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While some may find it awkward to actively, purposefully
seek diversity, Leader-Chivée says it’s important to
remember that most of us have ancestors who were outsiders
once. It’s also rare in today’s world for anyone to live in
a bubble: you probably already know, are related to, or come
in regular contact with someone who is different than you,
and you think nothing of it - which is to say that while
humans generally resist change, you may already have
“acquired diversity.”
Many folks find acquired diversity through family
relationships and personal discoveries. Others simply jump
in and get to know people who don’t look like them.
Insisting on diversity in the workplace not only “sparks
creativity,” but it’s also forward-thinking: within the next
25-to-30 years, the U.S. will “become a majority-minority.”
Diversity makes it easier to tap into new markets with
impressive buying power, it allows your company to gain a
foothold on other continents, and it will help to avoid the
embarrassment of miscommunication. By utilizing new
experiences from divergent people, you and your employees
will benefit from a fresh point-of-view, taking “full
advantage of… talents, insights, and creative energies” and
a much larger scope of knowledge.
Without diversity, says Leader-Chivée, “we’ll suffer as a
nation…”
“It’s a mistake we can’t afford to make.”
I cannot deny that what’s inside Crossing the Thinnest
Line could be helpful. It’s filled with statistics,
surprising solutions, and illustrative stories that show
what world leaders and Big Business are doing. But that
richness of info can also be a downfall: there’s just too
much to take in here.
I really found myself wishing that author Lauren Leader-Chivée
had made this into two books, or even three; that might have
eased the overwhelmed feeling. As it is, the needs for large
corporations are covered well, but not so much those of
small-business owners or Mom-and-Pops who are miles from the
Fortune 500. Leaders looking to hire more women will need to
trek through information on diversity in race, sexuality,
and religion. Non-business-minded readers get a little of
everything, and may lose interest long before finding what
they really need.
This isn’t a bad book – it’s just too much of a book
and reading it for its full benefit will take considerable
time. If you’ve got that time, though, dive into Crossing
the Thinnest Line. It may do your business well.
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