter if if a woman looked
It's true.
Slobbish. Yep. She would not succeed at all. A woman has to look, and this is this is what's wrong about the whole thing. A woman has to look the part as well as as well as be the part.
And it's how it's how each of us without even realizing are embodying that perspective, that value set that is that is informed and kinda programmed by the society that we're brought up in. Right? And for many of us, it is unconscious. For some of us, it might be conscious. For some of us, we're aware. We're trying to change it, but we don't realize when we fall into that trap. Gosh. It's so easy. And women will talk about this as well.
You know, we we work in a lot of organizations where they recognize that culture is kind of against that it could just be against speaking up full stop. Right? And so therefore, it's even harder for a woman to speak up. And so then it can create competition between women who are already in the minority inside an organization. In one sense, that suits the powers that be because the powers that be may be more male. Right? So how do you create this sense of allyship? How do you create this sense of of underrepresented minorities in this instance? Women supporting each other, championing each other, advocating for each other, having each other's backs because it's so much harder for anybody who's in the minority.
But minorities tend to judge each other harshly as well, don't they? I mean But Yeah.
Because of the way that it's been set up. Right? It's it's unfair. And so it's it's it's a really, you know, that's that's difficult to change, but surely, it starts with awareness that it's happening. Because unless we're aware it's happening, and even those with a capital l or a lowercase l as leaders or managers having responsibility for others. Hang on a second. Is this happening? How am I contributing to this? Is it getting us the kind of results that we want? Could we improve the results that we want by shifting how we perceive this issue, by creating a more level playing field? What does that actually even mean? Is there competition between minorities because of how the game has been set up? Or how can we change the rules to that game? Like, these are not easy questions. Right? Well, they're certainly not easy to answer, but inclusive leadership, he wants to maximize the potential of all people everywhere. Absolutely, there should be an edge.
My my belief is that we're we're trying to tackle the problem too late. And what do I mean by that? By the time people get into into business, into into organizations in their twenties, whatever it may be, they've already been set expectations by society throughout their formative years as a young as a young person to their teens, into their twenties. So we're we're socializing people, young girls, to be young girls and young men to be young men without the equity at that level. And I always believe that we actually need parenting classes on how to instill empowerment into their young girls in the same way we talk about parents teaching their children about misogyny, around sexual misconduct, etcetera, etcetera, educating the boys younger. But by the time you've been socialized, you have so much limiting beliefs, so much impostor syndrome, so much sense of being behind the curve by the time you even get out of school into university into business. That I think we've done a lot of the, yeah, the the expectation setting, and then you have to exceed that program. You have to break out of that socialization, and that I think that's part of the challenge we gotta face.
It is. And every every culture has it. Right? Every country, every region, even even smaller localities have this very strong sense of within that culture, what is acceptable, what is not, how somebody should behave, how somebody shouldn't, how they should speak, how they should dress, not just on gender lines. Right? It can even be on cast. It can be on how much money you have, which school you go to, your accent, how you it's just a whole multiplicity of things. So, you know, we're talking about broader societal change. And as you was as you were speaking, it reminded me of some of the hot water that Disney's got into. Right? As they've started to try and, in one sense, redress this old historic pattern of what is a man and the hero, and what is a woman is the feminine, and that that, you know, the woman needs to be rescued.
And and so as they've sought to change their programming and now you will see it. Right? You will see black women as the as the role, as the hero, as the as the one you wanna follow in cartoons or in films. And there's been incredible pushback, and Disney's gone through some really challenging moments as a result of it. Because they're try they've kind of depending on your perspective rightly or wrongly. Right? But as a as as an executive team, they've decided, right, we're going in this direction. We want a more equitable world. We want to role model the underrepresented. And then the status quo, and this is the subject to my book, you know, disrupted leadership is about challenging the status quo, not just about challenging, but changing right to disrupt means you literally change the status quo.
You change what is into something else. And so that's something that Disney's tried to do, but it created all out war for them.
Yeah. I mean, we look back to the, what, the 1930, 19 forties, and Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, those kind of really strong, of the time, male and female stereotypes. The dwarves, hi ho hi ho off to work and Snow White stayed at home, cooked, cleaned, sang, and skipped for the, the animals in the forest and things. So that was kind of the thing. And, oh, at the apple falls asleep, needs man to rescue and save and kiss, make up, off his back, ride off sunset Disney ending. And I think it was was it Frozen was the first, Disney feature film where there was a strong female lead that wasn't supported by a male character. Right. And it was a basic, a matriarchal Yes.
Female led film. And that was the that was their turning point, I believe.
Yeah. I remember my daughter singing those songs time and time again. Yeah.
You'd be right. Those that that sets the tone for society. Those what you're growing up with, what you're seeing, the advertising, the pink and the blues.
It it really does. But I but actually and I it's something that I'm still, in one sense, working through because do I actually believe we will get to a situation where we have 50% CEOs being men and 50% of CEOs being women? Right? Cause that's ultimately where the power lies. Right? The CEO, the COO, chief operating officer, and the chief finance officer. But 95% of CEOs are men. So what would it look like if we increase that percentage? But, again, I think we have to be really careful with this because there is the masculine and there is the feminine, and there are traits that are more commonly associated with the masculine. And there are traits that are more commonly associated with the feminine. It's not that a man can't have feminine traits, and it's not a woman can't have masculine traits. Right? That's we're all this very incredibly complex mix of different aspects to us based on nature and nurture.
Right? But what but I'm really intrigued and and I'm and every time I see a very senior female leader working, and I'm sometimes have the joy of almost being a in a room, but not act you know, being in the back It it takes my breath away. I'm like, wow. Like, what? How did you do that? Like, I couldn't do it like that. I'd be far more direct. I'd be far more like calling the shots. Here's what I want. And they and and there's a there's a I know it's innate, actually, but there is a a deep skill that's been learned either as a result of being the feminine and also the result of being the minority, the one that has the less power. They've had to learn how to if I say play the game, there is an aspect to that because we're all playing this game.
Right? That they've had to learn how to influence, how to drive results without going through the front door that a man might do. Right? A woman might come through the kitchen window or through the back door. A man goes through the front door in the main because that's the expectation. So what the bit I'm trying to raise here is what does successful feminine leadership look like? And, you know, a number of a number of b corps in the world and b corps being those organizations that ultimately wanna do good for the world, not not quite not for profit. And that's all third sector, if you like. Hugely successful companies. Role models. A lot of them are run by women.
Wow. Gosh. And yet let's not let's not think that women don't lead successful businesses. You know, in my book, I interview Heather Sikorsky, she was at ABB. She's now at Schneider Electric. She's she stood up a bit. She started a business within ABB that was generating $2,000,000,000 in revenue. You know, she went and and automated the largest chemical plant in Saudi Arabia where women aren't allowed to manage anything.
Like and and if you may ask, she's the kindest, most feminine type of woman you might find, and yet she is able to drive extraordinary results. But if you met her, you'd never know. You'd never know. So there's something I think really remarkable and wonderful and and something I would love to see more of is is genuine feminine leaders, but they're still driving incredible results. I say still. Why am I saying still? They are. Right? They are. They're outperforming their male their male counterparts.
Is it, I I guess what you're saying there is you you use the tools you have in your toolbox. A man might use deep voice, power, masculine traits. Someone might use, say, nurturing, compassion, empathy, some of the soft skills in in more abundance. So you're you're influencing your sphere of influence, your creation powers.
Sorry. Even if you say it like that, though, I think, again, we could we can and I'm and I'm I'm questioning myself as I'm having this conversation with you. Right? Compassion. What would you say? Compassion, empathy. I can't remember the other one. What the other word was you Jo.
It's true. I didn't know it's true. It's a bad train.
Yeah. So I think when we use that, if we have a scale of 1 to a100, right, where a man is we're saying a man is at 0 and a woman's at a 100. Right? And then we see all the negative aspects of compassion and nurture and forgive me. I forgot the the third word again. Right. But we, but actually it's not
like that.
Right. If you look at the, the, the, the data from, you know, psychometric traits, etcetera, personality traits, a woman might be 52% and a man might be 48%. Right? We're not talking not to a 100, but when we say, well, she's a very compassionate leader. I think it's very but they do it with compassion. It do you understand what I'm saying? The the the differentiation Completely.
Yeah. And it's about I said, but it's around using where you score higher as your toolbox. I'm not saying and I'm
I'm not
for one been suggesting here that it's an absolute, you know, a 100% versus 0%. But you attend you know, we look at this profiling and other personality profiling types. We people have a stronger in red, green, or yellow, or or blue, and we we tend to know what people are gonna be stronger at. You know, the I'm not gonna go into nursing because I don't have that level of compassion. Mhmm. But I would more like to go into I could do coaching and mentoring mode because I I do have enough empathy to do that. But I'm not one who wants to be yeah. I don't I don't wanna get into the nursing side where you need more compassion.
I'm not heavy on that. So I think, yeah, it's it's it's it's it's looking at the skills you have and valuing them differently. And I think as you point as you called it out just now actually, we're we're associating these words with femininity, these words with masculinity as almost a positive trait and a negative trait. Everybody has a blend of those. Is it is it because men have been socialized in such a way to minimize those traits that they're not expected to be compassionate or nurturing? They're kind of Oh,
I've got I I think that so depends on the macro and the micro. And what I mean by that is, you know, if your father is somebody who is very hard and harsh, for example, and you're the son, it might be that then you also become harder and harsher because that's the example that's been set to you as to what a man is. Whereas if you've been brought up in an environment where your father is actually very gentle and soft, but can fight. Right? So it's not that he's gentle and soft. It's it's that he he has developed that aspect of his personality such that he is gentle and soft, but you would want him in your corner if there's a fight because he's gonna knock the living daylights out of somebody. Right? So I think it very much depends on on your upbringing. It depends on the local culture that you're in. By local culture, I mean, the school you go to, the neighborhood that you're in, you know, what the gangs are doing.
Like, it just depends so much, but I but when we're talking about mature leadership, right, so we're not talking about 5 year old or 15 year old or 25 year old. We're talking about if you're getting into your forties, fifties, and sixties, You know, I I generally believe that as leaders and, again, leaders are those who have an influence over others to achieve an outcome. Right? This is a very broad definition. I think it becomes incumbent upon us. And this is again, where I talk to in my book about what does great leadership look like and, and, and great leadership is where we are willing to ask ourselves the difficult questions where we're open to feedback, critical cutting negative feedback, and and we take it because we recognize it's gonna help us become better leaders. We're constantly wanting to grow and develop and challenge ourselves because we're about a purpose bigger than ourselves that we want to bring other people along with us on the journey. And I think then we start to mature as leaders. And as we start to mature as leaders, we start to see the the the importance of a diverse team that bring you know, and diverse in all of its different facets because we recognize that's what we need to succeed.
And so how do I, as a leader, bring a diverse team together? Am I hiring people that are in my own image that sound like me, talk like me, that I believe are my definition of success. Am I willing to challenge that? Am I willing to give opportunities and take risks? Because it's outside of my own comfort zone, because I haven't seen it before. Am I willing to go and get mentoring or get a coach or get someone who's gonna challenge my mindset, my my my beliefs, my my thoughts, my attitudes. Where they're saying, wait a minute, Mark. Why did you hire that? As an example, and I'm I have to very carefully I don't name any names. I was speaking to a CEO. I say of a FTSE company. Right? UK listed company.
How much can I say? So he had an all male executive committee, and I know that wasn't his intention. And he generally wanted to have women on his executive committee, but they're all men. Now the FTSE, there's there's a report that just came out, I think, last month. The number of all male executive committees now within FTSE companies is actually quite small, but they're still there. This company is one of those, so nobody can guess who it is. And I said to him, well, hang on. Why? Wait. That's that's not good enough.
Like, you're saying that you want women on your executive committee, but you don't have women on your executive. And he said, well, Mark, I tried With respect, you haven't because you haven't. Right? And it's incumbent upon leaders to drive Joanne. And he'd had a one of the power roles come and said, oh, we had women on the short list, but they went the Joanne outvoted and then and then he said, Joanne had to take our investors into consideration. Oh, that's a very telling statement. Right? So the outgoing CXO, whoever the c suite role member was, was liked by investors. He was white. You know? He was Oxbridge educated, comes from a certain background, speaks in a certain way.
So let's call him Michael. Right? So Michael, this was the outgoing CX. I, and okay, now we're going to, we need a new CXO. Okay. Let's find another Michael. That's always the easiest way because we have in our mind, and it's it's a human condition. Right? And that doesn't in one sense, there's no implied criticism other than if you're a great leader, you're a mature leader. You understand the absolute requisite need to challenge yourself and your thinking around the diversity that you need and your leadership team to drive the results? This is the whole separate aspect in terms of competitive sustainability over the long term and how you outperform your competitors over the long term.
I can talk about that in a second if that's helpful. But just as an example, right, he had an idea in his mind, not only of what he needed, but also what the external world needed, the investors needed. And it was somebody that's looked like and sounded like a Michael. Right? Okay.
It's like the old adage. You know, you don't get fired for buying IBM. You know? You don't get fired for hiring a man. It's kind of the Yeah. If you hire a woman, then in in it's there's an implicit perception there of you're hiring because she's a woman. You're hiring for 2nd best. You're taking a risk. You're putting a limb out there rather than having some confident hire, is it?
Well, it and you are all of those things. Right? Because the moment you break away from the way things have been done previously, you are taking a risk. You are. Hello?
On you.
It's on you. You're fine with that. Hello? What do you think comes with this role as a leader of this organization? Did you wanna repeat the hit the the the patterns of the past and become like a Kodak or or a Nokia even though this anyway or, like, whoever big or block like, these big organizations that just got into level 1 thinking, tick box exercise. We know what success looks like. Let's just keep rolling that particular wheel. And before you realize it, you're you're you're in a burning house and it's and it's it's all gone. Right? You as a leader, it is incumbent upon you to ask the really challenging questions, which is an aspect of diversity. So I could Jo I come on to the That's it.
Yeah.
So I was gonna ask you a question about is the recruitment process set up correctly? I'm I'm a big fan of anonymized hiring, work based samples Yeah. Jumping the CV Yeah. Getting that to your final 5 for that actually knowing who they are until until you start getting into the final 5 and meeting them.
Mhmm.
That would that would have learned a lot more broader a broader demographic to come through, in my opinion.
Yeah. I mean, I I remember I was speaking with, again, one of the women. She was the CEO of a of a company. And she's going, Mark, I'm not sure that we we've gotta be careful. We don't do positive. Gosh. She had a really interesting
Positive discrimination. You wanna take positive action? So, yeah.
So she had a really interesting ethical dilemma inside her business, but we started talking about positive discrimination. And she said, actually, Mark, we need positive discrimination. And here's why. Because when you have a minority, they're in a minority for a reason. How are you gonna bring the balance in unless you positively discriminate the other way? And, gosh, I can hear the screams now. Right? Oh my god. Can't do that. What what do you mean you can't do that? Like, if you have, let's talk in maybe more masculine language.
You have a football team and you have a team of 11 strikers. Right? And you got we just want the best players, and that's why we have 11 strikers on the team. We can score lots of goals, but we always lose every game because we've got no goalkeepers, defenders, or midfielders. Okay? Well, then you need to positively discriminate, don't you? You need to go out and hire a goalkeeper. He may not be able to shoot a goal, but you need a goalkeeper who can defend a goal. That's positive discrimination, surely. No. It's not.
