Caroline Howard of Forbes writes about what happened after it published a ranking of America’s Most Innovative Leaders that included only one woman out of 100 CEOs and founders, sparking outrage. She chaired a task force to examine the issues.
Howard writes, “When it comes to our quantitative (generally money and wealth) lists, the difficulties we face in gender, racial, identity and background parity are part of larger cultural, social and economic issues. Specifically, the lack of women and people of color is deeply intertwined with their poor representation in positions of leadership and earnings, funding and other opportunity gaps. When this is the case, we must call it out and look for paths to move the conversation forward, including new definitions of success. Specifically:
1. Don’t ignore or hide it. Looking at inequities, disparities and exclusion must be a part of our editorial process. We can distinguish ourselves by exploring these issues prominently in our journalism.
2. Experiment. This is the right time to revise existing lists or create new ones that counterbalance or shine a light on overlooked people and groups.
3. Incorporate new voices and storytelling techniques.”
Read more here.
