As we wrap up our first week of Women’s History Month and with tomorrow being International Women’s Day, we celebrate the professional development of women in the workplace. Despite all the progress we’ve made, the barriers still exist to leadership influence, equal pay, and decision-making power for women—especially us women of color.
Let’s be clear: advancing women isn’t just about fairness. It’s also about strengthening businesses, driving innovation, and ensuring that companies don’t just survive market shifts but lead them.
The Business Case for Advancing Women
The data is undeniable: when women thrive professionally, businesses soar.
- Higher Profitability – Companies with more women in executive positions are 21% more likely to outperform competitors in profitability. [McKinsey & Co.]
- Decision-Making Quality Rises – Gender-diverse teams make amplified business decisions 87% of the time. [Cloverpop study]
- Stronger Innovation – Companies with diverse leadership are innovative and adaptable, positioning themselves ahead of the competition. [Harvard Business Review]
- Increased Retention & Engagement – Women leaders drive higher employee engagement and reduce turnover, both of which directly impact revenue growth.
Women’s employee resoure groups [ERGs] were created to provide women with professional development, mentorship, a sense of belonging, and a network of support in workplaces that are still male-dominated. ERGs have never been about exclusion—they are about inclusion and equity. They exist because, for too long, the default leadership structures didn’t naturally create access to growth and advancement for women and marginalized groups.
There’s an opportunity for you to notice…
Have you ever participated in the ERGs in your company?
Notice if you made up a story about the ERG not being for you.
Notice how ERGs are also where everyone can learn about equity and inclusion to understand how they can play an active role in solidifying all the above business cases and more on their teams and throughout their company.
Why ERGs Exist and Their Impact
ERGs originated in the 1960s, first emerging at Xerox in response to racial tensions and the need for companies to create intentional spaces for underrepresented talent to thrive. Since then, they have expanded to include groups focused on gender, ethnicity, LGBTQ+ employees, veterans, caregivers, disabled people, mental health, and more.
The purpose of ERGs is simple: to drive connection, innovation, and retention by recognizing the different challenges employees face and equipping them with opportunities to grow.
Research shows that companies with active ERGs perform better in employee engagement, talent retention, and leadership development.
The Current Climate: Setting the Record Straight on DEI
We’re at a moment when Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion [DEI] initiatives are facing resistance, with some arguing these programs create unfairness or division. Yet here’s the truth:
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion [DEI] are not about exclusion.
They are about ensuring that all talent—regardless of gender, race, or background—has access to opportunity, development, nuanced support, and leadership influence and roles.
Diversity ensures that companies and teams, hire from the widest talent pool available.
Equity ensures that qualified individuals have fair access to opportunities.
Inclusion ensures that once hired, employees can fully contribute and thrive, by removing barriers that have historically kept highly qualified women and people of color from advanced consideration and development.
When companies roll back their DEI commitments, they send a message—intended or not. The message is that attracting, retaining, and promoting top talent is secondary to politics. When DEI is deprioritized, businesses lose out—on innovation, top talent, competitive advantage, and ultimately, revenue. But great leaders don’t wait for permission to build the future or work.
This Is Your Moment to Lead
Even if your company has rolled back its DEI commitments, that doesn’t mean you have to.
Leadership is about standing firm in your vision, especially when challenges arise.
We all know how difficult it is to attract, retain, and develop top talent. You have the power to lead differently. You can choose to create an environment where inclusion isn’t a corporate buzzword—it’s a lived value.
History has shown us that progress is never given; it’s created by those who refuse to accept the status quo.
What happens when you decide to be the change you want to see?
Because history isn’t just something we celebrate—it’s something we create. How are you committed to women’s professional development?
Looking for leadership development content, coaching, and experiences that specifically support and amplify the growth and business success for women in your company? Let’s schedule a conversation to talk about our executive coaching, leadership development workshops, course, and speaking engagements, and more.