It's wisdom. It's how to build a diverse team.
It's not positive discrimination. It's you know, which is unlawful in many territories. It's positive action. So it's using different techniques. It's about the attraction phase, the the the recruitment marketing, the employer branding, all these kind of things Yep. Encourage, favor of the the demographic you're looking to attract. I think that yeah. In in terms of the marketing, I think if you anonymize, you can
True.
You can get people in
for their process. But insurance
is a challenge. Now if you're looking for
Yep.
If you're looking for a FTSE 500 CFO, the majority of FTSE 500 CFOs are probably men.
They are.
So if you're looking for a CFO for with that credentials, your your talent pool is likely to be highly biased towards men with attractive
But that may be true, but this is really interesting. And this is actually why our business partner Katie set up WeQual to start with. So she used to work at the Financial Times, and she set up the Feet forums. And these were executive level events, primarily for UK listed companies. And every time she ran an event, there always meant turning up. So once she left the Feet, she had a black book of CEOs and chairs, and she said to them, hey. Listen. Where are the women? And they asked, okay.
If you can find them, we'll hire them. Jo okay. Now at the same time, the UK government had just done the report, right? That Hamtai Alexander report, which was that there were 5,000 women reporting into executives, executive committee roles within just the Foot CLA. And just the recent study that came out a month ago is over 5,000. So over 5,000 women, 5,000 women reporting into direct reports to members of the executive committee. It's not that they're not there. They're there, which is why we run the equal awards because we identify these women that are ready for the step up to the c suite. And it we're approaching 40% now of those women that have been actually promoted.
They're there. But there is still this bias. There is still this perspective perception, call it what you will, that we have to overcome, which is why we need sorry?
We want the person who's in in that ex ex Jo role, not the one reporting to the ex co. We're not we're not looking to step down when we're looking to to that is that is that part of the challenge? We're not looking for potential talent. We're looking for demonstrable talent.
We no. But the challenge the the challenge is, though, if you've got a a CFO and a FTSE 100 company, for example, they may wanna go to FTSE 20 company. Right? Because you don't wanna go and do the same job you've just done ever. Right? Because that's just boring. So you always wanna stretch role. So promotion is always a stretch. So alright. Maybe if you're, you know, the world's largest company, you don't want a first time CFO.
Okay. I I can understand that. But if they've been the CFO of a region, that's maybe doing 10,000,000,000 in whatever currency, and they're a woman, but you pick somebody who's not got that experience because they're a man, that's clearly not in the best interest of your business. And there are plenty of women in those kind of roles.
Jo, I mean, when when I talk about it seems like allyship and privilege and those those kind of things, it's about the people who hold the power, who hold the privilege. It's their responsibility to open the door. So women can knock, but the door has to open, and the person behind the door is generally a Joanne, has to open that door.
Yes.
Yeah. That that's the challenge. Jo how do how do we mentor and coach men to be more welcoming? You know, like you talked about the in this person who couldn't make the decision to hire a CXO who was female. How do we educate those men to make those other decisions, not in a brave way, but in a kind of matter of fact way?
Well, I I think there's 2 aspects to it. 1, dare I say, and I I don't mean to minimize this, but education. Right? Because I don't think I still think today, most are not aware of the the better improved KPIs you're gonna gain by having a more diverse team. Right. And that starts with gender. So the more diverse your team, the more likely you are to outperform your competitors. Is it going to cause you a problem? Of course it is. Because you're going to have diverse perspectives in the room.
It might take you that little bit longer to get to a decision because you're gonna have diverse perspectives. But when you do reach that decision, it's gonna be more thought through. It's gonna actually be better for your business. Right? So the first part is the educational piece. The second part, and certainly, you know, a number of the large corporates are doing this now primarily because they have to release pay gap data. They've got targets in their own reports in terms of where they wanna be by gender representation throughout the organization, but also at the top, is the importance of sponsorship, mentorship. Now, you know, again, as a as a business, we have something called We Call Executives where we bring together women from all these different global companies through an a number of monthly development sessions. And there's a number of themes that we talk to time and time and time again about how a woman can take that step up to the executive committee.
And there are absolutely some things that women Joanne, and I would argue should be doing to help them take that next step up. Right? Be very deliberate. Be very intentional. Don't be afraid of coming across as ambitious. Be really clear about what the role that you want. Have the conversation with your line manager. Be clear about where your gaps are. Tackle where the gaps are, get a board role externally because that's gonna give you experience that you can bring back into your own business.
Except there's a number of different things, but sponsorship is, as you say, so important. And, yes, a woman's sponsor is great. There's very few of those. So find male sponsors, men on the board or on the executive committee. These are obviously in large companies. If you're in a smaller company, who's at your top team that you can reach out to and say, hey. Listen. I I either wanna be where you are, or I want this role that's way more senior than I am now.
I love what you're doing, but I need support. And I'm I'm just wondering, would you be willing to be my mentor? Or actually, sorry, in this instance, my sponsor. Because a sponsor will advocate for the person when they're not in the room. Right? They will identify development opportunities and open the door for you to take them and invite you to people and bring you into a room in a way you could never do yourself. That is the power of sponsorship. And so a lot of these big organizations do have more formal sponsorship programs now for that very reason. But the world is a big place, and that doesn't cover everybody. So
No. So how how do you work with, aspiring women to because some of it's mindset and some of it's opportunity. So how how do you coach and nurture women to have belief and accelerate their own careers?
But, I mean, there's always 2 parts to it. Right? It's the system and there's you. Right? And you talked earlier on about, okay, but we can be the leader of our own lives. And now it probably come also coming down to more to my personal philosophy as well. Right? Which is life is really, really short. How you're gonna make sure that you drive the impact or have leave the legacy that you want to leave? Well, first of all, you probably need to have an idea of what legacy you want. And not everybody knows the answer to that question. It depends how old we are.
It depends what stage of our career. It depends how much personal development we've done. It depends what traumas we've been through. All sorts of all sorts of things. Right? Different life crisis moments, etcetera. But I genuinely believe that being clear about I mean, you talked about superpowers before, for example. So being really clear about what your superpowers are, why do you have those superpowers? And in order to achieve what and where do your superpowers become your kryptonite? What is it you want to do? It's about 70% of the women that, that we meet, that I meet, I'll say to them, well, what's your next step? Don't know. I feel like I got hit by accident.
I feel like I already overperforming. There may be an aspect of imposter syndrome. Again, it's not that men don't have it, but when women seem to have it more primarily because of the game they've had to play to get to where they've got to. Right? They're all men. They're in the minority. They've been judged more critically, more harshly. They have to pretend to be something. They're really not.
They have to be more masculine in their behaviors than they may want. So they don't feel that they're being their authentic selves, etcetera. Okay. But if you could, what would you do if you had a magic piece of paper and a magic pen and whatever you write down on this magic piece of paper, this magic pen is possible. Turn down the inner critic. What would you write? What's your dream? And for all of us, I genuinely believe it's about impact in some way. We wanna make a difference, likely a positive difference, and it may be in our immediate circle of our family. It may be a slightly wider circle of our extended family or our community or within an organization or for a particularly social demographic group or whatever it happens to be.
Right? We wanna make a difference. Write it down. Write the difference down that you wanna make. Be really clear about it. Is it gonna take you time? If you've never thought about it, for sure. If you thought about it, it probably still gonna take your time. And it's a constant distillation process, and you constantly revisit as you gain life experience. Right? But write it down.
Where is it? I what what why do I believe I'm on this planet ultimately in the years that I have, which goes like that so quick. All right. So once I start getting an idea, then I ask myself a very simple question. Am I on that path? Is that the direction I'm heading? And if I'm working inside a company and I realize I wanna save the world, but I'm I'm sucking oil out the ground, and it's it doesn't it doesn't vibe with my values, well, then leave and go find an organization that does. Right? So find a context, an environment, an organization that supports you in your purpose. And that's ultimately where we get engagement inside organizations is if we can map personal purpose with organizational purpose. You're gonna get more engaged employees than that. Okay.
And now what what's the journey? What's the step? What's the next step? Where's the gap? How are you gonna achieve more of why you're on this planet? Because it's so short your time here. It's not worth following somebody else, trying to impress somebody else, trying to seek validation from others, trying to gain a sense of status or ego from others. Right? It is about taking responsibility for our lives, which is where that l, that leadership, you said it right to the outset. We we lead our own lives. What that means, we take responsibility for our own lives regardless of the cards that have been dealt. That's difficult. That's challenging. There's also, I think, a freedom and a power that comes with that.
It's it's a game at play here where in order to succeed at these higher levels, you have to com commit yourself, your soul, your whole being to achieving these goals. You know, you often hear this. You've gotta show commitment to become partner. You know, you gotta be doing this. You gotta be networking. You gotta be out. You gotta be dining. You gotta be socializing.
Gotta play golf.
Yeah. Does that And I see
that dies unfairly I guess. Right?
I I no. I think it it depends on who you are and why you're doing it. Because it because I've coached, for example, many bankers, investment bankers here, you know, are making a killing financially, but they feel that they've entirely lost their soul because they're doing it purely for the pursue pursuing pursuant pursuing of money. Joanne more money than it could ever dreamt of. But now they wanna do something that's to them more purposeful, but they feel locked inside that environment. So I'm going, well, listen, life's really short, Steve, right? Steve life's really short. And, and, and if you're feeling like this, it's going to be harming you. Right? It's harming you spiritually.
It's harming you emotionally. It's harming you physically. It's be harming your relationships because ultimately you're giving of your energy and time towards something that you no longer believe in. Get really clear about what you do believe in and then make the difficult choices. Leave the comfort zone because life's for living. And that's true on on on any level. Right? Some people go out and dine and work all the house because they absolutely love it. Like, Elon Musk loves what he does even though it it it also has a lot of cost to it.
Right? And I I don't mean to set him up as an example, but, you know, he don't compare ourselves with an Elon Musk because that's just not fair on anybody. In our own lives, why are we doing what we're doing? And are we truly being true to our own sense of purpose? And the moment we take responsibility for our own lives, that's actually when we start becoming disruptive because we're willing to challenge the status quo. We're willing to cause conflict. We're willing to fall out with people. We're willing to make difficult decisions. We're willing to do things that other people think is a bad idea because we know that's the difference that we want to make. It steps out of safety. It steps outside of comfort.
That's where disruption takes place. And so when where the whole subject of today's talk was change from the top. Right? As leaders of an organization as well, how are you ensuring that that you as a leader are being purposeful, that your organization is being purposeful, that it's doing good, not just in terms of yes, shareholder return or or profitability, but actually it's good for people and it's good planet. That's really difficult. It requires great leadership. It requires you asking yourself the really difficult questions, really being self aware about why you're doing what you're doing, how you're engaging other people, have you built a diversity, all all of this.
I mean, if we and this is not criticism. It's more of a, observation. The business is geared up around patriarchal expectations. It is a it's a it's a man's world, you know, created by men largely.
Uh-huh.
And there's many women I speak to, many women who I hear stories from, have come to the realization they can't have it all. They can't grow a family, nurture a family, not just their maybe their offspring, but also their parents, their siblings, and, still that family environment Mhmm. And commit both feet all in, Texas Texas holding them style all in
Mhmm.
On a career that men can in the same way. So women come to realize that they can't have it all, and it and you can't compete by not being all in in a in a male only environment.
True. And and I again, for me, the really important question is to get really clear about what your purpose I mean, I you know, I've coached women who who and and and this is not set an expectation of this is how women should be. Not at all. These are so rare at some true. You know, a a top VP will give birth, and then 2 months later, be on a plane from America to Japan to run a meeting and then get back for their older daughter's play at school at 4 o'clock on a like, that's just, it's actually listening to almost insane. Right? These are very rare people. Don't try and be like them instead, be really clear about yourself. What's important to you.
And that might be important to you and you may have a clear purpose and then you'll make it happen. Right. But don't do something just because society expects you to, or because there's a pressure to be, take responsibility for your own life. Be really clear about the purpose and the impact that you want to have. And if that as a woman or as a dad or a mom or whoever is to ensure that your family has a really secure base that you're there for them, commit to that with pride. And there'll be a period when your children grow up that maybe you have to figure out what you're gonna do next. Okay? Well, then go through that process. But be really clear, you know, own own what you're doing.
Take responsibility for it. Declare us to your own purpose.
Jo we'd we'd call this episode ignite the change from the top. So we see maybe you you give an example of b corps. We see examples of of great female CXOs and CEOs and chairs, setting the culture from the top where you don't have to sacrifice your life for for the organization. And I'm a great believer that if if in order to remove the stigma and the the challenge of of of succeeding, you have to enable men to benefit from that as well because flexible working
For sure.
Succeeding without sacrifice becomes the norm then that men could aspire to, then women won't be seen as second best because they're they're not fully committed, not both feet in, if you like.
Yep.
So how do how do we get that culture into organizations where those male attributes we talked about, you know, go getting, that that we wanna minimize that. And you say, some women want it all. They they want they're prepared to jet off to Japan, come back, look after their kids. But how can I how can I have both of those? How can I how can I do both? I just don't wanna compromise. I think
it's, honestly, it's every single one of us has to figure that out. And I I know that's might sound a bit lame, but it's true. Right? We we have to take responsibility for our lives. We have one life. And my my core challenge in that is what is it you will really, truly, honestly want? And then be open about it. Be honest about it. Talk with your partner about it. You know, many of these women that make it to stop is their husbands or their partners, and most of them are married.
It's their partners actually that then take make decisions to leave their work to support their wife or their partner because the wife or their partner now has the the bigger, more paying, more lucrative career. So it's unique to every situation. For sure it is. Yeah. There's the I mean, the for example, one of our one of our clients is Sanofi, and they they give equal maternity cover to men and to women. And as you were just talking, then it took me back. So I've got a 31 and a 28 year old, 2 daughters. And I remember when my youngest, my oldest daughter was first born, and I think I took 2 weeks off, which was the maximum I could take off at the time.
And, you know, as a dad, that was a wrench then to go back to work for sure. Because I I wanted to support my wife because she was a new mom and she was breastfeeding with all of the joys and tribulations that comes with that, and also my my my daughter. Right? And then my second daughter was born. So I think that's a broader societal challenge as well. But how are we gonna get changed? We're gonna get changed by individuals who decide that there's a change that they want to see, and that drives them. And as a result of that, drive in them, they take a leadership role, capital l or little l, in making that Joanne. And it has always been thus, and it will always be thus. It's down to us.
Mark, thank you. Brilliant conversation. How could people get hold of you to find out more?
Thank you. So I'm on LinkedIn. Definitely follow me on LinkedIn, and you'll see both what I'm doing personally, both in terms of the book, but also see a weak wall. As a company, if you're a if you're a big company, you wanna better support your women, do look us up. Weakwall.com, wequal.com. We have programs for both executive level women and mid managers. We also run quarterly think tanks, which are open events. So for example, never mind.
We run quarterly think tanks. So depending when this podcast comes out, have a look at our website. You can register for those events. You can find my personal website atmarkdashbateman.com. And if you're interested in my book, my book is called disruptive leadership using fire to drive purposeful change. Fire is always disruptive for good or for bad. And so I talk about how you can ignite purposeful change by starting a fire, growing a fire, protecting your fire whilst ensuring you don't burn out. So if you're interested in that, have a look on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, available in all those locations.
