(continued from front flap) Loudest Duck The Loudest … · In her introduction Laura Liswood makes clear her goal to move us beyond Diversity 1.0. She is successful. The Loudest

LISWOOD$21.95 USA/$25.95 CAN

Diversity in the workplace is a wonderful thing—but it also challenges many of today’s business leaders. For managers and team-

members alike, it can be diffi cult to navigate in a truly diverse workplace made up of people of different cultures, races, creeds, body types, hobbies, genders, religions, styles, and sexual orientations. But understanding our cultural and social differences is a major key to a high-performing, merit-based work environment.

The Loudest Duck is a business guide that explores workplace diversity and presents new ideas for getting the most business and organizational benefi t from it. In the Chinese children’s parable, the loudest duck is the one that gets shot. In America, we like to say that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Comparing the two, it’s easy to see that our different cultures teach us different sets of values, and those values often translate into different ways of doing business that may subtly advantage one culture at work and disadvantage another.

In the global marketplace, it’s more important than ever that we understand and are conscious of our differences to work together effectively. It is not enough to create Noah’s Ark, bringing in two of each kind. We all bring our unconscious beliefs and personal narratives about who we are and who others are with us to work and, with diversity in place, we can no longer ignore them. Truly effective leaders can’t pretend that we’re all the same or that our preferences and preconceptions don’t exist. The Loudest Duck offers a way to move beyond traditional diversity efforts that ignore our differences and toward modern diversity practices that embrace those differences—and profi t from them.

Diverse organizations require more sophisticated leadership, conscious awareness of diversity issues, new behavioral patterns, and effective tools for reaping the benefi ts of true diversity. This book will help you develop the skills you need and the tools you can use to go beyond what Grandma taught you to make diversity work in your business.

More than just an enlightening tale about diversity, The Loudest Duck is a powerful resource for any manager, business owner, team leader, or employee who wants to meet the challenges of the modern heterogeneous workplace. It’s not simply about accepting others—it’s about ensuring a level playing fi eld for everyone and building an organization that gets the best from all its people.

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LAURA LISWOOD is a Senior Advisor and former managing director for Global Leadership and Diversity at Goldman Sachs and is Secretary General of the Council of Women World Leaders. She has held executive positions in the

banking, cable television, and airline industries, and cofounded The White House Project.

For more information, please visitwww.lauraliswood.com or www.theloudestduck.com.

Jacket Design: Paul McCarthyJacket Image: © Getty Images

the Loudest Duck

Moving B

eyond Diversity W

hile Embracing

Differences TO A

chieve Success at Work

Moving Beyond DiversityWhile Embracing Dif ferences

TO

Achieve Success at Work

“ Laura Liswood has both great theoretical and practical understanding of diversity—why it is important in organizations and why attempts to create it often fail to deliver. The Loudest Duck is essential reading for anyone who wants to maximize the effectiveness of organizations or just wants to understand why things are the way they are.”—Rt. Hon. Kim Campbell, Canada’s 19th and fi rst female prime minister

“ Laura Liswood brilliantly shows us how to get to Diversity 2.0 and beyond. A workplace of people from different backgrounds can lead to tensions, but this book shows, with great insights and examples, how it can lead to real creativity instead. It’s an indispensable guide for managers and leaders—and also for anyone who wants to succeed in any aspect of life.”—Walter Isaacson, President and Chief Executive Offi cer, The Aspen Institute

“ Laura’s timing is perfect, and her message is spot on. Embracing diversity creates competitive advantage. Her book should be mandatory reading for everyone in business today. In the most engaging, fun, and real way, Laura gets to the heart of the opportunity—enabling Noah’s diverse fl oating Ark to fl y to the moon and beyond.”—Beth Brooke, Global Vice Chair of Public Policy, Sustainability and Stakeholder Engagement, Ernst & Young

“ The Loudest Duck is one of the clearest and most profoundly informative analyses of why, despite decades of effort and investment, most diversity initiatives fail to produce the promised benefi ts to organizations or their employees. This book goes beyond analysis and provides a new language of metaphor that captures the unexamined dynamics of dominance, unearned privilege, and unconscious bias that undermine our attempts to create truly diverse and inclusive workplaces. It is a must reading for leaders who are serious about diversity and inclusion in their organizations.”—David A. Thomas, H. Naylor Fitzhugh Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School; author of Breaking Through: The Making of Minority Executives in Corporate America

Praise for the Loudest Duck

Laura LiswoodSenior Advisor, Goldman Sachs

P1: OTA/XYZ P2: ABCJWBT179-fm JWBT179-Liswood September 14, 2009 22:0 Printer Name: Courier Westford, Westford, MA

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Praise for The Loudest Duck

“Laura Liswood has both great theoretical and practical understanding ofdiversity—why it is important in organizations and why attempts to createit often fail to deliver. The Loudest Duck is essential reading for anyonewho wants to maximize the effectiveness of organizations or just wants tounderstand why things are the way they are.”—Rt. Hon. Kim Campbell

Canada’s 19th and first female Prime Minister

“Diversity is a popular buzzword, but too many organizations treat it aswindow dressing. Laura Liswood explains how successful leaders learn tovalue diversity for the advantages it brings. This book is clearly written, savvy,and wise.”—Joseph S. Nye Jr.

