Catherine Miner
Managing Partner, Shadow Lake Group Inc.
When I was asked to write an article about women in leadership, I was initially thrilled about the conscious effort to advance women in the workplace but also quite disappointed that we were still in need of having this dialogue. I feel the same way when I read announcements for the “first woman” to have a particular role of power.
My initial reaction is “you go girl” followed by, “isn’t it a shame that we feel the need to call it out.” That somehow highlighting the fact, for example when Brenda Lucki was appointed RCMP Commissioner, diminishes the appointment. We would all think that it is absurd to have an announcement like, “Heterosexual, Christian, White Man appointed CEO…” I look forward to the day when a woman, a person of colour, or of any religion, race, or sexual orientation, is appointed to a position of significant power and there is no reference to it. I think then we will have arrived at a point of recognizing the person for their merits.
At Shadow Lake Group, our focus is on trying to deliver the best results for our clients by adapting our thinking and approach to match what the situation and client demands. To be able to do that effectively, it is critical that our team be diverse, open-minded, and flexible in our thinking. As a result, we have a team that is diverse in age, gender, religion, ethnicity, education, and experience. All of which creates a very healthy and productive environment for driving results.