Fantastic. Thank you. As we bring this conversation to a close, I want to express my deepest gratitude to you, our listener, for lending your ear and heart to the cause of inclusion. Today's discussion struck a chord. Consider subscribing to Inclusion Bites and become part of our ever growing community, driving real change. Share this journey with friends, family, and colleagues. Let's amplify the voices that matter. Got thoughts, stories, or a vision to share? I'm all ears.
Reach out to Jo dotco.uk, and let's make your voice heard. Until next time. This is Joanne Lockwood signing off for the promise to return with more enriching narratives that challenge, inspire, and unite us all. Here's to fostering a more inclusive world one episode at a time. Catch you on the next bite.
Also generated
More from this recording
🔖 Titles
Leadership's Role in Championing Diversity and Inclusion
From the Top: Sparking Systemic Change for Inclusion
Breaking Barriers: Female Advancement in Male-Dominated Spheres
The Power of Diverse Teams and Inclusive Leadership
Navigating the Corporate Ladder: Mentorship and Sponsorship Essentials
Rewriting Leadership: Embracing Empathy and Compassion in the C-Suite
Shattering the Glass Ceiling: Strategies for a More Inclusive Workplace
Inclusive Cultures from the Top-Down: A CEO's Perspective
Disruptive Leadership: Driving Purposeful Change in the Workplace
The Inclusion Imperative: Creating Balance in Business Leadership
ℹ️ Introduction
[intro music fades in]
Joanne Lockwood: Hello and a warm welcome to all our listeners. This is Joanne Lockwood, your host, and you're tuned into the Inclusion Bites Podcast. Each episode, I am joined by remarkable thought-leaders and revolutionaries who are driving real change and transformation in the world of inclusion and diversity. Here, we're all about bold, no-holds-barred conversations that dig beneath the surface and dare to disrupt the status quo.
Today's episode is a particularly stirring one. It's entitled "Igniting Change from the Top," and joining me is Mark Bateman, the CEO of Wequill and the astute author of "Disruptive Leadership."
In this episode, we're going to unravel the critical role of leaders—influencing, mentoring, and shaping the future. Mark will share his insights on the challenges and aspirations unique to women in leadership roles, and how we can break the mould to champion a gender-balanced future.
We'll delve into the importance of purposeful careers, dissect implicit biases, and have a candid discussion on the cultural shifts necessary within organisations to support both men and women in their quest for work-life harmony.
Together, we'll explore what it means to be a true leader in today's landscape, and how embracing a spectrum of traits—often unjustly gendered—can ultimately build a more trusting and empowering workplace.
So get ready for a conversation that's as enlightening as it is actionable. Remember, we're not just about talking diversity - we're about making it happen.
Let's ignite some change, shall we?
[music swells and then fades out]
📚 Timestamped overview
00:00 The text discusses whether leadership is innate or learned, combining both nature and nurture to become a leader.
05:03 Discussion about difference between manager and leader, manager manages, leader focuses on future. Leader is future-oriented, manager deals with current resources.
07:35 As CEO of Wequo, working with global companies to promote gender equality. Launched a program for mid-managers. Coaching women in leadership roles in male-dominated environments.
12:00 Men's behaviour changes around women; women can be better leaders.
15:42 Addressing lack of women in executive committees; impact on business.
16:51 Business focus on gender equality and impact on company culture.
22:40 Belief of societal expectations impacting gender roles and empowerment from an early age, affecting success in later life.
26:27 Exploring gender balance in leadership and traits.
27:12 Intrigued by senior female leader's approach. Learnt deep skills through minority status.
32:47 Mature leadership requires self-reflection, openness to feedback, and a purpose beyond oneself, leading to the importance of a diverse team.
34:03 As a leader, how to unite diverse team by challenging own biases and seeking mentorship.
37:19 Leaders must avoid repeating past mistakes and challenge the status quo to ensure future success.
40:47 Identifying over 5,000 women in executive roles, with nearly 40% promoted.
43:38 Diverse perspectives lead to better decisions in business. Large companies focus on gender representation and mentorship. Monthly development sessions aid women in advancing to executive roles.
48:18 Align personal purpose with organisational purpose for employee engagement.
51:21 Questioning purpose, challenging norms, embracing discomfort leads to disruption.
53:59 Have a clear purpose, ignore societal pressure, take pride in family, own your choices.
56:50 Struggling as a dad, supporting wife & societal change. Leadership brings the change we want to see.
📚 Timestamped overview
00:00 Leadership: Nature, nurture, or belief-driven emergence?
05:03 Distinguishing between manager and leader roles.
07:35 Wequo CEO supports gender equality in corporations.
12:00 Men's behaviour changes when women present.
15:42 Challenges of women in male-dominated business.
16:51 Promoting gender equality in business leadership impact.
22:40 Socialising and expectations set young people back.
26:27 Gender balance in corporate leadership, stereotypes and complexity.
27:12 Intrigued by senior female leader's skills. Admirably introspective.
32:47 Mature leadership requires growth, diversity and purpose.
34:03 Leaders must challenge biases and embrace diversity.
37:19 Leaders must avoid repeating past mistakes.
40:47 Identifying 5,000 women for executive roles.
43:38 Diverse perspectives lead to better business decisions.
48:18 Align personal purpose with organisational purpose for engagement.
51:21 Striving for purpose, challenging norms, disrupting comfort.
53:59 Stay true to purpose, not societal pressure.
56:50 As a dad, returning to work was tough. Support wife and lead societal change.
Episode Tags
diversity in leadership, gender equality, sponsorship in workplace, women empowerment, inclusive work culture, challenging societal expectations, work-life balance, leadership development, overcoming bias, organisational change
A Subtitle - A Single Sentence describing this episode
Mark Bateman ignites a call to action for leadership's top tier to champion diversity with purpose-driven mentorship, setting the stage for an inclusive corporate future.
About this Episode
About The Episode:
In this candid discussion with Mark Bateman, we're exploring the catalytic influence of leadership in achieving gender equality and diversity within the corporate arena. Mark brings his profound experience as a CEO and disruption leadership expert to shed light on the imperative for top-tier engagement in fostering inclusive workplace cultures. His insight is vital in understanding how leadership can ignite change that ripples throughout the entire organizational structure.
Today, we'll cover:
The strategic role of educating male leaders on the advantages of diverse teams and the necessity of mentorship for advancing women in the workplace.
The mutual responsibilities of women in defining their career aspirations and men in becoming sponsors for female advancement.
Personal development as a cornerstone for aligning one’s career with individual superpowers and a greater life purpose.
The required dedication and sacrifices for ascending to senior roles and the potential conflicts with personal life.
Rethinking traditional career paths by challenging norms and making purposeful, sometimes difficult, career decisions.
The critical balance between professional ambitions and the pressure of societal expectations on work and family life.
Dismantling the biases that pervade recruitment processes with ethical considerations and creating a culture that truly supports work-life integration.
The influence of leadership traits, such as empathy and compassion, on organizational culture and team performance, regardless of gender stereotypes.
Episode Summary with Intro, Key Points and a Takeaway
Join Joanne Lockwood in "Igniting Change From the Top" on The Inclusion Bites Podcast, where she engages with consummate change leader, Mark Bateman, in unraveling the pathways to drive transformation within the workplace. The conversation illuminates the pivotal role of leaders in fostering gender diversity, and the significance of sponsorship and mentorship for women's career progression. They explore the pressing need for individuals to align their professional life with personal purpose, and delve into the challenges that accompany the ascent to senior leadership. Mark's insights into the value of a diverse team and his call to rethink leadership paradigms probe the necessity of balancing work and life commitments for organisational success.
Mark is the CEO of Wequill, a firm dedicated to promoting gender equality in the corporate sector. As an experienced leader and passionate advocate for workplace inclusivity, he has personally mentored approximately 300 women at top levels within global companies. With the publication of "Disruptive Leadership: Using Fire to Drive Purposeful Change", Mark distils his wealth of experience to enhance leadership practices. His acumen is further leveraged through his influential presence on LinkedIn, where he shares resources and champions initiatives crafted to elevate women in business.
The discourse unfurls to cover the societal pressures women grapple with in their dual roles at home and work, and the barriers they face in male-dominated boardrooms. Mark and Joanne dissect the foundations of implicit bias in recruitment, and weigh the complexities of positive discrimination, offering solutions such as anonymised hiring. They share stories accentuating the undeniable impact of gender equality on a company's performance and culture, reinforcing the moral and business cases for inclusive leadership.
Ending on a note of empowerment, Joanne invites listeners to turn their own reflections and aspirations into actions. Acknowledging each individual's potential as a leader, the episode spotlights the importance of personal agency, challenging societal norms, and fostering emerging leaders. This episode is essential listening for those yearning not only to keep pace with the evolving leadership landscape but wanting to be at the vanguard of change.
A key takeaway from this enlightening discussion is the undeniable influence leaders wield in sculpting a diverse and inclusive workplace culture. For those who are leaders in their own right or aspire to be, this episode offers practical strategies for leveraging personal strengths and challenging engrained biases to cultivate an environment where everyone can thrive. Prepare to be inspired to advance diversity, elevate women leaders, and forge progressive leadership styles that reshape business and society.
💬 Keywords
diversity in the workplace, sponsorship and mentorship, women in business, career advancement, personal development, work-life balance, leadership roles, gender equality, corporate culture, male sponsors, inclusive world, leadership styles, implicit bias, positive discrimination, anonymised hiring, gender representation, female leadership, societal transformation, contemporary leadership models, empathy in leadership, gender divides, female resilience, masculine and feminine traits, societal expectations, diversity in leadership, CEO representation, inclusive practices, empowerment in youth, behavioural influence, workplace inclusion
💡 Speaker bios
Joanne Lockwood is a passionate advocate for positive societal change, with a particular focus on fostering inclusion and belonging. As the congenial host of Inclusion Bites, she stands at the forefront of thought-provoking dialogues that aim to reshape our world into a place where every individual can flourish. Joanne's journey of exploration into the nuances of social transformation is not merely a solitary quest; she actively invites others to join in, share their perspectives, and stimulate collective action.
Her belief in the power of storytelling to unearth underlying truths and challenge entrenched norms has made her podcast a sanctuary for those seeking to engage with bold ideas over a morning coffee or during a tranquil evening unwind. Recognized for her unwavering commitment to the cause and her ability to connect with people from all walks of life, Joanne's work extends beyond the airwaves, as she welcomes engagement through her email, encouraging listeners to participate directly in the conversation. Through her efforts, Joanne Lockwood has become a beacon for anyone aspiring to see the world change for the better, one insightful conversation at a time.
💡 Speaker bios
Mark Bateman is a man profoundly convinced of the pivotal role that leaders play, not just within the organizations they guide but in shaping broader societal values and personal lives. He sees leadership as a determining factor of outcomes and directions, believing that those at the helm not only chart the course but also cultivate the culture that their teams embody. For Mark, the influence of a leader is self-evident and his philosophy is clear: real change is initiated and sustained from the top. With this ideology, he positions himself as an advocate for strong, directive leadership that sets a collective vision and behavior for everyone to follow. His ideas resonate with the notion that those who occupy the top tiers of management do not merely suggest, but rather steer the communal ship with a steady and impactful hand.
❇️ Key topics and bullets
Igniting Change from the Top
The Role of Leaders in Diversity and Inclusion
How leaders can influence positive change within their organisations
The importance of executive commitment to diversity for long-term success
Strategies for leaders to challenge their own thinking and embrace diverse perspectives
Educating Men on Diverse Teams
The benefits of having a gender-diverse team
The significance of male sponsorship and mentorship in advancing women's careers
Personal Development and Career Advancement
Identifying personal 'superpowers' and career goals
Aligning work with personal purpose
The importance of women taking intentional steps to seek mentors and sponsors
Challenges of Work-Life Balance
The difficulties women face in balancing professional life with family responsibilities
Societal expectations and the impact of patriarchal structures on work-life balance
The need for organisational support for both genders in managing their personal and professional lives
Career Success and Sacrifices
The commitment and personal sacrifices often necessary to succeed at higher levels
Navigating the journey to career fulfilment and purposeful work
Promoting Gender Equality in the Corporate Sector
Mark Bateman's personal and company activities focused on supporting women
The promotion of his book, "Disruptive Leadership: Using Fire to Drive Purposeful Change"
Listener Engagement and Community Contribution
Joanne Lockwood's appreciation for the podcast audience and encouragement to share and subscribe
Inviting listeners to contribute their stories and visions to the podcast
Traits and Influence in Leadership
The association of compassion and empathy with femininity or masculinity
The role of upbringing and environment in developing leadership traits and styles
The significance of mature leadership and the benefits of having a diverse team
Implicit Bias and Ethical Recruitment
The presence of bias in hiring processes, especially concerning gender
Approaches like anonymised hiring to ensure fairer recruitment
The debate surrounding positive discrimination and its implications
Fostering an Inclusive Leadership Culture
The necessity of diversity in leadership roles
The unique challenges women face in male-dominated executive meetings and leadership positions
The responsibility of leaders to create opportunities for underrepresented groups
Contemporary Leadership Paradigms
The distinction between managers and leaders and the evolving responsibilities of leadership
The increasing importance of soft skills, empathy, and compassion in leadership roles
Mark Bateman's Impact on Gender Equality
His coaching of women at the c-suite level in global corporates
Discussion on the strengths and perception of women leaders
Balancing Leadership Traits
The importance of masculine and feminine traits in building a trustworthy and empowering workplace
Encouraging a balanced representation of these traits in leadership
Societal Expectations and Empowerment
The influence of societal norms on gender roles, expectations, and leadership
Empowering young people to combat limiting beliefs through education and societal change
Redefining Success and Leadership Norms
The importance of redefining what success looks like in business and leadership
The active effort by organisations like Disney to challenge traditional roles and norms
The Hook
"Ever wonder how giants are toppled and empires are built? Discover the UNEXPECTED traits that define today's most game-changing leaders…"
"What if the secret to sky-high success was hiding in plain sight? Unlock the leadership SUPERPOWERS that are reshaping the corporate cosmos…"
"Fancy flipping the script on traditional success? It's time to dive into the heart of inclusive leadership where innovation MEETS intention..."
"Are you ready to smash the glass ceiling... without causing a scene? We're revealing how QUIET revolutions are sparking dazzling workplace transformations..."
"Balance or burnout – does it REALLY have to be one or the other? Peel back the myths of work-life equilibrium and forge a path to thriving, not just surviving..."
🎬 Reel script
Hello, I'm Joanne Lockwood, your host of the Inclusion Bites Podcast, and I've just had a riveting conversation with Mark Bateman, CEO of Wequill. In our latest episode, 'Igniting Change from the Top,' we delved into the power of leadership in driving diversity and the pivotal role of gender equality for organizational success. Mark enlightened us on the necessity of mentorship for women in the workplace and the ethical dimensions of recruitment. He also shared valuable insights from his experiences and his book, 'Disruptive Leadership: Using Fire to Drive Purposeful Change.' We challenged norms, explored how diverse perspectives enrich leadership, and underscored the importance of balance in masculine and feminine leadership traits. Join us to discover how you can ignite change and push for a more inclusive corporate world. Tune in to The Inclusion Bites Podcast and let's lead the charge towards a society brimming with opportunities for all. Subscribe, share, and drive the conversation forward with us.
🗞️ Newsletter
Subject: Ignite Change from the Top – New Episode Alert for Inclusion Bites!
