“Diversity is an absolute necessity for a team, and when I say diversity, I mean it in every sense of the word: gender, race, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, culture, personality type, area of expertise. Over the years, I’ve noticed that diverse teams are more successful than homogenous ones- and, by the way, more fun.”

“In the international marketplace, a diverse team is a must.  In this kind of environment, creating a team with a global, or worldly point of view is imperative. And I’m not talking about team members who have travelled and racked up air miles; I am referring to people who bring different cultural perspectives to the team, who understand that they will encounter cultural differences and who will be sensitive to these differences.”

“Now, some executives will swear that implementing a strategy of diversity is a major challenge.  They say that to get the best people, they need to go with proven talent, and if all that talent happens to be white, Anglo-Saxon and male, so be it.  I reject this argument.  If you go with the talent you know, you will wind up with more of what you’ve got.”

“Leaders should take care not to be too “class conscious”.  I always like to give the most junior person as much air time as the most senior person.  When you are doing business internationally, however, this can be tricky, as there are cultures that revere seniority to the point that they don’t seek input from their juniors.  In such cases, the leader can show respect for local custom by addressing the elders first, but making sure to seek input from the junior staff as well.”