Diversity management driven by proactive, accountable leadership is the key to generating buy-in for diversity and inclusion among middle managers. Our research shows that companies with a diversity-focused CEO have stronger workforce diversity and more diverse representation at the top, leading to increased innovation. For these CEOs, this is both business and very, very personal.

The CEOs of WellPoint and CSX (No. 34 and 23, respectively, in the 2012 DiversityInc Top 50) both serve as prime examples of what true CEO commitment can achieve.

In DiversityInc’s diversity web seminar on CEO commitment, WellPoint’s Chief Diversity Officer Linda Jimenez discusses the visible commitment of Angela Braly, the company’s chair, president and CEO. CSX Chief Diversity Officer Susan Hamilton and Director of Diversity and Inclusion Stephanie Noel share insights into CEO Michael Ward’s ongoing commitment to the company’s diversity management.

Watch the diversity web seminar: Best Practices in Demonstrating and Communicating Top Management Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion.

Best Practices for Diversity Management

Both diversity leaders noted how their CEOs make diversity efforts a priority. Both Braly and Ward attend resource-group meetings on a regular basis, serve on the boards of multicultural nonprofit organizations and seek to integrate diversity management as a key strategy into all areas of the business.

“CEO commitment is all about being a steward,” explains Jimenez, noting Braly’s statement on the company homepage. That includes maintaining an unequivocal position for diversity, being challenging in their approach for and focusing on continued improvement, being visionary in anticipating the future, and being a compelling storyteller to promote diversity management and the company brand (learn about WellPoint’s innovative Ambassador Program).

As an example, Jimenez says Braly was fully supportive of adding gender identity to WellPoint’s EEO statement. “The CEO drives the ship. She may allow me to use, guide and steer, but Braly is unequivocally confident in her role of being a steward for diversity in her organization,” Jimenez says, noting that more information can be found in the company’s corporate-responsibility report at www.wellpointcorporateresponsibility.com.

Hamilton similarly credits CSX’s diversity success to the CEO, who took his position in 2002. “Michael knew the direction he wanted the company to go in. With a dedicated chief diversity officer, he was able to take the company to higher levels of performance,” she says.

“His commitment helped the company get on track,” Hamilton says. They were able to develop a three-year strategy and a multifaceted training program across the company. He was also the lead on developing the annual CSX Inclusion Forum and is a huge supporter of the Wounded Warrior Project.

In the web seminar, Jimenez and Hamilton also discussed CEO involvement and best practices for diversity management in:

• Diversity councils
• Executive compensation
• Setting goals and diversity metrics
• Resource-group funding and sponsorship
• Company communications and events

Research Reveals: Diversity Management Needs CEO Commitment

CEO commitment is one of the four areas of measurement used to determine the DiversityInc Top 50 rankings each year. (This is divided into four sub-categories: Accountability, Personal Communications, Visibility and Diversity Councils.)

DiversityInc Senior Vice President and Executive Editor Barbara Frankel reveals how CEO commitment can be the “make or break” point for a company. In fact, CEO commitment is one of the main reasons this consumer-packaged-goods company significantly rose on the 2012 DiversityInc Top 50 list—and why another consumer-packaged-goods company significantly fell.

DiversityInc data shows that CEO involvement has increased steadily since 2006: 13.9 percent more CEOs sign off on executive compensation tied to diversity goals; 28.6 percent more CEOs chair the diversity council; 90.5 percent more CEOs meet with resource groups regularly; and 20.5 percent more CEOs have a quote about diversity on their company’s homepage.

Additionally, four CEOs presented about their commitment and best practices for diversity at our 2012 DiversityInc Top 50 event.

Watch the diversity web seminar: Best Practices in Demonstrating and Communicating Top Management Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion.

Read about these other CEOs who are setting a tone for diversity management:

• Diversity Management: Training Exposes Execs’ Hidden Biases (Toyota Financial Services’ CEO George Borst)
• Diversity & Inclusion Means ‘You Can’t Afford to Be Dismissing People’s Ideas’ (Ameren’s CEO Tom Voss)
• Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf on Leadership, Corporate Citizenship, Sustainable Business & Accountability