Dear Inclusion Advocates,
Are you ready for another thought-provoking episode from The Inclusion Bites Podcast? This week's episode, titled "Igniting Change From the Top," features a compelling conversation with special guest, Mark Bateman, CEO of Wequ and the author of "Disruptive Leadership."
🔥 Unpack Leadership like Never Before 🔥
Examine the essence of leadership and its evolution with Joanne Lockwood as she dives deep with Mark Bateman. Discover how today's leaders are ditching the "command and control" style in favor of a more collaborative, inclusive, and emotionally intelligent approach to driving change.
🚀 Pioneering Women in Leadership 🚀
Delve into the significant hurdles women face in male-dominated executive spaces and learn how we can create a more harmonious balance of masculine and feminine traits in leadership positions. Joanne and Mark shine a spotlight on resilience and empathy as not just virtues but superpowers for women leaders.
📖 Exclusive Insights from Mark's Book 📖
Mark takes us on a journey through the pages of his book, offering unique solutions for developing purposeful change and challenging the status quo for the greater good of organisations and society.
🌐 You Hold the Power for Change 🌐
This episode is more than just a conversation; it's a clarion call for action. As part of our Inclusion Bites community, you're at the forefront of fostering transformative change. Share this podcast, spark dialogues, and make an impact in your circle.
Don't miss out! Plug into the latest episode, "Igniting Change From the Top," and join us as we continue our mission of sparking inclusion and nurturing belonging in every space. Let your voice be heard and reach out to Joanne with your thoughts, stories, or vision at jo.lockwood@seechangehappen.co.uk.
🔗 Tune in now at Podcast URL.
Here's to creating ripples of change,
The Inclusion Bites Team
#InclusionBites #Leadership #GenderEquality #DiversityAndInclusion
P.S. Don't forget to follow us on LinkedIn for more exclusive content, updates on events, and meaningful leadership dialogues! [LinkedIn Profile Link]
To unsubscribe from future updates, please click [Unsubscribe Link].
Your privacy is important to us. To find out more about how we use your information, review our [Privacy Policy].
🧵 Tweet thread
🔥 Thread: 1/ How can leaders ignite change from the top? A deep dive with Mark Bateman on the latest episode of #InclusionBites - "Igniting Change from the Top". 🚀
2/ Mark Bateman, CEO of Wequill and proponent of #DisruptiveLeadership, sits with @JoLockwoodSEE to unravel the secrets behind driving purposeful change in organizations. 🌟 #LeadershipGoals
3/ 📢 Gentlemen, it's time to understand the strength in diversity! Mark shares why mentoring and sponsoring women isn't just the right thing to do; it's a smart business move. #Mentorship #DiverseTeams
4/ Women in the workplace, it's crucial to take charge of your careers. Mark's advice? Seek male sponsors, be vocal about your career goals, and identify your superpowers. 💪 #WomenInBusiness #CareerProgression
5/ Aligning your work with your personal purpose is vital. Mark and Joanne emphasize the need for not just personal development but career advancement that resonates with your core values. 🎯 #PersonalDevelopment
6/ Balancing work and family is a struggle many women know too well. Joanne Lockwood sheds light on the societal pressures causing this imbalance and how we can redress it. #WorkLifeBalance #FamilyFirst
7/ Mark's mantra for success? Be clear about your purpose, own your decisions, and communicate your aspirations. It's about cracking the code to fulfillment. 🔑 #PurposefulLiving
8/ Organisations aren't off the hook. They need to promote work cultures that don't force a choice between professional success and personal commitments. #CompanyCulture #WorkplaceWellbeing
9/ 📚 Want insights on leading with fire? Check out Mark's book "Disruptive Leadership: Using Fire to Drive Purposeful Change". #MustRead #LeadershipBooks [Book link]
10/ Don’t walk alone. Join Jo @JoLockwoodSEE in driving real change by subscribing and sharing #InclusionBites. Be part of the movement towards a more inclusive world. 🌍💖 [Podcast subscription link]
11/ It's a conversation, not a monologue. Share your stories, your vision for an inclusive society with Jo, and make your voice heard. ✉️ [jo.Lockwood@seechangehappen.co.uk]
12/ But what about our innate traits? Joanne and Mark question if traits like compassion and empathy really have a gender. It turns out our environment and upbringing play a massive part. #Compassion #Empathy
13/ What makes a mature leader? One who dares to embrace diverse perspectives and knows that challenging their own thinking is key to long-term success. Mark shares a CEO's tale to prove it. #InclusiveLeadership
14/ Implicit bias in hiring is a tough nut to crack. Mark and Joanne explore ethical quandaries like positive discrimination and offer solutions for attracting a broader demographic. #Hiring #PositiveDiscrimination
15/ With a staggering 95% of CEOs being men, the discussion turns to the imperative of not just opening doors for underrepresented groups but smashing barriers. #GenderEquality #SmashTheCeiling
16/ The disparities don’t stop there. Women often find themselves judged unfairly and pitted against one another, making unity and progress an uphill battle. 😤 #WomenSupportingWomen
17/ 🗣️ Think everyone's a leader? Mark and Joanne discuss how leadership isn't reserved for a select few. Whether born or made, leaders are influencers at every level. #EverydayLeaders
18/ The baton is yours to carry. Remember, the success and leadership of tomorrow need not be defined by the past. It's about redefining norms and embracing all leadership styles. #FemaleLeadership #SuccessRedefinition
19/ What can Disney teach us about societal norms and leadership? More than you'd think. Tune into the conversation with @JoLockwoodSEE and Mark Bateman for innovative insights. 🏰✨ #LeadershipLessons #Disney
20/ Be the spark that fuels change. Listen to Inclusion Bites podcast "Igniting Change from the Top" and be part of transforming your workplace into an inclusive, vibrant environment. 🔊 [Podcast URL]
Ready to transform the way you think about leadership and inclusion? Join the conversation now.
#InclusiveLeadership #ChangeMakers
Guest's content for their marketing
Title: My Experience as a Featured Guest on The Inclusion Bites Podcast with Joanne Lockwood
As a passionate advocate for gender equality and inclusive leadership, I am always on the lookout for platforms where these critical discussions can be brought to the forefront. Recently, I had the distinct honour of joining Joanne Lockwood on her exceptional podcast, The Inclusion Bites. In the episode titled "Igniting Change from the Top," we engaged in a profound conversation that I believe carries the potential to resonate with and inspire many.
From the outset, Joanne's insightful questioning and deep understanding of the inclusive landscape set the tone for a dialogue that I feel was both illuminating and challenging. Her prowess in facilitating meaningful discussions shined as we navigated through complex topics such as the importance of diversity in leadership, the barriers women face in the corporate arena, and the pivotal role men can play in championing gender equality.
As a guest on the podcast, I had the opportunity to share my personal and professional journey, detailing the lessons I've learned as the CEO of Wequill and as an author of "Disruptive Leadership: Using Fire to Drive Purposeful Change." Joanne's genuine interest in my experiences allowed me to delve into the approaches I believe are necessary for effecting change within organisations—most notably, the transformative power of mature, empathetic leadership and the value of seeking diverse perspectives.
Together, we touched upon the often-unspoken trials that women encounter, from the implicit biases in hiring practices to the judgment and scrutiny applied to their leadership capabilities. The candid exchange offered listeners deep insights into how these challenges manifest and, more importantly, what can be done to address them.
It's uncommon to find such a platform that honours the intricacies of inclusion with the gravity it deserves. The Inclusion Bites podcast is one such rare gem. Joanne Lockwood's commitment to driving real change is undeniable, and her encouragement for listeners to engage, share, and evolve the conversation around inclusion is, in my view, a testament to her leadership in this arena.
Reflecting on the episode, I'm reminded of the valuable connections and learnings that come when we create spaces to discuss the facets of diversity, equity, and inclusion openly. This appearance served not only as an opportunity to vocalise the imperatives of diverse leadership but also as a call to action for those in positions of influence to open doors for underrepresented groups actively.
I am incredibly grateful to Joanne and her team for the work they are doing with the Inclusion Bites podcast, and I hope my contribution to the 'Igniting Change from the Top' episode offers encouragement and practical advice for those looking to take tangible steps towards a more inclusive future.
For those who have not yet had the chance to listen to the episode, I wholeheartedly encourage you to do so. The discussion is both challenging and reassuring, as it reaffirms our collective capacity for growth when we choose to embrace inclusive practices. You can find the episode, along with other insightful conversations, at [Podcast URL].
I am eager to continue these discussions and am open to connecting with anyone who wishes to explore these themes further. Please feel free to reach out on LinkedIn or through my company's initiatives. Together, we can ignite change from the top and foster workplaces that not only understand the value of diversity but actively celebrate and cultivate it.
In unity and purpose,
Mark Bateman
Questions Asked that were insightful
Certainly, the episode "Igniting Change From the Top" with Mark Bateman as the guest provided a wealth of insights that can be compiled into a series of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for our audience. The following are some of the key questions and the informative responses that were highlighted during the interview:
1. Why is it important for men to understand the benefits of a diverse team?
Mark Bateman highlighted that diverse teams often result in greater innovation, better decision-making, and improved financial performance. He emphasized that educating men on these benefits is crucial as it promotes gender diversity as a business imperative rather than just a moral or ethical choice.
2. How can women take intentional steps to advance in their careers?
Mark spoke about the importance of women seeking sponsorship and mentorship, specifically from male colleagues who have significant influence within an organization. He advised women to be clear about their career goals and to actively seek out opportunities that align with their aspirations.
3. What sacrifices are often required to succeed at higher levels in the workplace?
In response to this question, Mark discussed the need for both personal commitment and organizational support. He acknowledged that the road to leadership can require personal sacrifices, but he also talked about the necessity of companies promoting a culture that doesn't force employees to choose between their career and their personal life.
4. Should traits like compassion and empathy be associated with gender?
Mark and Joanne delved into whether these traits are inherently feminine or masculine. They concluded that such traits are individual rather than gender-specific and that upbringing and environment significantly shape these aspects of a person's character.
5. What are the ethical implications of positive discrimination within the recruitment process?
The conversation turned to the idea of positive discrimination and its potential pitfalls. Mark advised that recruitment should be based on skills and potential rather than demographics, suggesting anonymised hiring as one method to encourage diversity without falling into tokenism.
6. How can leaders challenge their own biases to create more inclusive environments?
Mark spoke about the need for self-awareness and the willingness to be challenged. He gave an example of a CEO grappling with the lack of diversity on an executive team and how leaders must sometimes make uncomfortable decisions to embrace diversity of thought.
7. What impact does a lack of female representation in leadership positions have on organizations?
Leadership diversity was a hot topic, with Mark citing statistics on the overwhelming male majority in CEO roles globally. He and Joanne discussed the multitude of benefits that gender equality brings to organizations, including improved profitability and more robust governance.
These FAQs can be a starting point for listeners who want a snapshot of the conversation and can be used as a resource for further discussions on diversity, equality, and leadership within organizations. Audience members are also encouraged to reach out to Joanne Lockwood at jo.lockwood@seechangehappen.co.uk with any further questions or insights they may wish to share.
Pain Points and Challenges
Certainly! In episode "Igniting Change from the Top," hosted by Joanne Lockwood and featuring guest Mark Bateman, a multitude of pain points and challenges were brought to light. Our podcast session focused on these issues and offered insights on how to address them effectively.
Lack of Diversity on Leadership Teams:
Challenge: Many companies struggle with achieving gender diversity, particularly in their executive committees.
Addressing the Issue: Organisations should establish clear diversity goals and implement mentorship programs that allow for sponsorship of women and underrepresented groups to aid their advancement into leadership roles.
Implicit Bias in Hiring:
Challenge: Unconscious biases can affect recruitment, potentially leading to homogeneous teams and inhibiting a culture of diversity.
Addressing the Issue: Companies can adopt anonymised hiring practices and use work-based samples to assess candidates, mitigating bias and attracting a varied demographic.
Balancing Professional and Personal Lives:
Challenge: Societal pressures and patriarchal expectations often make work-life balance more difficult for women.
Addressing the Issue: Encourage a company culture that supports flexible schedules, parental leave for all genders, and does not penalize employees for attending to family needs.
Gender Discrimination and Stereotyping:
Challenge: Women in leadership often face judgment based on appearance and are given riskier roles.
Addressing the Issue: Training and awareness programs can help break down gender stereotypes and promote a more equitable assessment of leadership abilities.
Lack of Sponsorship and Mentoring:
Challenge: Women may not receive the same level of sponsorship or mentoring as their male counterparts, hindering their career advancement.
Addressing the Issue: Leaders should actively seek to mentor and sponsor women and minority employees, advocating for their progression within the company.
Creating Inclusive Environments in Male-Dominated Spaces:
Challenge: Women often feel discomfort and exclusion in male-dominated settings.
Addressing the Issue: Foster inclusive environments through diversity training and ensure meeting conduct that allows everyone to contribute effectively.
Recognising and Utilising Feminine Leadership Traits:
Challenge: Traits like empathy and resilience are sometimes labelled as weaknesses rather than strengths in leadership.
Addressing the Issue: Re-evaluate leadership models to value these traits and balance the feminine and masculine traits within teams.
As discussed in the podcast, overcoming these challenges requires commitment from the top. Leaders must recognize the importance of diversity and inclusion, not only as a societal obligation but as a strategic advantage that can lead to improved innovation, employee engagement, and business results. Join Joanne Lockwood on The Inclusion Bites Podcast witness more bold conversations that drive change within the workplace. Listen to the latest episodes at https://seechangehappen.co.uk/inclusion-bites-listen and let's work together towards building a more inclusive world.
Remember, your thoughts are invaluable to us. Share your stories, experiences, and vision for a more inclusive society by reaching out to Jo at jo.Lockwood@seechangehappen.co.uk. Together, let's ignite change from the top! #InclusionBites
Blog article based on the episode
Igniting Change from the Top: A Leader’s Blueprint for Empowering Diversity
Picture a world where business leadership mirrors the rich tapestry of society—a space where diverse perspectives are not just welcomed, but fiercely advocated for from the highest echelons of the corporate ladder. The latest episode of The Inclusion Bites Podcast, “Igniting Change from the Top,” featuring Mark Bateman, CEO of Wequill and author of Disruptive Leadership, dives headfirst into the waters of transformative leadership and gender equality in the high-stakes environment of the workplace.
From the get-go, Mark illuminates the dire need to educate men on the benefits of diverse teams and sheds light on the power of sponsorship and mentorship in levelling the playing field for women in the workplace. As a source of inspiration, Mark's piercing insights invite us to consider: What if the answer to the persistent problem of gender inequality in leadership roles lies not only in uplifting women but in radically reshaping the mindsets of their male counterparts?
The problem looms large; globally, 95% of CEOs are men, a jarring statistic that reveals the lack of female representation at the pinnacle of corporate success. But why this stark disparity? Mark and host Joanne Lockwood dissect the patriarchal expectations and societal pressures that have long stifled the advance of talented women seeking their rightful place at the decision-making table.
Moving beyond problem identification, Mark and Jo adeptly delve into actionable items. Both leaders and aspiring trailblazers are urged to pursue a purposeful path—one that transcends traditional roles and champions career goals aligned with personal values. For women, this means taking deliberate steps such as seeking male sponsors who wield the influence necessary to springboard their upward trajectory and achieving clear communication about their career goals.