University Distinguished Service Professor at Harvard University;Author of The Powers to Lead

“The Loudest Duck is a must read for managers and leaders of multinationalcorporations and international organizations. It provides an insightful lookand fresh approach to cultural and gender differences that must be betterunderstood for a more effective workplace.”—Ann M. Veneman

Executive Director, UNICEF

“Laura Liswood brilliantly shows us how to get to Diversity 2.0 and beyond.A workplace of people from different backgrounds can lead to tensions, butthis book shows, with great insights and examples, how it can lead to realcreativity instead. It’s an indispensable guide for managers and leaders—andalso for anyone who wants to succeed in any aspect of life.”—Walter Isaacson

President and Chief Executive Officer, The Aspen Institute

“Laura’s timing is perfect and her message is spot on. Embracing diversitycreates competitive advantage. Her book should be mandatory reading foreveryone in business today. In the most engaging, fun, and real way, Lauragets to the heart of the opportunity—enabling Noah’s diverse floating Ark tofly to the moon and beyond.”—Beth Brooke

Global Vice Chair of Public Policy,Sustainability and Stakeholder Engagement, Ernst & Young

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“Globalized businesses are increasingly aware that diversity belongs in theboardroom, not the public relations department, so The Loudest Duck is beau-tifully timed. Liswood is thoughtful and thought-provoking. Best of all, she’spractical, helping ambitious employees from nondominant groups to provetheir worth, and advising leaders how to transform diversity from rhetoricinto an engine for innovation and growth.”—Kevin Kelley

Chief Executive Officer, Heidrick & Struggles

“Iconoclastic and savvy, Laura Liswood’s The Loudest Duck reminds us thatnot all diversities in the Ark are equal: Some in the Ark are louder and theyget heard most. Combining an impressive breadth of research with colorfulstories from corporate life, this book is essential reading for anyone who isserious about reaping the promise of diversity at work.”—Herminia Ibarra

Professor of Organizational BehaviorThe Cora Chaired Professor of Leadership and LearningDirector, INSEAD Leadership Initiative

“Brilliant! Liswood offers unique insight and fresh tools for a Diversity 2.0world. Drawing on thinkers from Thucydides to Malcolm Gladwell, and onmore than three decades of executive experience, she offers leaders ideas forbuilding a meritocracy that will ensure corporate success.”—Robin Gerber

Author of Leadership the Eleanor Roosevelt Wayand Barbie and Ruth

“The Loudest Duck is one of the clearest and most profoundly informativeanalyses of why, despite decades of effort and investment, most diversityinitiatives fail to produce the promised benefits to organizations or theiremployees. This book goes beyond analysis and provides a new language ofmetaphor that captures the unexamined dynamics of dominance, unearnedprivilege, and unconscious bias that undermine our attempts to create trulydiverse and inclusive workplaces.

In her introduction Laura Liswood makes clear her goal to move usbeyond Diversity 1.0. She is successful. The Loudest Duck has the potentialto usher in Diversity 2.0, a new conversation and approach to changing ourorganizations and ourselves. It is a must reading for leaders who are seriousabout diversity and inclusion in their organizations.”—David A. Thomas

H. Naylor Fitzhugh Professor of Business Administration,Harvard Business SchoolAuthor of Breaking Through: The Making of Minority Executivesin Corporate America

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theLoudestDuck

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theLoudestDuck

Moving Beyond D ive rs i t yWh i l e Embrac ing D i f f e rences

T O

Ach ieve Success a t Work

Laura Liswood

John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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Copyright C© 2010 by Laura Liswood. All rights reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.Published simultaneously in Canada.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted inany form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, orotherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States CopyrightAct, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization throughpayment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600, or on the web atwww.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to thePermissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030,(201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their bestefforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to theaccuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any impliedwarranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created orextended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies containedherein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional whereappropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any othercommercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or otherdamages.

For general information on our other products and services or for technical support, pleasecontact our Customer Care Department within the United States at (800) 762-2974, outsidethe United States at (317) 572-3993 or fax (317) 572-4002.

Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears inprint may not be available in electronic books. For more information about Wiley products,visit our web site at www.wiley.com.

ISBN 978-0-470-48584-2

Printed in the United States of America.

