Overview

"The idea for this book came to Martin Davidson during a disarmingly honest conversation with a CFO he worked with. ""Look,"" the executive said, clearly troubled. ""I know we can get a diverse group of people around the table. But so what? What difference does it really make to getting bottom-line results?"" Answering the ""so what?"" led Davidson to explore the flaws in how companies typically manage diversity. They don't integrate diversity into their overall business strategy. They focus on differences that have little impact on their business. And often their diversity efforts end up hindering the professional development of the very people they were designed to help. Davidson explains how what he calls Leveraging Difference. turns persistent diversity problems into solutions that drive business results. Difference becomes a powerful source of sustainable competitive advantage instead of a distracting mandate handed down from HR. To begin with, leaders must identify the differences most important to achieving organizational goals, even if the differences aren't the obvious ones. The second challenge is to help employees work together to understand the ways these differences matter to the business. Finally, leaders need to experiment with how to use these relevant differences to get things done. Davidson provides compelling examples of how organizations have tackled each of these challenges. Ultimately this is a book about leadership. As with any other strategic imperative, leaders need to take an active role-drive rather than just delegate. Successfully leveraging difference can be what distinguishes an ordinary organization from an extraordinary one."

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9781605093437

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<p> Martin Davidson has developed a transformative insight: that a key to building innovative companies is to replace well-intentioned but generally ineffective 'managing diversity' programs with Leveraging Difference initiatives. I would highly recommend this book to any CEO, manager, or HR professional who wants to build a sustainable, high-performance organization. <br> --Decker Anstrom, US Ambassador, World Radiocommunication Conference, US Department of State; former President, Landmark Communications; and former Chair, The Weather Channel Companies<p> This book presents a realistic look at the diversity challenge and proposes pragmatic ways to achieve meaningful change along with useful tools for the journey. I wish that I had read this before I became CEO. <br> --Steve Reinemund, Dean of Business, Wake Forest University School of Business, and retired Chair and CEO, PepsiCo<p> Martin Davidson brings a fresh and compelling look at why our three-decades-long investment in 'managin

<p> Martin Davidson has developed a transformative insight: that a key to building innovative companies is to replace well-intentioned but generally ineffective 'managing diversity' programs with Leveraging Difference initiatives. I would highly recommend this book to any CEO, manager, or HR professional who wants to build a sustainable, high-performance organization. <br> --Decker Anstrom, US Ambassador, World Radiocommunication Conference, US Department of State; former President, Landmark Communications; and former Chair, The Weather Channel Companies<p> This book presents a realistic look at the diversity challenge and proposes pragmatic ways to achieve meaningful change along with useful tools for the journey. I wish that I had read this before I became CEO. ?<br> --Steve Reinemund, Dean of Business, Wake Forest University School of Business, and retired Chair and CEO, PepsiCo<p> Martin Davidson brings a fresh and compelling look at why our three-decades-long investment in 'manag

Finally, a diversity book that dares to tell the truth about the limitations of the managing diversity paradigm. Davidson (Darden Graduate School of Business, Univ. of Virginia) offers evidence-based arguments that call for a new way to see and engage diversity in organizations, using his Leveraging Difference model. He is quick to point out that the stark contrast between the two diversity approaches he describes is magnified for effect, but he does not exaggerate the frustrations felt by practitioners tasked with implementing the quick-fix diversity initiatives, which usually end up an extension of the HR department and an add-on to core organizational strategies. The author discusses how an emphasis on comfort-focused verses purpose-focused diversity programs has ensured that past efforts resulted in only short-term gains, which were not necessarily tied to the bottom line. Some striking examples of leveraging difference come from Davidson's clients, and the insights gained through the more strategic approach presented in this book give hope to practitioners of diversity training like this reviewer. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels of undergraduate and graduate students, researchers/faculty, and practitioners.--G.E. Leaf Choice Magazine (05/01/2012)

Author Information

Martin N. Davidson is associate professor of leadership and organizational behavior at the Darden School of Business, University of Virginia, and served as associate dean and chief diversity officer. He has consulted with dozens of Fortune 500 firms, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations, including Merrill Lynch Global Wealth & Investment Management, AT&T, Pitney Bowes, Harvard University, and the Nature Conservancy. He was elected chair of the Gender and Diversity in Organizations Division of the Academy of Management and has been featured in numerous media outlets including the New York Times, Businessweek, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and National Public Radio.

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