2 Male Influencers All Men Should Know
Do you know these men?
They are engaging men in new ways and are turning the gender conversation on its head.
They are broadening the narrow definition of “manhood” and challenging the traditional role of men in the workplace.
They are fighting hard against bias and telling other men to not withdraw, but step out and step up.
These are the experts, influencers, and leaders that you need to know, in their own words:
1. Justin Baldoni
“I’ve got a challenge for the guys…Can you use the same qualities that you think make you a man, to go deeper into yourself? Your strength, your bravery, your toughness…can we redefine what they mean and use them to explore our hearts? Are you brave enough to be vulnerable? Are you strong enough to be sensitive? To cry, whether you are hurting or you’re happy?
“Are you confident enough to listen to the women in your life? To hear their ideas, their solutions, to hold their anguish, and actually believe them, even if what they are saying is even against you?”
“Will you be man enough to stand up to locker room talk, stories of sexual harassment? When you hear your boys talking about grabbin’ ass or getting her drunk, will you stand up and do something?”
“This is serious stuff…this is real. I’m just scratching the surface…”
“I believe that as men, we start to see past our privilege and recognize we are not just part of the problem. We are the problem. The glass ceiling exists because we put it there…”
“And words are no longer enough.”
2. Jeffrey Halter
When it comes to engaging men in leadership’s advancement, “most men are afraid to say or do the wrong thing, so choose not to engage.”
“The man code says avoid all things soft and feminine. They are weak and have no place in business today.”
“17 out of 20 leaders are men in the workplace. What are we going to do about that?”
“How can women create momentum and lead change through male engagement? Men aren’t going to do it on their own. We need to be invited into this conversation.”
“There’s a concept known as ‘male leader gender fatigue’. Men look around the company, see a lot of women, and assume they’re doing a good job. 56% of men, versus 39% of women think women have made considerable progress in the past ten years.”
“So how do you go out and create champions?”
“I’m the father of a son… I had what they call a white male epiphany, when you realize what white male privilege is and the world revolved around me; I became very active in the diversity space, learned that women are really the linchpin. If companies can’t have a really honest conversation around women, then why are we going to talk about race or sexual orientation or a host of other subjects…”
“The man code: 1) Avoid all things feminine, which is drilled into every little boy from the time you set foot into the playground. 40 years later, it’s a business cultural term. The other man code is 2) Be a winner, which makes us think, if I’m advocating for women, then men must be left behind, which isn’t true. 3) Be tough, put work before family.
“So how do we engage men in this conversation? You need to make the business case so I understand as a leader – the business case is overwhelming, it is a macro-trend.”
“85% of new entries into the workforce is women and minorities. The workforce looks significantly different. 10,000 Boomers – people who look like me – are leaving the workplace every day.”
“Most companies are focused on “Fix the Women Programs”: ‘Go take one more course, one more rotational assignment, and then you’ll be good enough to get promoted.’ Let me tell you you’re already good enough. These programs are not driving progress.”
“So talk to us [men] about the head (business case) and heart (our daughters, and sons); talk to us about our responsibility to drive change in this country for our daughters, and our sons.”
BONUS: MARC
“Men Advocating for Real Change”
“MARC” is not a person, but it’s a community for men that want to make a difference, with resources, networking opportunities, research, programming and events, facilitated by Catalyst, Inc.. Catalyst is a global nonprofit that works with some of the world’s most powerful CEOs and leading companies to help build workplaces that work for women.
Research shows that when men are actively involved in gender diversity, 96% of companies report progress. When men are not involved, only 30% show progress.
“Conversations about gender tend to be one-sided and focus on women’s perspectives. But men who join our community want to know: what does it mean to be a man at work and in society? In what ways does workplace culture affect men’s and women’s careers? What can men to do to support change that benefits all?”
YOUR TURN.
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