Success Through Diversity: Why the Most Inclusive Companies Will Win

Racially homogenous organizations aren’t just bad for society—they’re terrible for the bottom line, argues Fulp, president and CEO of the Partnership, a search and leadership development organization, in this convincing and sorely needed work. It’s long been understood that a diverse network is valuable for individual career advancement, but Fulp observes that it’s also valuable for companies, citing a McKinsey study showing companies with the most diverse boards averaged returns on equity over 50% higher than companies with the least. She shares stories from her own career and highly publicized instances of companies getting it right or badly wrong—in the former case, how Lyft won away some of Uber’s clientele by publicly prioritizing minorities affected by the Trump administration’s travel ban over its own profit. Focusing on change at the top, mainly board and leadership diversification, Fulp notes that consumer expectations have changed, with Americans increasingly interested in company ethics and values. Bolstered with clear steps and advice for companies seeking to be better global citizens—ensuring, for example, that their ads don’t show only white people—Fulp’s book gives businesspeople the tools they need to prepare for an ever more ethnically and racially diverse society. (Oct.)