Diversity Input : Innovative Output

Eleven men, three women - all aged 50+ - and from the same industry. That's about all I can tell from their photos and titles.

This is the composition of a leadership team being charged with leading and creating a dynamic and vibrant community project.

What are they thinking?

Where is the diversity that will give them the innovation that the project and region needs?

Where is youth? Where is the diversity of talent, skills, thinking and backgrounds? Where is the lateral thought, from related or totally different fields? Where is the willingness to learn? Where is the leadership?

In an inspiring contrast, yesterday I spent a thrilling day at the Future of Leadership event in Melbourne. 

Several presenters spoke about leading without a title, without a position and simply doing what needs to be done. 

Most of all, our current world, climate and communities need different ways of thinking and working to solve the challenges we face. 

A key lesson is that you must get diversity plugged into the 'input' part of your project, program or event to ensure you get innovative responses in 'output'. And leaders can make this decision, source the diversity and encourage it. 

There are long paths to travel for many communities and organisations, where diversity hasn't been considered or thought of or it's simply been forgotten. Sometimes people get allocated to leadership teams from the positions they hold, rather than the experiences and diversity they will bring.

We need to encourage teams, communities and groups so they think, invite and act with diversity, are not afraid of it and see it as an opportunity to go further and do better than they have before. 

That is what will bring a dynamic and vibrant result to that community or project!