I often hear people of my generation, Baby Boomer, stating that they are in a place that they prepared for over their lifetime. I have come to see the truth in that assertion for myself.
I was driven to perform at the top levels and to achieve more than was expected of me in my job. As a result of my work ethic and mindset, I was moved up quickly and frequently at my first Fortuna 100 Company.
The lessons that I learned in the first 18 years of my career impacted my intentionality in developing my unique leadership style. My focus was on my gaining the skills and knowledge needed to be a proficient leader, more often than not in operations or human resources.
The visibility and exposure that I had early on in my career gave way to senior leaders offering me a variety of experiences that would shape my views on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
My perspectives and opinions on DE&I were helped by the fact that I was an openly gay man with significant support from allies and sponsors, at a time when being our was hazardous to your career.
My reputation was highlighted by being known as someone willing to take calculated risks and driving change initiatives. The better I got at performing in these areas, the more opportunities showed up.
In the 1990s I was a domestic road warrior working in as many as two or three offices each week for nearly the full years for several years in a row. I enjoyed the dynamic pace of working from the east coast to the west coast each week. All the while in these satellites offices, I learned about the differences that existed when it came to culture, leadership, and communities.
I was getting living the experiences that would shape my views on what it meant to be an inclusive leader while traveling within the US weekly.
By the time, I accepted my first global leadership role in 2008, I had already traveled to China and Russia with my business coaches so that I could learn first-hand from my new colleagues. The lessons learned set me up for success during my time as a global road warrior.
From 2008 until 2016, I traveled to Europe, Asia, and Latin America extensively. I added 25 pages to my passport during this time and had to renew it before its expiration date to make space for the visas and country stamps.
Traveling to each region of the world gave me exposure to how business was conducted and people lived in their communities.
1. Europe: Doing business and attending meetings in Europe followed a preset pattern. There was decorum in how people interacted with each other and it was steeped in deep traditions that had been in place for centuries. Being in synch was vital to achieving successful outcomes.
2. Asia: Meeting with Asian colleagues brought with it a massive focus on traditions. More often than not, business was only brought up after what seemed like a very long period of getting to know each other-trust and respect were the foundations of any partnership and took time to develop. Being patient with the process yielded better outcomes.
3. Latin America: Developing a relationship is at the core of any potential business dealings and exactly what I experienced while working in eight different countries in the region. The investment in getting to know my colleagues was necessary and required to be successful in landing any amount of business.
When I reflect on these three regions of the world and my experiences in working with each of them, I am struck by the vast diversity and at the same time similarities.
By working in these regions of the world, I enhanced my knowledge and skills as a DE&I ally and advocate.
From the time I came out in early 1982 as an openly gay man until today. I have been taking risks in my career that has led to some of the most amazing transformations for myself and those who I had the good fortune to work with on five continents and in more than 20 countries.
I am committed to leveraging and sharing my 40 years of work experience that was and is directly focused on DE&I.
I can see through my reflections on my career, the importance and value of every decision that brought me to this work focused on the people part of the business.
I was preparing my whole career for serving and supporting as a DE&I ally and advocate. I have never been more satisfied with what I am doing professionally and personally to raise awareness for others on how they can get involved and take action to make a difference in the lives of those around them.
How do you define Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as it relates to your career?
How comfortable are you with differences and variety with the people you work with within your company?
What is something you can do to step into the role of an ally or advocate to serve and support others in your workplace?
With much gratitude…
Editor’s Note: Phil wrote this previous to his unexpected death in May 2022. We publish it as homage to his wisdom and generosity of spirit. RIP, Phil
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