Yet, Mark emphasises that commitment and sacrifices often accompany success at elevated levels. He champions the pursuit of a fulfilling career, one that challenges the status quo and necessitates tough choices. This call to courage underscores the theme of the episode and serves as a battle cry for those yearning to drive purposeful change.
Joanne highlights the challenges women face in balancing work and family life. Here is where organisations must step up, promoting a culture that supports work-life balance, enabling success without sacrificing personal or family commitments.
Listeners, take heart; Mark doesn't merely pontificate—he acts. Through his activities on LinkedIn and his company’s efforts, he bolsters women in big corporations through programs and events designed to smash glass ceilings. These initiatives are complemented by his book, Disruptive Leadership: Using Fire to Drive Purposeful Change, offering tangible strategies for those looking to lead with impact.
How can we foster environments in which women flourish? Mark persuasively argues the case for inclusive hiring—eschewing bias by incorporating anonymised processes and work-based samples to focus on talent and ability over pedigree.
As we digest the wealth of insights from this episode, it's not enough to nod along in agreement; we must challenge unfair societal expectations in business and leadership. But where to start?
Firstly, recognise implicit bias—become aware of the subconscious preconceptions we all carry and strive to mitigate their influence on our decisions. Employ anonymised hiring practices to afford candidates a level playing field, evaluate work samples over polished CVs, and actively seek out and mentor promising talent from underrepresented groups.
On a larger scale, companies must commit to more than just policies; they must embody the spirit of diversity and inclusion in every aspect of their operations. This means reassessing company culture, considering alternative leadership styles, and ensuring diversity in thought and experience at every level of decision-making.
Echoing the powerful exchange between Jo and Mark, we must dissect traditional definitions of leadership and success—embracing the collaborative, nurturing, and empathetic. Leaders, irrespective of gender, should aim to cultivate an environment where feminine and masculine traits harmoniously coexist, leveraging the strengths of both to build a resilient and adaptable leadership framework.
The task ahead is daunting, yet achievable. Campaigns for greater representation must continue unabated, challenging the norms that have long precluded women from securing their places on executive committees. Every conversation, every step towards empowerment, and every shift in perspective aligns us closer to an equitable future.
What's your role in this narrative? Join the rallying call of The Inclusion Bites Podcast by tuning into “Igniting Change from the Top.” Share the episode, contribute your voice, and commit to enacting the change that’s essential for a truly inclusive tomorrow. Together, we can forge a path where leadership not only reflects the demographics of our global community but is also imbued with the collective wisdom of its diverse inhabitants.
For now, let's keep the conversation alive—because it's not just about inclusion, it’s about igniting a revolution.
And remember, it starts at the top. #InclusionBites
The standout line from this episode
"The true measure of leadership is not just in achieving personal success, but in opening the door wide enough to change the face of the executive committee, fostering a culture that not only allows but actively champions both men and women to succeed without having to sacrifice their personal purpose or family commitments."
❓ Questions
How do you we begin to educate men on the benefits of supporting and fostering a diverse team?
Can you discuss some examples of productive sponsorship and mentorship initiatives that have been successful in advancing women's careers?
What are some actionable steps that women can take to be more deliberate and intentional in their career progression?
In what ways can individuals align their personal development with their overarching career goals and purpose?
How can leaders at the top of organizations commit to promoting a culture that supports work-life balance for all employees?
Could you elaborate on the challenges women face in senior positions due to societal pressures and patriarchal expectations, and how can organisations address these challenges?
How important is it for individuals, especially women in corporate settings, to clarify their purpose and take ownership of their career choices?
In your view, what traits are essential for mature leadership and how can embracing these traits encourage a more inclusive diversity in teams?
What strategies could organizations implement to minimize implicit bias in hiring and make recruitment processes more equitable?
How crucial is it for CEOs and those in leadership roles to challenge their own thinking and actively support the advancement of women and underrepresented groups within their companies?
FAQs from the Episode
FAQ: Igniting Change From the Top: Leadership and Inclusion
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the focus of the 'Igniting Change From the Top' episode?
The episode centers on the pivotal role leaders play in fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. It discusses strategies like education for men on the benefits of diverse teams, sponsorship for women, and alignment of personal goals with career objectives.Why is it important to educate men about diversity in the team?
Mark Bateman emphasizes that educating men on the advantages of having a diverse team can lead to better team performance, enhanced creativity, and higher profitability, and can also break down biases and preconceived gender roles within the workplace.How can women in the workplace advance their careers intentionally?
Women can advance their careers by actively seeking male sponsors who can support and advocate for them, being clear about their career aspirations, and taking concrete steps to achieve their goals.What does Mark Bateman mean by identifying one's superpowers?
He refers to the process of recognizing and harnessing your unique skills and strengths – your "superpowers" – to excel in your career and align your work with your personal purpose and aspirations.How does the podcast address the work-life balance challenge?
Joanne and Mark discuss the importance of establishing a supportive culture within organizations that allows both men and women to succeed professionally without having to sacrifice their personal or family commitments.What book does Mark Bateman promote during the podcast?
Mark Bateman promotes his book "Disruptive Leadership: Using Fire to Drive Purposeful Change," discussing how leaders can effect significant change by aligning their teams with shared purpose and values.How can listeners engage with The Inclusion Bites Podcast after the episode?
Listeners are encouraged to subscribe, share the podcast, and reach out with their thoughts, stories, or visions for an inclusive world by contacting Joanne Lockwood via jo.Lockwood@seechangehappen.co.uk.What are the distinguishing traits of leadership discussed?
The episode dissects traits such as compassion and empathy, traditionally associated with femininity, and their presence in individuals regardless of gender. It promotes the idea of mature leadership that values diverse teams and perspectives.Can you explain the concept of positive discrimination mentioned in the episode?
Positive discrimination refers to the actions meant to counteract historical disadvantages faced by certain groups. The episode explores its ethical implications, especially in hiring, and the potential benefits and pitfalls.What is the significance of talking about women's experiences in male-dominated executive meetings?
Discussing these experiences highlights the discomfort and exclusion women often feel in such environments, which can impede their professional contributions and affect their career progression.What kind of contemporary leadership models are discussed?
The conversation touches on the shift from traditional command and control leadership models to collaborative and inclusive approaches, and the incorporation of soft skills, empathy, and compassion in leadership practices.How does societal upbringing and expectation influence leadership style?
Mark and Joanne address how social norms and the environment shape a person's leadership traits. For example, Disney's efforts to redefine traditional roles demonstrate the need for reevaluating how leadership and success are portrayed.Where can I listen to the Inclusion Bites podcast?
You can tune into the podcast and join the conversations that ignite change at the following URL: https://seechangehappen.co.uk/inclusion-bites-listen.
Tell me more about the guest and their views
In the episode titled "Igniting Change from the Top", we had the privilege of speaking with Mark Bateman, the CEO of Wequill and a recognized thought leader in the realm of diversity and inclusion, especially focusing on driving gender equality within global companies.
Mark shared his valuable insights into the significance of having gender-diverse teams and the impact it has on an organization's success. He pointed out that educating men on the benefits of diversity is crucial and urged the necessity for male sponsorship and mentorship to elevate women in the workplace. Understanding that women also need to take intentional steps to progress their careers, Mark encouraged seeking male sponsors and advocating for clear career goals.
During our conversation, Mark stressed the importance of aligning one's work with their personal purpose, fostering an environment where both women and men can thrive without sacrificing their personal lives or family commitments. This is essential for personal fulfillment and for challenging the long-standing workplace norms.
Furthermore, Mark discussed his activities on LinkedIn, which include initiatives aimed at supporting women in large corporations. He promotes his book "Disruptive Leadership: Using Fire to Drive Purposeful Change," in which he shares strategies for leaders to ignite change and align their corporate objectives with their personal values for more significant societal impact.
We also tackled the issue of women's representation in leadership positions and the unconscious biases in the hiring process. Mark underlined the idea that fostering diversity is not only a moral imperative but is also linked to improved revenues, profitability, and overall company performance.
Above all, Mark conveyed a message that challenges assumptions about leadership traits like compassion and empathy, traditionally associated with femininity or masculinity. He prompted a reevaluation of how we approach leadership, suggesting that cultivating a balance of these traits across genders is key to effective leadership.
For more enriching dialogues on diversity, inclusion, and the steps we can take towards a more inclusive world, tune into The Inclusion Bites Podcast and join Joanne Lockwood in fostering transformation through meaningful conversation.
Ideas for Future Training and Workshops based on this Episode
Based on the themes and discussions from the "Igniting Change from the Top" episode of The Inclusion Bites Podcast, here are potential ideas for future training sessions and workshops:
Leadership & Diversity Empowerment Workshop:
Focus on developing leadership skills that embrace and encourage diversity
Education on the benefits of diverse teams and strategies for their development
Role-play scenarios that deal with diversity issues in leadership positions
Sponsorship & Mentorship Accelerator:
Program designed to pair emerging leaders, especially women, with experienced sponsors
Development of a structured mentorship framework within organizations
Training on how to be an effective mentor/sponsor, with a focus on inclusivity
Purpose-Driven Career Planning:
Workshops on identifying personal and career goals
Strategies for aligning personal purpose with daily work
Exercises for discovering individual superpowers and leveraging them for career advancement
Breaking the Bias: Creating Inclusive Recruitment Processes:
Training on recognizing and mitigating implicit biases in hiring
Exploration of anonymized hiring practices and implementation
Interactive sessions on ethical considerations of positive discrimination
Executive Committee Inclusion Training:
Discussions and strategies to create a more inclusive atmosphere in high-level meetings
Simulation exercises to help understand the perspective of minority members in such settings
Training on equitable participation and ensuring all voices are heard
Navigating Work-Life Harmony:
Workshop focusing on developing organizational policies that support work-life balance
Personal development planning that includes work-life integration considerations
Stress management and resilience training, tailored for overcoming modern workplace challenges
Inclusive Leadership Masterclass:
Deep-dive into different leadership traits, including empathy and compassion
Case studies on mature, inclusive leadership and its impact on business outcomes
Exercises to practice challenging one's own perspectives and embracing diversity
Women in Leadership: Breaking Through Barriers:
Focused training on the unique challenges faced by women in leadership roles
Strategies for overcoming systemic barriers and succeeding in male-dominated environments
Encouraging storytelling from successful female leaders as a source of inspiration and guidance
Empowering Young Leaders: Fostering Gender Equality from the Start:
Workshops aimed at instilling empowerment in young people to cultivate leadership qualities early on
Discussions on reframing societal expectations of gender roles in leadership
Interactive activities focused on changing traditional narratives around leadership qualities
Culture Change Catalyst: How to Redefine Success in Leadership:
Explore new definitions of success that include feminine leadership traits
Strategies for establishing balance between different leadership styles within an organization
Analyzing case studies of companies that have successfully redefined leadership roles for better inclusivity
Each of the proposed training sessions and workshops includes interactive components to ensure practical understanding and the opportunity for participants to engage with the material actively. These events would further reinforce the inclusive mindset instigated by the podcast episode and would provide tangible skills and knowledge that can be implemented in participants' professional environments.
🪡 Threads by Instagram
Just wrapped up recording with Mark Bateman for Inclusion Bites! Fascinating insights on how top leadership can ignite change for gender equality in the workplace. Stay tuned!
Shocking stats highlight the gender gap in CEO roles. Mark Bateman on the podcast offers a powerful discourse on why diversity is not just right but also profitable.
Mark Bateman's 'Disruptive Leadership' is a clarion call for personal purpose alignment in our careers. Dive into our latest podcast episode for more on leading with fire!
Anonymised hiring could be a game-changer for workplace diversity. Our guest Mark Bateman shares how this strategy can level the playing field. Insightful discussion ahead!
Ever considered the impact of leadership traits on culture? Mark Bateman's perspective challenges the typical masculine-feminine binary. A must-listen on Inclusion Bites!
Leadership Insights - YouTube Short Video Script on Common Problems for Leaders to Address
Title: Leadership Insights: Transforming Executive Teams for Gender Equality
Hello and welcome to Leadership Insights Channel. Today, we focus on a pressing challenge in the corporate world: the underrepresentation of women in leadership roles, particularly within executive committees. Globally, a staggering 95% of CEOs are men. This lack of female representation is not just a question of fairness; it's a strategic business issue, as gender equality leads to increased revenues, profitability, and employee engagement.
So, what actions can leaders take to create a positive change?
Firstly, understand that diverse leadership teams are not just about optics; they're about bringing varied perspectives that drive innovation and resilience. As a leader, it’s crucial to challenge your own thinking and seek out those diverse voices.
Secondly, engage men in the conversation. Educate male colleagues on the benefits of diverse teams and encourage them to become sponsors and mentors for women in the workplace.
Now, let's consider recruitment. Address implicit biases by exploring anonymised hiring processes and work-based samples, ensuring candidates are evaluated on merit, not gender.
Also, look at the culture within your organisation. Promote a culture that supports work-life balance, enabling men and women to thrive professionally without sacrificing their personal commitments.
Lastly, for existing women in leadership, provide a supportive environment where they can speak up and contribute without judgment. Remember, women often experience excessive scrutiny and are offered riskier responsibilities. Counteract this by valuing their input and providing solid growth paths.
By taking these steps, you'll build a robust, innovative team that's well-equipped for the multifaceted challenges of the business world. Thank you for watching, and remember, leadership is not just a privilege, but a responsibility to shape a more equitable future.
SEO Optimised Titles
Empowering Women in Leadership: 3 Key Strategies | Mark @Wequill
Breaking The Bias: The Ceos Gender Gap | Mark @Wequill
95% Male CEOs: Unlocking Gender Diversity | Mark @Wequill
Email Newsletter about this Podcast Episode
Subject: Light the Fire 🔥 - Learn How Leaders Can Drive Inclusion from the Very Top!
Hey there Inclusion Advocates!
Are you ready to get fired up about igniting change in the workplace? Because that's exactly what we're diving into in the latest episode of Inclusion Bites – and trust me, it's a game-changer.
In “Igniting Change From the Top,” we've onboarded the incredible Mark Bateman. As the CEO of Wequill, author of Disruptive Leadership, and a champion for gender equality, Mark isn't shy about sharing his expansive knowledge on how leaders can make a real difference.
Here's a sneak peek of the five eye-opening insights you'll garner from this episode:
The Superpower of Sponsorship: Discover how finding the right sponsor can catapult a career, and why it's up to the leaders to extend their hand.
The Seal of Sacrifice: Learn about the inevitable sacrifices required for climbing the ladder and how to weigh them against your personal purpose.
The Balance Beam Technique: Unpacking the complex juggle between professional ambition and personal life – and how leaders can foster a culture supportive of both.
The Magic of Male Advocacy: Men have a role in endorsing diversity – find out how they can be part of the solution.
The Ethical Impasse: Positive discrimination versus intentioned inclusion – where do we draw the line?
Did you know 95% of CEOs are men? This staggering statistic from the episode is just the tip of the iceberg in why we need to switch up the narrative and promote gender equality.
Now, we wouldn't light up this discussion without a purpose. Here's what you can do:
🌟 Join our mission by listening in and sharing the episode with friends, colleagues, and anyone in your network who's ready to drive change.
🌟 Don’t just be a listener—be part of the conversation. Eager to add to the dialogue or share your vision? Reach out at jo.lockwood@seechangehappen.co.uk.
