Intentional Power: The 6 Essential Leadership Skills for Triple Bottom Line Impact.
Intentional Power is a modern leadership guide built on HEARTI®—Humility, Empathy, Accountability, Resiliency, Transparency, and Inclusivity. Discover six essential power skills to drive purpose, profit, and people-forward results. Backed by real-world experience, this book equips today’s leaders to lead with intention and impact. Redefine success—start your leadership transformation now.
Everything has changed
Workplaces have seen radical evolutions in recent years. A global pandemic upended life as we know it only a few years after movements like Black Lives Matter and #MeToo shifted norms, redefined leadership, and reshaped how and where we work. As a result, multiple stakeholders, including in-demand diverse talent, are demanding more from corporations and their leaders than ever before.
“The 21st century workplace requires leaders who can manage and inspire today’s increasingly diverse workforce. This research shows that those men who are committed and engaged in DE&I are the very leaders companies need to succeed in today’s complex environment.”
— Antonio Lucio, Principal & Founder 5SDiversity. Former Global CMO Meta, HP, Visa, and Pepsico
How are men showing up?
In the spring of 2022, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation approached PrismWork to help them understand how men are leading in today’s complex environment.
Why focus on men? Because while we’ve seen gains by white women, people of color, LGTBQ+, and other non-majority employees, men - and particularly white men - are still the majority of those in power. As a result, men are uniquely positioned to be the biggest catalysts for change in the workplace and beyond.
We surveyed and interviewed nearly 2,400 men (knowledge workers) across the country. The research participants were college educated and worked across a variety of industries including tech, financial services, marketing / advertising, consulting and more.
This is what they told us….
“Challenges facing men too often remain in the shadows. But tackling them is essential for achieving workplace equality. As this research shows, men overwhelmingly want to help build a level playing field in the workplace but face huge pressures fueled by Mad Men-era thinking about gender roles, leadership, and opportunity for all.”
— Josh Levs, Author, All In: How Our Work-First Culture Fails Dads, Families, and Businesses— And How We Can Fix It Together
And… men know they have advantages
agree that men have more advantages in the workplace.
of white men agree that men have advantages versus…
of men of color agree that men have advantages.
“As a white, CIS, man, I feel it is important to hold myself to higher expectations in terms of putting in work to ensure I am educated on DE&I initiatives and am working to correct and improve the workplace for all minorities.”
— Research Participant
“The great leaders of the future will balance operating profit with sustainable leadership…including fostering cultures that benefit ALL stakeholders.”
— Clarke Murphy, Former CEO, Russell Reynolds and author of Sustainable Leadership: Lessons of Vision, Courage, and Grit from the CEOs Who Dared to Build A Better World
“I feel lucky I work for a company that values diversity and is not afraid to have women and people of color in leadership positions.”
— Research Participant
“The more involved I’ve become with DE&I, the better prepared I feel as a leader.”
— Research Participant
“Many of our best hires are people who were overlooked elsewhere. It’s great for them, for us, and it also helps us build bridges to our clients.”
— Research Participant
“Companies are finally making diversity and inclusion a priority. Leaders who aren’t moving forward are being left behind.”
— David Chun, CEO of Equilar
What’s holding men back?
Amidst the rising sense of overwhelm, the lack of clarity by senior leaders and companies, and the ongoing anxiety around “getting it wrong,” men continue to miss the foundational link between DE&I and their own success in the new world of work.
IT’S TIME FOR A RESET
Fear of blame and shame
It’s time for men to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Zero-sum thinking
It’s time for men to move past limiting beliefs that hold themselves, their colleagues, and their companies back.
Work/Life balance challenges
It’s time for employers to support men as caregivers.
Overwhelm and burnout
It’s time for leaders to reframe success to include DE&I.
#MeToo missteps
It’s time for men to recognize that collaborating with women can, and does, help men advance as inclusive leaders.
Lack of corporate clarity and metrics
It’s time for companies to embed DEI into every aspect of the employee experience and hold leaders accountable.
Unclear on how to “respectfully” engage
It’s time to proactively include men so they can be part of the DE&I solution, rather than outsiders or observers.
“Most men believe in diversity, equity, and inclusion and want to be part of the solution, but feel like they need to be invited into the conversation with a clear expectation of their role.”
— Dr. Brad Johnson, Professor, U.S. Naval Academy and co-author, Good Guys: “How Men Can be Better Allies for Women in the Workplace”
“Until we have true accountability that requires leaders to be inclusive, DE&I is a choice for those who are part of the majority. But by choosing to not engage, you lose the opportunity to attract and retain the top talent which hurts your company and you.”
— Lybra Clemons, Chief Diversity Officer, Twilio
“We cannot ignore the dramatically shifting roles of men in organizations and relationships. It’s a corporate and societal imperative that we focus resources and capital on initiatives that help men prepare for, adapt to, and learn to succeed.”
— Jack Myers, Chairman and Founder, MediaVillage, Author of The Future of Men