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To my sister, Jan

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Contents

Acknowledgments xi

Introduction xv

Chapter 1 Beware of Noah’s Ark 1

Objections to Diversity 26

Chapter 2 The Elephant and the Mouse 31

Combining Forces 41Point of View 46

Chapter 3 Tell Your Grandma to Go Home 49

Necessary but Not Sufficient 52Preconceived Notions Have Roots 54

Chapter 4 What’s Easy for You Is Hard for Me andHow to Navigate the Differences 65

Getting Noticed in Noah’s Ark 67Getting Out of Your Own Comfort Zone 72Critical Feedback 83Who Apologizes and Who Interrupts 91Mentoring 94

Chapter 5 Unwritten Rules 99

Subtle Inequities 103

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x Contents

Chapter 6 We Hire for Difference and FireBecause They Are Not the Same 113

The Danger of Unconscious Thinking,Speaking, and Acting 113

Chapter 7 The Tools in Your Toolbox 135

Think about the People on Your Team 139Learn to Recognize Other People’s

“Grandmas” 140Fair and Equal with Access, Knowledge, and

Feedback 142Be Careful with Your Words, and How You

Interpret the Words of Others 144The Silent Have Something to Say 146Results Should Be the Determinant 147Conclusion 148

References 151

Index 157


Acknowledgments

I have been incredibly fortunate in my career and life tohave many people take an interest in the work I do andwho have shared the same passion I have about leadership.So many have reached out and boosted me along thejourney.

My work has benefitted from women and men wholive brave, courageous, curious, spirited lives, and havespent their lives wanting to change and improve the world.

They are a diverse lot and I honor them.Perhaps most fortunate in my path, I have been able to

work for and with an extraordinary group of people aroundthe world. I could not have imagined that I would callfriends Vigdis Finnbogadottir, former President of Ice-land; Kim Campbell, former Prime Minister of Canada;and Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland. Each ofthem has guided and cared about me, the work of leader-ship, and that of the Council of Women World Leaders.

Goldman Sachs is an exceptional organization filledwith gifted and talented people. I have worked with andbeen supported by so many, it is difficult to know whereto start. I must acknowledge and thank Edith Hunt, asuperb manager and thinker on issues of human capital,

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xii Acknowledgments

diversity, and much beyond. Lloyd Blankfein, Chairmanof Goldman Sachs, chaired the original diversity commit-tee at the firm and he really sets the standard for the orga-nization and for its management. He also taught me thathumor goes a long way. Edith Cooper, Kevin Kennedy,John Rogers, Esta Stecher, Sarah Smith, Abby JosephCohen, Carol Pledger, Aynesh Johnson, Lucas Van Praag,Donna Fisher, Bob Hormats, and Steve Kerr are just somewho make Goldman Sachs so unique and in the forefrontof the challenges facing global and diverse companies.

I must thank Robin Gerber for her constant upbeat en-ergy and marketing savvy. My agents, Howard Yoon andGail Ross, continue to believe in my work and to supportmy seemingly endless efforts. Melinda Wolfe, Kimber-ley Bentley, Clarissa Bonde are great allies, and friends.Adrienne Arsht, who “but for” her belief in my work onwomen leaders, I would never have gone down this path.The Aspen Institute, under Walter Isaacson, has been anintellectual home.

Leaders who have been especially generous withtheir time and their help, their experience and wisdominclude Joseph Nye, Jr., David Gergen, Laura Tyson,Christine Di Stefano (who has been there since the be-ginning), Harinder Kohli, Janet Napolitano, Cherie Blair,Pepper Schwartz, Heather Wilson, Gwen Ifil, MadeleineAlbright, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, and Margot Wallstrom.Edited interviews with some of these leaders can be foundon the book’s website www.theloudestduck.com.


Acknowledgments xiii

Thanks must also be given to Klaus Schwab, the vi-sionary leader who conceived of the World EconomicForum, and Saadia Zahidi, who have given me the gift ofa seat at the table and an unparalleled view of the world.

To the men and women of the Washington, DCMetropolitan Police Department, you are my heroes.

Special thanks to the scholars, researchers, and writ-ers in the field of diversity including Deborah Tannen,Debbie Walsh, Anna Fels, Ilene Lang, Melanne Verveer,Linda Babcock, Richard Fox, Sylvia Ann Hewlett, DavidThomas, Pippa Norris, Herminia Ibarra, Beth Brooke, IrisBohnet, Amanda Ellis, Barbara Lee, Patricia Deyton, andmany more great thinkers doing work on this importantpart of leadership.

To my family of relatives and friends, two-footed andfour-footed, thank you for your support. Thank you to,among many others, Linda and Caitlin, Melody andCandace, Mel S., Tom, Amy and Richard, Carol and Bob,Bruce and Susan, my mother Dorothy, the Hartmans,Deborah and Ann, Laurie and Jan E., Lew, Michael, andthe ever-purring Mao. You always encourage my efforts,listen patiently to my complaints, and gently suggest—you are so important to me. And to my sister Jan, Imiss you.

Finally, no book is an island. Alina Dumitrasc of theCouncil of Women World Leaders supports me fully, andBridget Samburg was crucial to the book’s creation anda powerful voice to me. Ashley Allison, Christine Moore,

Documents

(continued from front flap) Loudest Duck The Loudest … · In her introduction Laura Liswood makes clear her goal to move us beyond Diversity 1.0. She is successful. The Loudest