"Real change, lasting change, happens step by step."

The mere fact that this issue is still being discussed in 2021 is remarkable. After all, apart from the fact that equality between women and men is a constitutional principle in most countries, there is also an obligation to act in the interests of the country or the company. If this is the benchmark for action, then there can be no question mark here. Entrepreneurs are not acting in the interests of the country or the company if they forego more than 50 per cent of the talent pool, namely women. The same applies to other diversity characteristics. If it is true that by 2030 China and India will account for more than 60 per cent of the G20 workforce with qualifications in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, then societies and companies must become more international in their own interests. It would be a mistake not to exploit the potential of these people.

European society and businesses also need the talents and perspectives of everyone in order to remain competitive in a global, fast - paced world. It would be a mistake to rely solely on one type of person with a specific background and specific skills.

If managers take their role seriously, there should be no more discussion about "whether" to do this. Instead, the focus should be on "how" to do it.

This requires open dialogue. American multi-board director Dambisa Moyo summed it up perfectly when she said, "We do not fight discrimination with discrimination." It cannot be in the interests of any country or company to further promote social fragmentat ion and so-called "political correctness." Dialogue is necessary, even on painful topics. We must be able to call a spade a spade – because only by talking openly with each other can we bring about change and create a transparent, empowering, non-discrimin atory shared culture.

Honest dialogue also means admitting that centuries of discrimination cannot simply be erased overnight. Nor can the very human tendency to like people who are like us. The truth is that we cannot simply change our unconscious habits and beliefs just becau se we are convinced of something. But by repeatedly reminding ourselves of this, we can change our behaviour. Changing something that we ourselves find difficult to perceive forces us to repeatedly step outside our comfort zone.

And honest dialogue also includes admitting that diversity is good, but only successful if the team has a common set of values and adequate leadership. Studies show that diversity does not have a linear utility function, but that there is also an optimum. Poorly managed homogeneous teams achieve better results than poorly managed diverse teams.

The fact is, similarity makes collaboration easy. But similarity does not help us compete in the global market or serve our customers. It would not be in the best interests of the company or society. Working with people from different backgrounds, with dif ferent skills, nationalities and worldviews means more work. We have to spend more time understanding each other's perspectives. It requires us to develop better listening skills. Managers must invest more time in building teams and leading them well. Managing conflicts. Ensuring communication. Or as Andres Tapia of Korn-Ferry aptly summarised: "Diversity is the mix. Inclusion is making the mix work." It is not enough to simply hire different people. The roles and thus the talents must be precisely defined according to needs, and the individuals must become a team in which each and every one can contribute their skills.

In all of this, it is worth quoting former United States Supreme Court Justice and women's rights pioneer Ruth Bader Ginsburg: "Real change, lasting change, happens step by step."