Читать книгу The Elephant and the Mouse - Laura A. Liswood - Страница 7

My friend, dynamic businesswoman, and wonderful supporter Adrienne Arsht will say to me as we end a phone call or after a delightful dinner, “To be continued.” This is how I feel about the journey that I have been on for diversity, equity, inclusion, and women's empowerment. The arc of my career always returns to these personal and professional passions.

It has been 10 years since I wrote The Loudest Duck, and to rephrase a French saying, the more things change, the more they stay the same. I celebrate the great progress that has been made in our diverse world. The fact that there is more call for wanting real change is heartening. When I was in college, I could not even think to be considered for a Rhodes scholarship or be admitted into a military academy. I probably would not have attained either of those goals, but the choice was not mine to seek. Today, young, talented, ambitious women can do so, and they know the contributions they can make.

However, the fact that less change has been made than many of us hoped falls into the “to be continued” category. In the book, I quote from the World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap Report. The gap continues and the date of its demise stretches further and further away. I want to acknowledge Saadia Zahidi, a managing director of the Forum, for her tireless work on gender and for making a global meeting place like Davos much more reflective of the achievements of women and others not automatically included. She ensures that women have a seat at the table and she continues to expand our knowledge of what equality looks like for all.

I like to write, but my writing often sounds the way I speak, with run‐on sentences and looping bits of logic, full of less than succinct opinion. I must thank my editor Bridget Samburg, who worked with me on The Loudest Duck and now The Elephant and the Mouse. If these books are readable and of value, Bridget is one of the main reasons they are so.

I reread the acknowledgment pages of The Loudest Duck and I am grateful and relieved that many of the people I acknowledged then are the ones I feel the same way about now. The joy is that there are people who have entered my life and helped support my efforts on this journey and who have brought new thinking and impact to the diversity, equity, and inclusion world.

Scholars and practitioners whom I admire in this field, whom I have learned greatly from and quote here, have been continual supporters of mine. They include Herminia Ibarra, professor at the London Business School; Iris Bohnet from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government; Mark Kaplan and Mason Donovan of the Dagoba Group; Kathleen McQuiggan from Artemis Financial Advisors; Kendall Wright, CEO of Entelechy; Steven Frost of Included; Beth Brooke, former vice chair of EY; Marques Benton, chief diversity officer of Loomis Sayles; Adam Grant, professor at Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania; Joerg Schmitz at Thomas Leland. Rafael Polanco's and Brogiin Keeton's observations as practitioners help keep me grounded. This list is by no means exhaustive as I continually learn from those who embrace a passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion.

I especially admire the thousands of people who speak out, protest, and rightly demand a fair and respectful world.

In 2014 I retired from the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department as a reserve sergeant. I was proud to serve with my fellow officers, who strive to act to the highest standards that everyone deserves. I am disheartened by policing actions experienced by some communities and appreciative of those who see the need for systemic reform and who give voice to that need.

The cliché that no man (woman) is an island is true, at least in my lived experience. I have had unconditional support from many. It is unconditional in that my friends and family want to be present for me and also keep me from going too far down any rabbit holes I am inclined to fall into. This extended family that I was both born into and choose include my “sister” cousin Judy Liswood Stokes and her husband, a noted leader in health care, Chuck Stokes. They and Josh, Joel, Neil and Sherry, David, Lidia, Ellen, Ken, Debby, and Dori are dear family to me. Adrienne, one of the most powerful and impactful women leaders I know has supported me in so many ways. Melody and Candace have been part of my chosen family for decades, along with Linda, Caitlin, Lew, Luke and Robert, Jim and Kathy, Natalie and Jim, Amy, Lily, Nik and Melissa, Mel S., the Hill family, and so many more family and friends.

Professionally, I am surrounded by an extraordinary team who always goes above and beyond in their efforts. The Council of Women World Leaders is a vibrant organization because of a dedicated group, including Patricia Deyton, Sarah Wildi, Caroline Wachtell, Claudia Boscan Medina, and Rachel Berman. Sarah gave a keen eye to the writing and Rachel was my research associate for this book.

John Wiley & Sons provided me a platform and a welcome that any author would want. Thank you to Deborah Schindler, Sally Baker, Shannon Vargo, John Skinner, and the design team, who were enthusiastic and embraced the value of diversity, inclusion, and equity.

Adobe continues to sit on my keyboard and Mao prefers his own company.

All errors, omissions, and mistakes are mine alone.