Even if you’re committed to making your organization and its C-suite leadership more diverse, your network tends to look like you. And as a result, you build a team of people like you.
But if you seek out coworkers with complementary skills who are willing to challenge you, your team will perform better and have more fun doing it.
So, what can we do as leaders to create a more diverse talent pipeline at work?
D Sangeeta is Founder and CEO at Gotara, a career growth platform for women in STEM. Gotara provides mentoring and nano-learning programs based on the latest research with the goal of closing the gender gap in science, technology, engineering and math.
Sangeeta spent two decades in the corporate world, leading teams at Amazon, Nielson and GE Aviation before launching Gotara in June 2020. She has a PhD in Materials Chemistry from the University of Illinois, holds 26 patents and is the recipient of the Nielson CEO Award, the National Women of Color in Technology Award and the GE Latimer Innovation Award.
On this episode of Workplace Forward, Sangeeta joins me to discuss what gets in the way of creating diverse leadership teams, challenging us to hold space for differing opinions and healthy conflict in our organizations.
Sangeeta explains how to create more diverse talent pipelines and why it’s good for business, describing the Ally Stars and North Star Program Gotara offers current executives and emerging female leaders.
Listen in for Sangeeta’s actionable advice on promoting diversity of thought at work and learn how Gotara can support you in building diverse leadership teams in your organization.
Themes explored in this week’s episode:
- What inspired Sangeeta to build a career growth platform for women in STEM
- What gets in the way of creating diverse leadership teams
- Growing your capacity to hold space for differing opinions and healthy conflict
- How to create a more diverse talent pipeline in your organization
- How a diverse leadership pipeline impacts top-line growth, productivity and net profit
- Gotara’s Ally Stars program to help leaders remove bias and promote inclusivity
- How Sangeeta’s North Star Program serves emerging female leaders
- What you can do from your seat today to promote diversity of thought at work
- Sangeeta’s take on why leaders need to be willing to break the rules
- How Sangeeta’s leadership has evolved through the volatility of the last 2 years
- Why leaders of the future need as much EQ as IQ and how women lead in crises
Resources from this episode:
- Read along with this Workplace Forward Podcast episode’s text transcript
- Connect with D Sangeeta and follow Gotara on LinkedIn
- Follow Gotara on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook
- Learn more about Gotara at https://www.gotara.com/
- Request a demo of Gotara’s Ally or North Star Program
- Explore the research around women leaders in a crisis
I would love to hear from you! Have an idea for a podcast or a question you want me to address? Interested in additional support, resources and workshops? Here are all the ways you can interact with me!
- Tweet me @TeganTrovato
- Email tegan@brightarrowcoaching.com
- Follow me on Facebook @BrightArrowCoaching
- Follow me on Instagram @TeganTrovato
- Connect with me on LinkedIn: Tegan Trovato
- Download free tools and sign up for my newsletter, coaching and workshops at https://www.brightarrowcoaching.com/