We're not just talking; we're transforming talk into action one episode at a time. Mark Bateman provided the spark, and now it's up to all of us to fuel the flames of change.
Let's make inclusion not just a word, but a practice. Head over to https://seechangehappen.co.uk/inclusion-bites-listen to tune in and turn up the volume on change.
Keep striving, keep thriving,
Joanne Lockwood
P.S. Keep those thoughts coming; every message sparks a brighter future! #InclusionBites
Potted Summary
Intro:
Welcome to "Igniting Change from the Top" on The Inclusion Bites Podcast. Join our host Joanne Lockwood as she converses with Mark Bateman, CEO of Wequill, about transforming leadership and promoting gender equality from executive suites to everyday roles.
In this conversation we discuss:
👉 Leadership traits
👉 Bias in hiring
👉 Gender inequality
Here are a few of our favourite quotable moments:
"You can't be what you can't see; representation matters at every level."
"Leadership is not a title; it's the impact you create."
"Diversity isn't just nice to have; it's a must-have for innovation."
Summary:
Dive into "Igniting Change from the Top" with Mark Bateman, discussing leadership's role in gender equality. Discover how to lead inclusively, tackle hiring biases, and recognise the strength in diverse teams. Don't miss this empowering discussion — listen now, share, and help spark the change on The Inclusion Bites Podcast.
LinkedIn Poll
Opening Summary:
In the latest episode of The Inclusion Bites Podcast titled "Igniting Change from the Top," we embraced a candid discussion with Mark Bateman, a leader passionate about fostering gender equality and diversity in the workplace. As we uncovered critical insights on the impact of leadership styles on inclusive cultures, we delved into how traits commonly associated with femininity and masculinity play a part in shaping leadership and decision-making. Does empathy and compassion denote weakness or are they the superpowers of modern leadership?
In light of our thought-provoking dialogue, we're curious to know your views on the role of traditionally 'feminine' traits in leadership.
📊 Poll Question: Which 'feminine' trait is most vital for today's leaders?
🔸️ Empathy 😌 #InclusiveLeadership
🔸️ Collaboration 🤝 #Teamwork
🔸️ Emotional Intelligence 🧠 #EQ
🔸️ Resilience 💪 #StayStrong
Why Vote? Your insights are invaluable as we ignite discussions that pave the way for more inclusive work environments. By casting your vote, you're contributing to a movement that values diverse perspectives and the essence of modern, compassionate leadership. Share your voice, and let's create a wave of change together! #InclusionBites #LeadershipTraits #ChangeMakers
Highlight the Importance of this topic on LinkedIn
🔥 Thrilled to have stumbled upon The Inclusion Bites Podcast, particularly the recent episode "Igniting Change from the Top" with Mark Bateman and Joanne Lockwood. 💡
In our ongoing journey towards a more #InclusiveWorkplace, this conversation is a beacon of light, illuminating the urgent need for leaders at the top to spearhead change. 🎙️
Here's why this is crucial:
🌟 Diverse teams are not just a metric. They're a source of strength & innovation.
🔄 Educating men on the benefits of diversity and establishing mentorships can profoundly impact women's growth in the workplace.
👩💼 For women: It’s clear how intentional career moves, finding sponsors, and aligning work with purpose can accelerate progress.
🤝 Work-life balance & positive discrimination need re-evaluating to support everyone's success without compromising personal life.
💡 As a Senior Leader/HR/EDI professional, it’s incumbent upon us to not only embrace these insights but to put them into action.
Follow along with me, and let’s keep this significant conversation going. I truly believe podcasts like Inclusion Bites can #DriveChange from within.
👇 Share your thoughts and let's champion inclusivity together!
#Leadership #GenderEquality #DiversityInclusion #CareerDevelopment #HRInnovation
Check out the podcast here: [Podcast URL]
Reach out to Joanne Lockwood for more insights: jo.Lockwood@seechangehappen.co.uk
L&D Insights
As an L&D expert, I've distilled the profound insights from "The Inclusion Bites Podcast: Igniting Change From the Top," headlined by host Joanne Lockwood and guest Mark Bateman. Our latest episode provides practical takeaways for Senior Leaders, HR, and EDI professionals.
Key Takeaways:
Diversity as a Business Imperative: Senior leaders are encouraged to view diversity not just as an ethical imperative but as a strategic business advantage. Mark accentuates that diverse teams enhance innovation, engagement, and revenues. 📊
Active Sponsorship: The necessity for active sponsorship and mentorship for underrepresented groups within the workplace is underlined. Leaders are motivated to open doors and create opportunities for women and minorities. 💼
Personal Purpose and Development: Mark urges professionals to align their work with their personal purpose and leverage their "superpowers". An investment in personal development is not just beneficial but essential for career advancement. 🌟
Challenge Status Quo: There's a clarion call to challenge the pre-existing norms, including confronting one's own bias and the glass ceiling that persists within corporate structures. 🚧
Societal Pressures and Balance: The discussion highlights how societal expectations can skew work-life balance for women, demanding organizations to foster environments that support both personal and professional growth, without the need for sacrifice. ⚖️
Aha Moments:
The realization that #GenderEquality positively impacts everyone in an organization, not just women.
Recognition that empathy and compassion are not gender-specific traits and can be harnessed by leaders for greater influence and effectiveness.
Identifying that work-based sample approaches and anonymised hiring practices could mitigate bias in recruitment, leading to a broader, more diverse talent pool.
Actionable Insights for Practice:
Embrace Disruptive Leadership: Be the firestarter for a purposeful change; let Mark's journey prompt you to examine and redefine your leadership style towards inclusivity and compassion.
Proactive Diversity Efforts: Rather than wait for diversity to shape itself, take the lead. Whether it's through revising hiring practices, ensuring mentorship programs, or advocating for change, the action starts with leadership.
Open Dialogue: Create safe spaces for conversations about career goals, life pressures, and professional challenges, particularly for those previously silenced.
Model the Change: Reflect the inclusive behavior you wish to see, highlighting fairness and support for work-life integration.
In a rapidly evolving societal and corporate landscape, the implications of this episode resonate deeply for leaders in fostering a progressive, inclusive, and equitable workplace.
Five Hashtags for Social Media Engagement:
#LeadershipDiversity
#InclusiveCulture
#GenderEquality
#DisruptiveLeadership
#InclusionBitesPodcast
Every Senior Leader, HR, and EDI professional can harness these insights to invigorate and guide their efforts in shaping tomorrow's inclusive workplace – a workplace where diversity isn't just welcomed; it's celebrated and leveraged for the collective growth and success. Now, let's ignite change from the top! 🔥
Shorts Video Script
Title for Social Media Post:
⚡️ Lead the Charge: Unleashing Inclusion & Diversity at Work ⚡️ #LeadershipTransformation #InclusiveExcellence
Hashtags:
#ChangeTheTop #DiverseLeadership #EmpoweringWomen #ChallengeBias #InclusiveCulture
Reel Script:
[Text on screen: 🚀 Ignite Change in Leadership!]
Hey everyone! I've just got to share some incredible insights on driving change at the leadership level that have seriously got me thinking.
[Text on screen: 💪 Educate for Diversity!]
First thing’s first, diversity isn’t a nice-to-have; it's a MUST-have. Creating diverse teams starts with educating everyone on the benefits that come from a mix of backgrounds and perspectives, especially those who've traditionally held power in the workplace.
[Text on screen: 🤝 Sponsorship & Mentorship are KEY!]
But wait, there's more! Elevation at work isn't just about putting in the hours - it’s also about strategically seeking out sponsors and mentors who’ve got your back. It's about being clear with your career goals and aligning your work with your personal purpose.
[Text on screen: 🎯 Know Your Superpowers]
Dig deep and find your superpowers, those special traits that set you apart. Own them, nurture them, and watch how they propel you forward.
[Text on screen: ⚖️ Work-Life Balance Matters]
The juggle is real. Balancing family and work life? It's tough, especially with societal expectations. That's why we need a culture shift. Organizations must embrace work-life balance so that both men and women can thrive without sacrificing personal commitments.
[Text on screen: 📘 Read Up & Grow]
Self-improvement? It's a journey, not a destination. There are some fantastic reads out there that challenge the status quo and encourage us to make bold, purposeful decisions.
[Text on screen: ❓ Challenge Gender Bias]
Now, let's talk about the elephant in the room—gender bias. We need to step up, challenge unconscious biases and create a fair chance for everyone. Anonymous hiring? Work-based samples? They could be game-changers.
[Text on screen: 🌐 Influence with Compassion]
Leadership isn't about command and control anymore. It’s about collaboration; it’s about having the soft skills, the empathy, to genuinely lead a diverse team into the future.
Thanks for watching! Remember, together we can make a difference. Stay connected, stay inclusive! See you next time. ✨
[Fade out]
Glossary of Terms and Phrases
Certainly! The episode “Igniting Change from the Top” touches on several specialized concepts that might be less commonly used in everyday conversation. Here are some of those terms and phrases with definitions as implied in the episode:
Diversity and Inclusion (D&I): Refers to the efforts and practices within organizations to create a more welcoming, representative, and fair environment for people of different genders, ethnicities, disabilities, sexual orientations, and other marginalized groups.
Sponsorship: In a workplace context, it involves a more senior employee advocating for a less experienced employee (the sponsee) by helping them to secure promotions or important assignments that can lead to career advancements.
Implicit Bias: The subconscious attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, decisions, and actions, often without realizing it. These biases can influence hiring decisions and workplace culture.
Positive Discrimination: Also known as affirmative action, this refers to policies and practices that favor individuals belonging to groups known to have been previously discriminated against. This is a controversial approach aimed at leveling the playing field but can be seen to discriminate against the majority group.
Anonymised Hiring: A recruitment process where the candidates’ personal details that could reveal their gender, ethnicity, or other demographics are removed. This is aimed at reducing bias in the hiring process.
Work-Based Samples: Using practical tests or samples of work during the recruitment process to assess a candidate's capabilities, reducing reliance on CVs and interviews where bias may be present.
Gender Equality: The state of equal ease of access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender, including economic participation and decision-making; and the state of valuing different behaviors, aspirations and needs equally, regardless of gender.
Lateral Career Move: When an employee changes roles to one that is mainly at the same level in terms of pay and responsibility. These moves can sometimes be part of a broader career progression strategy.
C-Suite: Refers to the highest-ranking senior executives in a company, whose titles often start with 'Chief', such as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), etc.
Superpowers: In a career context, it refers to the unique skills or strengths that an individual has which can make them stand out in the workplace or contribute to their success in their role.
Feminine/Masculine Leadership Styles: These terms reference the qualities or characteristics stereotypically associated with female or male leadership. Feminine might include collaborative, nurturing, or empathetic approaches, while masculine might include assertive, decisive, or competitive styles.
Emotional Intelligence: The ability to understand and manage one's own emotions, as well as recognize and influence the emotions of others.
Disruptive Leadership: A style of leadership where the leader challenges the status quo and encourages change that can lead to innovation and transformation within an organization.
Please note that these definitions are contextual and apply to how the terms were discussed in this particular episode of the Inclusion Bites podcast.
SEO Optimised YouTube Content
Focus Keyword: Leadership Diversity
Title: "Leadership Diversity | #InclusionBitesPodcast"
Tags: Leadership Diversity, Diverse Workforce, Inclusive Leadership, Gender Equality, Women in Leadership, Diversity in Business, Positive People Experiences, Culture Change, Corporate Inclusion, Empathy in Leadership, Inclusive Work Environment, Gender Bias, Leadership Development, Diversity Training, Sponsorship and Mentorship, Workplace Equality, Diversity and Profitability, Challenging Stereotypes, Disruptive Leadership, CEO Diversity, Leadership Roles, High-Level Inclusion, Feminine Leadership, Masculine Traits, #InclusionBites
Killer Quote: "It is not just about opening doors; it's about ensuring the room beyond is inclusive and welcoming for all." - Mark Bateman
Hashtags: #LeadershipDiversity, #InclusionMatters, #DiversityAndInclusion, #Empowerment, #PositivePeopleExperiences, #CultureChange, #GenderEquality, #WomenInLeadership, #InclusiveLeadership, #WorkplaceEquality, #LeadershipDevelopment, #DiversityTraining, #CorporateInclusion, #Sponsorship, #Mentorship, #ChallengeStereotypes, #DisruptiveLeadership, #CEOInclusion, #FeminineLeadership, #InclusionBites
Why Listen section:
In today's episode titled "Igniting Change from the Top", we sit down with none other than Mark Bateman, a trailblazer in Leadership Diversity and CEO of Wequill. Together, we light up a discussion that delves into the critical importance of inclusive leadership and the ripple effects it has on culture change and positive people experiences within organisations.
Mark inspires us with insights on the necessity of educating men about the value of diverse teams and the pivotal roles of sponsorship and mentorship for women in the workplace. He champions the women who are taking deliberate and intentional steps to advance their careers, urging them to seek male sponsors and be transparent about their career ambitions.
The narrative unfolds as Mark emphasises the power of personal development, urging listeners to identify their superpowers and urging individuals to align their work with their personal purposes. Our dialogue acknowledges the commitment and sacrifices often required to succeed at higher levels in the workplace, highlighting the gravity of pursuing a purposeful and fulfilling career and the courage to challenge the status quo and make difficult decisions.
As your host, I, Joanne Lockwood, underscore the duelling challenges women face in balancing work and family life due to patriarchal expectations and societal pressures. Mark and I engage in a critical conversation about the need for clarity in one's purpose, taking responsibility for our choices, and the importance of being open and honest about our aspirations.
Mark takes a moment to discuss the commitment of organisations to promote a culture that supports work-life balance, enabling both men and women to succeed without sacrificing personal or family commitments. He also shares about his appearance on LinkedIn, where he focuses on supporting women in big companies through programs and events. Additionally, Mark's book, "Disruptive Leadership: Using Fire to Drive Purposeful Change," is promoted as a definitive guide.
Throughout our talk, we tackle themes like the implicit bias in hiring and the controversial concept of positive discrimination within the recruitment process. Mark provides examples from his extensive experience as a coach, where he has mentored around 300 women at the c-suite level in global corporates, highlighting the practical steps towards greater diversity and the ethical considerations it entails.
This episode's dialogue ambitiously addresses the necessity of redefining what success and leadership look like. It examines how traditional gender roles have been challenged and are being reshaped to include more feminine leadership styles and to achieve equitable representation in CEO positions.
Closing Summary and Call to Action:
Today's talk with Mark Bateman was brimming with key learning points and actionable insights. Let's summarise them:
Understand the benefits of a diverse team and how to educate men in the workplace about these benefits.
Recognise the importance of women seeking sponsorship and mentorship to climb the career ladder.
Personal development is vital; identify your strengths and goals to align with your work effectively.
Acknowledge the commitments required for success at higher levels and be prepared to make sacrifices.
Challenge the status quo and make courageous decisions to pursue a meaningful career.
Balance work and family life by promoting a supportive culture within organisations.
Be clear about your purpose and honest about your career aspirations, taking responsibility for your choices.
Explore ways to counteract hiring biases, such as anonymous hiring processes and work-based samples.
Prioritise the need for diversity in leadership roles and address the barriers for women ascending to these positions.
Utilise your position of power to open opportunities for underrepresented groups actively.
Encourage a redefinition of success and leadership, emphasising the value of a balance between masculine and feminine traits.
