From Awareness to Allyship: A Journey of Curiosity and Commitment

Part Two in a Series on Leadership and Inclusion

In Part One of this series, I shared how my own “white male epiphany” moment of listening to a colleague describe being racially profiled in front of his son sent me down a rabbit trail of questions. Such as, what other challenges were my friends and colleagues facing that I just didn’t know or understand? What else didn’t I see?

That moment didn’t instantly turn me into an ally. But it sparked something deeper: Curiosity.

Around that time, two other events happened. These pivotal events seemed coincidental and unrelated, but they set me on a journey of learning and discovery.

Tom Peters, Two Chapters and One Wake-Up Call

I watched a Tom Peters presentation based on his book Re-imagine! Business Excellence in a Disruptive Age. Two chapters struck me like lightning.

• Women Roar
• Meet the New Boss!

Both chapters related to my work. While there are literally hundreds of examples in the book (and I encourage everyone to read it!), these really stuck out to me as essential data points:

Women Roar

• Women make 85% of all consumer purchases in the B2C world.
• 97% of ad agency creative teams are run by men. (And today, 25 years later? That number still sits at 91%.)
• In Tom Peters’ words, “Men are totally, hopelessly, clueless about women.”

Meet the New Boss!

• Peters provocatively suggested that companies fire all-male sales teams.
• With Boomers retiring (10,000 per day), he predicted women would fill the leadership void.
• He said smart companies would ‘double-down’ on advancing women to stay competitive.

This was the first time I’d seen women framed as a business opportunity, not just a “diversity issue.” It made sense. It made business sense. It also led me to write my first book, Selling to Men, Selling to Women.

Around the same time, my company began launching Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). I made a point to attend every kick-off: the African-American group, the Hispanic group, the LGBTQ group and the Women’s Forum.

I wasn’t a member of any of those communities, but I showed up because I wanted to listen and learn. I wanted to know what their members were experiencing and quite frankly, to answer the nagging question, “What don’t I know?”

At the Women’s Forum, there were about 40 people in the room. The newly appointed president, Mary, happened to be a good friend. As the meeting wrapped up and people were being asked to take on committee roles, I started to head for the door.

Mary stopped me.

I said, “Well, this is a membership event. Maybe I can recommend some women to lead a committee.”

Mary didn’t flinch. She looked me in the eye and said, “Jeffery, you have a background in strategic planning. I want you to chair the strategic planning committee for the Women’s Forum.”

I laughed. She didn’t.

Mary was a rising rockstar—someone you don’t say no to. And just like that, I stepped into leadership for an initiative I didn’t fully understand—but was committed to learning more about.

From Strategy to Advocacy

Over the coming years I would do extensive research into what women were experiencing in the workforce. I heard from them firsthand, and I studied the latest research from McKinsey, Deloitte, Catalyst and many more. As chair, I led the planning effort, and with the help of countless others, grew the organization’s Women Forum from 80 local members to more than 3,000 global participants.

I learned critical lessons during this time. One lesson from Tom Peters stuck with me–and it’s still true 25 years later.

Most companies do not have a clearly articulated business strategy for their diversity initiatives. Something everyone can articulate. Diversity must be owned by the business; it is not an HR initiative it is a business driver. What does your salesforce look like, what do your multicultural marketing initiatives look like, and how does your diversity strategy tie directly to revenue and operating profit?

I’m not talking about a value statement. Not an HR policy. But rather a real, measurable business strategy for diversity. A strategy that ties DEI to growth, innovation and profit.

This clearly defined strategy must be owned by the business and should help answer these questions:

• Does your salesforce reflect your customers?
• Does your marketing resonate with diverse audiences?
• Does your culture drive talent out the door?

Then it’s time to ask: What’s our DEI strategy actually doing?

What’s the Big Deal? (And Why So Many Still Don’t Get It)

One of the biggest barriers to progress today isn’t resistance—it’s apathy. “It’s 2025. Do we still need this?”

Yes. And if you’re asking that question, it’s time to dig deeper.

• Do you understand what microaggressions look like?
• Have you read the research on unconscious bias?
• Have you examined your performance management and promotion systems? Many are still stacked against women and people of color, no matter how qualified they are.

Over the past 25 years, I’ve written and spoken extensively about these issues. I’ve shared data, told stories and challenged companies to do better.

Your Next Step

Below are links to five of my most-read blogs and recent research. I invite you to read them. Better yet, discuss them at your next team meeting.

Reading and resources:

• White Papers, Articles, Podcasts and Additional Resources
• Creating an Integrated Women’s Leadership Strategy
• The 80/80/80 Solution
• Why Male Allyship is Critical
• What Men Really Think About DEI

Ask:

• What does this look like in our company?
• In our department?
• In our leadership team?

And if you disagree with my conclusions—great.

Just promise me one thing: Do your own research.

Because if you really dig in, I think you’ll find what I did–it’s eye-opening.

Coming soon: Part Three—What Male Allyship Really Looks Like in Practice