GoKawiil
Tech News
A contributor to Entrepreneur describes how being 'the only one' in leadership settings—based on gender, race or background—leads professionals to overprepare, overwork and second-guess themselves. Drawing on her own experience as one of two Black women in a 200-person finance division, she argues these coping behaviors can calcify into a leadership style rooted in survival rather than strategy.
An Entrepreneur contributor describes a client who, as the only person of color on her executive team, started monthly breakfasts open to employees across all levels and departments rather than pursuing typical networking events like golf or drinks. Over two years these gatherings evolved into an informal communication channel that helped colleagues share information and solve problems, and the executive was later promoted to vice president.
New workplace research suggests that professionals benefit more from building networks that span different generations, industries, and backgrounds than from sticking with familiar peer groups. The findings indicate that homogeneous networks, while comfortable, tend to limit exposure to fresh ideas and opportunities.