Cultivate awareness and challenge unfair societal expectations in business and leadership.
Empower young individuals to overcome limiting beliefs and encourage a culture where everyone, regardless of gender or background, can aspire to leadership roles.
Outro:
Thank you so much for tuning into the Inclusion Bites Podcast. I truly hope you've been inspired by our conversation on Leadership Diversity with Mark Bateman. If you've enjoyed today's episode, I kindly ask that you like and subscribe to our channel – your support helps us to keep igniting change across the globe.
For more enlightening episodes and content that drives change, be sure to visit the SEE Change Happen website at https://seechangehappen.co.uk and check out The Inclusion Bites Podcast at https://seechangehappen.co.uk/inclusion-bites-listen.
Stay curious, stay kind, and stay inclusive - Joanne Lockwood
Root Cause Analyst - Why!
Key Problem: Lack of female representation in leadership positions.
Why does this problem exist?
Organisational cultures and structures often perpetuate male-dominated leadership.
Why do organisational cultures and structures perpetuate male-dominated leadership?
There is a historical bias and stereotyping regarding gender roles that influence recruitment, promotion, and retention practices.
Why is there a historical bias and stereotyping regarding gender roles?
Societal norms and traditional beliefs have long favoured men in authoritative roles and have conditioned both genders to see this as the status quo.
Why have societal norms and traditional beliefs favoured men in authoritative roles?
Patriarchal systems have historically been reinforced by laws, policies, and education, shaping a collective unconscious bias that undervalues feminine traits in leadership.
Why have patriarchal systems been reinforced in this way?
Fear of change and the challenge to power structures can lead to resistance against redefining what leadership looks like, limiting the acceptance and integration of diverse leadership styles.
Root Cause Summary:
The root cause of the lack of female representation in leadership positions is the deeply entrenched patriarchal systems. These systems have historical underpinnings and are perpetuated by societal norms, unconscious bias, and a resistance to changing power dynamics, which continue to reinforce male-dominated structures.
Potential Solutions:
Implementing unconscious bias training and gender-sensitivity workshops to address and alter deep-seated biases within the organisation.
Revising recruitment and promotion policies to ensure they are gender-neutral and focus on competence and potential rather than conforming to traditional gender roles.
Establishing mentorship and sponsorship programs that specifically support the development of female leaders and their visibility in the company.
Active monitoring and reporting on gender representation in leadership roles to maintain accountability and transparency in the progression towards gender equality.
Encouraging a redefinition of leadership traits that values and integrates so-called feminine qualities, such as empathy and collaboration, thus expanding the notion of effective leadership.
Incentivising companies that achieve measurable progress in diversifying leadership and creating a more gender-balanced corporate landscape.
By addressing these issues at a systemic level and encouraging individual and organisational change, we can create a more inclusive environment that fosters diverse leadership and drives transformative change from the top.
TikTok/Reels/Shorts Video Summary
Focus Keyword: Leadership Inclusivity
Title: Leadership Inclusivity in the Workplace | #InclusionBitesPodcast
Tags: Leadership Inclusivity, Positive People Experiences, Culture Change, Inclusion Bites, Diverse Teams, Inclusive Leadership, Female Sponsorship, Leadership Development, Diversity and Profitability, Gender Equality, Ethical Recruitment, Inclusive Cultures, Empathy in Leadership, Corporate Diversity, Unconscious Bias, Women in Leadership, Inclusive Hiring, Disruptive Leadership, Mark Bateman, Joanne Lockwood, CEO Diversity, Leadership Podcast, Inclusion Strategies, Executive Mentorship, Equitable Representation
Killer Quote: "Leadership isn't about the gender of the person; it's about their capacity to influence and drive towards a shared vision" - Mark Bateman
Hashtags: #LeadershipInclusivity, #InclusionBites, #PositivePeopleExperiences, #CultureChange, #DiverseTeams, #InclusiveLeadership, #FemaleSponsorship, #LeadershipDevelopment, #DiversityAndProfitability, #GenderEquality, #EthicalRecruitment, #InclusiveCultures, #EmpathyInLeadership, #CorporateDiversity, #UnconsciousBias, #WomenInLeadership, #InclusiveHiring, #DisruptiveLeadership, #MarkBateman, #JoanneLockwood
Summary Description:
Why listen to the latest episode of #InclusionBitesPodcast? Joanne Lockwood and Mark Bateman ignite a conversation that challenges traditional norms and embraces 'Leadership Inclusivity'. Discover how 'Positive People Experiences' and 'Culture Change' are pivotal in creating an equitable workplace. You'll learn about effective strategies for attracting diverse talent and the incredible impact of having women in leadership. Plus, hear insights on mentoring, sponsorship, and why your superpowers align with your purpose. For any aspiring leader or D&I enthusiast, this is the insight you shouldn't miss! Join us now and let's create a workplace where everyone belongs.
Outro:
Thank you, dear listeners, for tuning in to a thought-provoking discussion on Leadership Inclusivity. If you found value in what Mark and I shared today, don’t forget to like and subscribe to the channel for more content that fuels change. Find out more at the SEE Change Happen website and listen to the full episode here at "The Inclusion Bites Podcast" to dive deeper into our discussions about a more inclusive world.
Stay curious, stay kind, and stay inclusive - Joanne Lockwood
Canva Slider Checklist
Episode Carousel
Slide 1:
[Background Image: A diverse group of people standing at the forefront of a corporate building, looking up towards the title text]
🔥 "What's stopping your company from setting the bar in diversity and leadership?" 🔥
#InclusionBites #LeadershipDiversity
Slide 2:
[Background Image: A close-up of a woman in a boardroom confidently raising her hand to speak]
"Discover Mark Bateman's insights on the power of diverse teams and why he's betting on women's sponsorship and mentorship in the workplace."
#Empowerment #WomenInLeadership
Slide 3:
[Background Image: A conceptual image of a puzzle being completed to reveal the word 'PURPOSE']
"Are you aligning your career with your purpose? Learn how identifying your superpowers can ignite change from the top!"
#CareerGoals #FindYourPurpose
Slide 4:
[Background Image: A split image showing two contrasting work-life scenarios—a balanced life vs. a stressed, work-dominated life]
"Is the double bind of work and family uniquely a woman's struggle? Mark and Jo delve into the societal pressures that shape our work cultures."
#WorkLifeBalance #SocietalChange
Slide 5:
[Background Image: A silhouette of a person holding a megaphone, with sound waves depicted as inspiring words about leadership and inclusion]
✨ Ready to be the spark that ignites impactful change? ✨
Join us for a deep dive on "Igniting Change From the Top" with Mark Bateman on The Inclusion Bites Podcast.
👉 Listen, subscribe, and let's drive real change together! 👉
[Podcast logo and URL - https://seechangehappen.co.uk/inclusion-bites-listen]
#IgniteChange #ListenNow
6 major topics
Igniting Change From the Top: A Candid Chat with Mark Bateman
As I opened up our hearty discussion with the insightful Mark Bateman, CEO of Wequill and an advocate for leadership reform, my goal was clear: to unearth the subtleties and driving forces behind gender equity in leadership. Mark, a trailblazer in the corporate world with his profound insights published in "Disruptive Leadership: Using Fire to Drive Purposeful Change," joined me in dissecting the intrinsic and extrinsic hurdles that women face in leadership. Together, we ignited a discourse on how change at the helm can propel systematic transformation.
The Art of Male Advocacy in Women's Professional Growth
It was fascinating to hear Mark Bateman emphasise the pivotal role men can play as sponsors and mentors in elevating women's careers. He shared the somewhat untapped power of a diverse team and the magic that unfolds when inclusivity is championed across the ranks. But what does it really take for men to become effective allies within the workplace, and what are the nuanced benefits that often go unnoticed?
Transcending Barriers with Intention and Clarity
Mark was fervent about the importance of women taking intentional steps towards their professional progression. He noted the resonance of seeking sponsorship and communicating career aspirations with crystal clarity. I pondered – what enables some women to break the metaphorical glass ceiling with precision, while others may grapple with the unspoken rules of the corporate ladder?
Personal Power: Harnessing Your Unique Superpowers
In a world where personal branding and self-awareness are the currency of progress, we delved into the discovery of one's 'superpowers' and career ambitions. Mark suggested aligning work with personal purpose – but how does one define their superpower amidst the cacophony of societal expectations and professional noise?
The Tug-of-War: Career Advancement vs Personal Sacrifice
Our conversation took a sobering turn as Mark reflected on the commitment and personal sacrifices often associated with climbing the corporate ranks. We addressed the elephant in the room – the cost of success. Are we consciously choosing our paths, or are we being swept by the current of so-called traditional trajectories of career success?
Redesigning Workplace Cultures for Authentic Work-Life Synergy
Joanne and Mark discussed at length the prominence of a supportive culture which enables individuals to find the elusive balance between work commitments and personal joy. We leaned into the question: can organisations transform to accommodate both the career aspirations and the life passions of their workforce, irrespective of gender?
Challenging Implicit Biases and Embracing Equitable Recruitment
There's no doubt that the corporate hiring landscape is mottled with implicit biases. We tackled the ethical conundrum of positive discrimination and considered fair recruitment practices like anonymised applications. But can these measures lead us to a more diverse and dynamic leadership tableau in an ecosystem that has long favoured uniformity?
Our discussion was enlightening, as Mark Bateman unravelled the complexities of leadership, diversity, and empowerment from the top down. His commitment to fostering genuine inclusivity shook the very foundations of traditional leadership paradigms. Now, I'm left with a stirring question: How do we catalyse a domino effect of change, starting at the summit of our organisations? The answer, my dear community, begins with conversations like this – that do not only illuminate pathways but call us all to action towards a more equitable professional world.
TikTok Summary
🔥 Ignite change with a spark of inspiration from The Inclusion Bites Podcast! 🎙 Dive into "Igniting Change from the Top" as Jo Lockwood chats with Mark Bateman—a frontline advocate for diverse leadership. 🚀 Explore the pivotal role of CEOs, the superpowers of women in the workplace, and the seismic shifts needed for gender equality in the boardroom.
✨ Get ready to challenge norms, embrace purpose, and drive purposeful change! Listen to bold stories, stir up the status quo, and arm yourself with insights that push boundaries. 🌐
Don't just sit on the sidelines—be part of the transformation! Tap the link to join the conversation that's reshaping the future of inclusion one episode at a time: https://seechangehappen.co.uk/inclusion-bites-listen
#Leadership #InclusionBites #WomenInLeadership #DriveChange #Diversityandinclusion
Slogans and Image Prompts
Here are some slogans, soundbites, and quotes from the "Igniting Change From the Top" episode of the Inclusion Bites Podcast, along with suggestions for detailed AI image generation prompts. These can be used on merchandise and as hashtags.
Slogan: "Empower to Aspire Higher"
AI Image Generation Prompt: Illustrate a majestic mountain peak with a diverse group of people standing at the summit, arms raised triumphantly against a sunrise backdrop. The phrase "Empower to Aspire Higher" is emblazoned in bold, inspirational font across the sky.
Merchandise Hashtag: #EmpowerToAspire
Soundbite: "Find Your Superpower in Purpose"
AI Image Generation Prompt: Depict a silhouette of an individual looking contemplative with a subtle superhero cape fluttering behind them. The cape is adorned with various symbols representing different professions and passions. Overlay the image with the text "Find Your Superpower in Purpose."
Merchandise Hashtag: #SuperpowerInPurpose
Quote: "Diversity Drives Innovation"
AI Image Generation Prompt: Create an image of a sleek, modern gear mechanism with each gear featuring a unique pattern symbolizing diverse backgrounds and ideas interlocking seamlessly. Above the machine, "Diversity Drives Innovation" appears in sleek, modern letters.
Merchandise Hashtag: #DiversityDrives
Soundbite: "Leadership Is Not a Title, It's an Action"
AI Image Generation Prompt: Visualize a dynamic scene where various individuals from different backgrounds are extending hands and building a bridge together. In the sky, the stars spell out "Leadership Is Not a Title, It's an Action."
Merchandise Hashtag: #LeadershipIsAction
Quote: "Change the Conversation, Change the Culture"
AI Image Generation Prompt: Craft an image of a round table with a diverse array of people engaged in animated discussion, with a thought bubble mosaic above them showing positive, inclusive symbols. "Change the Conversation, Change the Culture" is inscribed around the table’s edge.
Merchandise Hashtag: #ChangeTheCulture
Slogan: "Inclusion: Sparking the Change Within"
AI Image Generation Prompt: Design a powerful image of a hand holding a match that has sparked a flame transferring to a torch held by another hand, symbolizing the passing on of inclusion. The phrase "Inclusion: Sparking the Change Within" is illuminated by the fire's glow.
Merchandise Hashtag: #InclusionSpark
Soundbite: "Equality Is Not a Risk, It's an Opportunity"
AI Image Generation Prompt: Illustrate an open doorway leading to a thriving garden representing opportunity, with the path made of equal signs. Hovering above the path, the words "Equality Is Not a Risk, It's an Opportunity" shine brightly.
Merchandise Hashtag: #EqualityOpportunity
Remember to add distinctive features like podcast logos and the host's signature to personalize the merchandise further. These can be translated into engaging visuals to capture the essence of the episode and resonate with the audience, making the merchandise memorable and desirable.
Inclusion Bites Spotlight
Mark Bateman, CEO of Wequill and visionary leader in gender equality, steps into the spotlight on "Igniting Change from the Top", this incendiary episode of The Inclusion Bites Podcast. With a palpable passion for diverse leadership and a mission to drive purposeful change, Mark brings to the table a wealth of experience in supporting women at the c-suite level across global corporates.
Challenging the status quo with each revolutionary idea, Mark advocates vigorously for educating men about the myriad benefits of gender-diverse teams. He strongly champions sponsorship and mentorship for women in the workplace, making a compelling case for why men should leverage their positions of power to foster talent inclusively.
Mark also delves into the critical role women must play by taking bold, intentional actions to further their careers, encouraging them to seek out strong male allies and articulate their professional ambitions with clarity. With his unique insights, he prompts a discussion on how aligning one's personal purpose with their professional pursuits can ignite remarkable transformations.
Throughout the episode, Mark and Joanne Lockwood engage in a thought-provoking dialogue on the trade-offs that often accompany the ascent to top-tier roles and how these demand a dedicated reflection on personal development. They tackle the hurdles that women uniquely face in achieving a harmonious work-life balance due to deep-seated societal constructs and discuss strategies organisations can employ to nurture a culture that champions equal opportunities for success.
Intrigued? Tune into "Igniting Change from the Top" with Mark Bateman to discover the art of leadership that embraces diversity, the virtues of challenging one's perspective, and the power of a leadership style enriched with empathy and maturity. It's more than just a conversation – it's a movement towards redefining the corporate landscape. Don't miss Mark's actionable inspiration that promises to catalyse a true difference in the inclusive world we are all striving to create.
YouTube Description
Title: Igniting Change From the Top | Inclusion Bites Podcast with Joanne Lockwood & Mark Bateman
Description:
"Are you ready to challenge the leadership norms and ignite change at the very top? In this potent episode of Inclusion Bites, Joanne Lockwood and guest Mark Bateman, CEO of Wequill and author of Disruptive Leadership, unravel the strategies to foster gender equality and supercharge diversity within the corporate sphere.
Discover the power of educating men on the need for diverse teams, the pivotal role of mentorship, and how women can take intentional strides towards advancing their career goals. Dive deep into the dialogue on balancing work and family life, breaking through patriarchal expectations, and constructing a workplace culture that truly supports work-life balance.
Mark's insights on pursuing a purposeful career, the ethical considerations of positive discrimination in the hiring process, and the pressing need for leaders to open doors for underrepresented groups will leave you contemplating your role in shaping a fairer, more inclusive world.
The takeaways from this episode are clear: Leaders must be the catalysts for an inclusive, diverse corporate landscape. But what practical steps can you take? Listen as Joanne Lockwood offers actionable insights and challenges the structures that hold back true gender parity.
Let's reshape the way we think about leadership. Tune in, embrace the journey towards inclusion, and lead the charge from the front with Inclusion Bites. Share with us how this conversation has impacted your perspective — we are eager to hear your stories of change and inclusion.
Remember to subscribe and share the podcast to amplify this vital message. Together, we can drive real change towards a more inclusive society.
#InclusionBites #GenderEquality #InclusiveLeadership #DiverseWorkplace #DiversityAndInclusion #WomenInLeadership #MentorshipMatters #CareerAdvancement #WorkLifeBalance #LeadershipChange
🔗 Check out the full episode here: [Podcast URL]
Join the conversation and be part of the change:
📧 Email: jo.lockwood@seechangehappen.co.uk
🔗 Inclusion Bites Podcast: https://seechangehappen.co.uk/inclusion-bites-listen
📚 Find Mark Bateman's "Disruptive Leadership: Using Fire to Drive Purposeful Change" to gain even more valuable insights.
✨Let's ignite change together.✨"
10 Question Quiz
Quiz: Igniting Change From the Top
What does Mark Bateman highlight as a crucial action for women to advance their careers?
A) Attending more networking events
B) Seeking male sponsors and being clear about career goals
C) Learning new languages
D) Relocating to head officesWhat does Joanne Lockwood mention as a significant challenge for women in balancing work and life?
A) Finding time for hobbies
B) Patriarchal expectations and societal pressures
C) Choosing the right career path
D) Time managementAccording to the discussion, what must organizations promote to support work-life balance and enable success for all genders?
A) A hierarchical structure
B) A competitive environment
C) A culture of long working hours
D) A culture that supports work-life balanceWhat does Mark Bateman use to support women in big companies?
A) His personal blog
B) Influencer marketing
C) Programs and events he promotes on LinkedIn
D) A podcast seriesWhere can Mark Bateman's book "Disruptive Leadership: Using Fire to Drive Purposeful Change" be found?
A) In local bookshops only
B) On his personal website
C) Information provided in the podcast
D) Exclusively in librariesHow does Joanne encourage listeners to engage with the podcast?
A) By only listening passively
B) By subscribing and sharing the podcast
C) By sending anonymous feedback
D) By listening at double speedWhat traits do Joanne Lockwood and Mark Bateman discuss in relation to leadership?
A) Academic qualifications
B) Compassion and empathy
C) Fashion sense
D) Networking skillsWhat is suggested as a method to combat implicit hiring bias?
A) Hiring only from top universities
B) Anonymised hiring and work-based samples
C) Word-of-mouth recommendations
D) Increasing salary offersWhat is the percentage of CEOs that are men, showcasing a lack of female representation?
A) 75%
B) 50%
C) 95%
D) 85%What do Mark Bateman and Joanne Lockwood say is essential in leadership roles for building trust and empowerment?
A) Autocratic decision-making
B) A balance between masculine and feminine traits
C) Keeping tradition intact
D) Focus on individual achievements
Answer Key:
B) Seeking male sponsors and being clear about career goals.
Rationale: Mark Bateman emphasizes the importance for women to be proactive in their career advancement by seeking out sponsors and being explicit about their career aspirations.B) Patriarchal expectations and societal pressures.
Rationale: Joanne Lockwood talks about the challenges women face in balancing work and personal life due to traditional societal expectations.D) A culture that supports work-life balance.
Rationale: For all genders to be successful without sacrificing personal or family commitments, it was discussed that organizations need to nurture a work-life balance supportive culture.C) Programs and events he promotes on LinkedIn.
Rationale: Mark promotes activities for supporting women in large corporations through various programs and events, which he shares on LinkedIn.C) Information provided in the podcast.
Rationale: The podcast provides information on where to find Mark Bateman's book, "Disruptive Leadership: Using Fire to Drive Purposeful Change."B) By subscribing and sharing the podcast.
Rationale: Joanne Lockwood expresses her gratitude to listeners and urges them to engage with the podcast actively by subscribing and sharing.B) Compassion and empathy.
Rationale: The discussion touched on the changing nature of leadership and the growing importance of traits such as compassion and empathy in influencing and guiding others.B) Anonymised hiring and work-based samples.
Rationale: To address implicit bias in the recruitment process, the speakers suggest using methods like anonymised hiring and work samples to attract a more diverse demographic.C) 95%.
Rationale: Mark Bateman and Joanne Lockwood discuss the startling statistic that globally, 95% of CEOs are men, highlighting the severe gender disparity in leadership roles.B) A balance between masculine and feminine traits.
Rationale: They discuss the need for leadership traits to have a balance of what are traditionally seen as masculine and feminine qualities to foster an environment of trust and empowerment.
Summary:
In the "Igniting Change From the Top" episode of Inclusion Bites, host Joanne Lockwood and guest Mark Bateman discuss critical steps for empowering women in the workplace, such as seeking male sponsorship and clarity in career goals. They highlight the societal challenges women face to balance work with personal life, exacerbated by patriarchal norms. A culture supporting work-life balance is seen as vital for success across all genders. Mark Bateman uses LinkedIn as a platform to promote female support programs. Through subscribing and sharing, listeners are invited to partake in this ongoing conversation for change. The discussion recognizes compassion and empathy as powerful traits in leadership, and the necessity of anonymised hiring to combat bias and increase diversity. With men holding 95% of CEO positions, there is a pressing need to balance traits traditionally attributed to different genders to build trusting, empowering workplaces. This dialogue underscores the significance of inclusive leadership and the efforts to shift away from entrenched biases in our professional ecosystems.
Rhyme Scheme and Rhythm Podcast Poetry
Title: A Beacon of Change
In corporate towers, a call resounds, a Clarion voice for change,
For diverse teams to take their place, a scope far wider ranged.
The men in suits with open minds, now mentors take their stand,
With women bold who seek and strive, ambition strong and grand.
Their purpose clear, their goals defined, each woman charts her course,
With sponsors by their side aligned, they claim their power source.
To rise, they know, demands their all: commitment's hefty price,
Yet on the road to break the ceiling made of glass or ice.
Personal growth, the beacon bright, one's superpowers to claim,
For work and purpose must unite to fan success's flame.
In balanced lives, we find success, where family, work's aligned,
Where cultures shift, support is rendered, leaving no one behind.
So rise, dear leaders, dare to dream, and challenge thoughts of old,
Embrace the minds that differ, watch new strategies unfold.
With each decision, each deliberate move, let's not repeat past tales,
Of rooms where voices don't contribute, drowned by patriarchal gales.
Anonymise recruits' voices, judge only by their skill,
To build a team that's rich in life, in talent, and in will.
For leadership's a varied art, not bound by gender's sway,
We challenge norms, rewrite the script, for equitable play.
Remember strength comes not from one, but synergy of all,
A mix where empathy and vision form a stronger thrall.
So leaders, foster traits that bind: compassion, care, and might,
For at the top is where the change begins, and sets things right.
Each role we play, each story shared, reflections of our strife,
In this world of many, let inclusion be our life.
Through dialogue we'll spark the shift, by tales of courage wrought,
For in the dance of give and take, true change is always sought.
With thanks to Mark Bateman for a fascinating podcast episode. Please, share your take, subscribe for more, and together let's elevate the floor.
Key Learnings
Key Learning and Takeaway:
Creating an inclusive and diverse workplace requires active participation and leadership from the top. For genuine change to occur, it's essential for leaders to understand the value of a diverse team and to provide sponsorship and mentorship opportunities, particularly for women and other underrepresented groups. Success at higher levels often necessitates serious commitment and possibly sacrifices, but the pursuit of a fulfilling and purposeful career that aligns with one's values can lead to more sustainable outcomes. It's equally critical for organisations to foster a culture that supports work-life balance, enabling all individuals to thrive professionally without compromising personal or familial responsibilities.
Point #1: Leadership Commitment to Diversity
Leaders must not only comprehend but also actively advocate for the advantages of diverse teams, fostering environments where mentorship and sponsorship can thrive. As Mark Bateman highlighted, it is incumbent upon those at the top to be role models and enablers for a more inclusive workplace.
Point #2: Intentional Career Advancement
It's vital for individuals, especially women, to take deliberate steps towards achieving their career goals. Seeking sponsors, setting clear objectives, and aligning work with personal purpose can bolster one's trajectory within the corporate structure.
Point #3: Addressing Systemic Barriers
Joanne Lockwood stressed the importance of recognising and tackling the systemic barriers that disproportionately affect women, such as societal expectations and implicit bias in hiring. Strategies like anonymised hiring processes and prioritising work-based performance can lead to more equitable workplaces.
Point #4: Personal Development and Superpowers
Everyone has unique 'superpowers' — their strengths and talents that can be honed through personal development. Mark Bateman encouraged listeners to identify and harness these attributes, as understanding one's superpowers and goals is crucial for aligning with their purpose and making informed career choices.
Book Outline
'Igniting Change from the Top': A Leadership Handbook for Diversity and Inclusion
Introduction
Briefly introduce the intersections of leadership, diversity, and inclusion, setting the stage for the transformative insights derived from this podcast conversation.
Chapter 1: The Core of Change: Understanding Leadership's Role in Diversity
Segment on Educating Men about Diversity Benefits
Summarize the importance of educating male leadership about the advantages of diverse teams.
Segment on Sponsorship and Mentorship for Women
Discuss the critical role of male sponsors in advancing women's careers.
Segment on Personal Development and ‘Superpowers’
Emphasize aligning individual 'superpowers' with career ambitions.
Chapter 2: Aligning Careers with Purpose
Segment on Deliberate Career Advancement for Women
Elaborate on strategic career advancements for women, including seeking sponsorships.
Segment on High-Level Commitment and Sacrifices
Analyze the dedication and sacrifices required for success at executive levels.
Chapter 3: The Balancing Act: Work, Life, and Leadership
Segment on Work and Family Life Balance
Explore the challenges of balancing work and family life, especially for women.
Segment on Promoting Work-Life Balance in Organizations
Discuss how organizations can foster cultures that support work-life balance.
Chapter 4: Leveraging Influence and Challenging Biases
Segment on CEO's Struggle with Diversity
Include the story of a CEO's challenge in diversifying the executive committee.
Segment on Implicit Bias in Hiring
Examine implicit biases in hiring processes and explore solutions like anonymized hiring.
Chapter 5: The Leadership Spectrum: From Traits to Impact
Segment on Traits Associated with Femininity and Masculinity
Challenge the association of certain traits with femininity and masculinity in leadership.
Segment on the Importance of Diverse Teams
Discuss the necessity of diversity in teams and leadership for long-term organizational success.
Chapter 6: Redefining Leadership and its Aspirations
Segment on The Evolution of Leadership Models
Reflect on the shift from authoritative to collaborative leadership styles.
Segment on The Value of Soft Skills in Leadership
Argue for the importance of empathy and compassion in contemporary leadership.
Chapter 7: Opening Doors for Underrepresented Groups
Segment on The Ethical Implications of Positive Discrimination
Debate the ethical considerations surrounding positive discrimination.
Segment on The Challenges Women Face in Executive Roles
Highlight the barriers women encounter when reaching for executive positions.
Chapter 8: Reframing Leadership for the Future
Segment on Strengths of Women Leaders
Celebrate the resilience, emotional intelligence, and empathy of women leaders.
Segment on Empowering Young and Future Leaders
Provide guidance on empowering the next generation of leaders to overcome societal norms.
Conclusion: A Progressive Future for Leadership
Draw together the main insights from the conversations, emphasizing the need for a new leadership paradigm centered on diversity and inclusion.
Call to Action
Inspire readers to take actionable steps in promoting change within their professional spheres.
Supplementary Content
Throughout the book, integrate relevant statistics, studies, and case studies to strengthen arguments and illustrate the success of inclusive practices. Engage readers with reflective questions and exercises at the end of each chapter, urging them to assess and improve their leadership styles and organizational practices.
Final Touches
Possible book titles rooted in the main themes could include:
"Leadership Rekindled: Fanning the Flames of Diversity and Inclusion"
"The Inclusive Leader: Embracing Diversity from the Executive Suite"
"Elevating Equity: Strategic Leadership for a More Inclusive World"
Each chapter summary will succinctly capture the essence of the guest's perspective, setting clear expectations for the readers while maintaining the conversational tone of the podcast.
Refinement and Feedback
The book outline will undergo rigorous reviews by diversity and inclusion experts and incorporate feedback regarding clarity, coherence, and effectiveness of the content.
Maxims to live by…
Based on the concepts explored in the episode "Igniting Change From the Top" of The Inclusion Bites Podcast, here is a comprehensive list of maxims to live by:
Embrace Diverse Perspectives: To achieve long-term success, actively seek and incorporate different viewpoints within your team and decision-making processes.
Leadership is Inclusive: A true leader not only has a vision but is also able to bring others along by fostering an environment of collaboration and inclusivity.
Mentorship Matters: Seek out and provide sponsorship and mentorship opportunities, particularly to underrepresented groups in the workplace, to ensure a growth pathway for everyone.
Uncover Your Superpowers: Engage in personal development to identify your unique strengths and align your work with your personal goals and purpose.
Drive Purposeful Change: Take bold steps to disrupt the status quo and make difficult decisions that lead to a fulfilling and impactful career.
Balance is Key: Promote and support a culture that encourages work-life balance, enabling all individuals to succeed without compromising personal or family time.
Question Societal Expectations: Challenge implicit biases and unfair societal norms that hinder diversity and inclusion in business and leadership.
Leadership Beyond Gender: Develop and highlight leadership traits like empathy, resilience, and emotional intelligence, irrespective of gender associations.
Take Responsibility for Inclusion: As a leader or individual in a position of influence, actively work towards opening doors for those who are underrepresented in your field.
Redefine Success & Leadership: Broaden the definition of what it means to succeed and lead by embracing diverse leadership styles and fostering equitable representation.
Combat Limiting Beliefs: Empower the next generation to overcome limiting beliefs and societal conditioning that restrict their potential.
Authenticity in Actions: Lead with genuine intention and be truthful about your aspirations and the impact you wish to make.
Change Needs Champions: Be an advocate for change—commit to, sacrifice for, and take decisive action towards building a more inclusive and equitable society.
Diversity Drives Excellence: Recognize that greater diversity in teams leads to better outcomes, including increased innovation, profitability, and employee engagement.
Lead with Compassion: Cultivate soft skills such as empathy and compassion in leadership to build trust and create empowered workspaces.
By living by these maxims, we can contribute to a world where diversity and inclusive excellence are not just aspirations but realities for everyone.
Made with Castmagic
Turn any recording into a page like this.
Upload audio or video — interviews, podcasts, sales calls, lectures. Get a transcript, summary, key takeaways, and social-ready clips in minutes.
Google
Apple
Or learn more about Castmagic first.
Magic Chat
Try asking