How Those With Power and Privilege Can Help Others Advance

How Those With Power and Privilege Can Help Others Advance

Author: Harvard Business Review October 27, 2020 Duration: 38:24
Tsedale Melaku, sociologist at The Graduate Center, City University of New York, and David Smith, professor at the U.S. Naval War College, have been looking at the ways people with the most power in society and organizations can become better allies to those who have less authority and influence. In the United States, that typically means white men helping their female co-workers or colleagues of color to advance. In an era when the push for gender and racial equity is gaining momentum, Melaku and Smith join host Alison Beard in a live taping that includes audience questions about the right ways to call out microaggressions, hold senior management to account, and use majority group privilege to help those in the minority. Melaku and Smith are the coauthors, along with Angie Beeman and Brad Johnson, of the HBR article "Be a Better Ally."

Each week, the HBR IdeaCast from Harvard Business Review sits down with experts whose ideas are shaping the world of work. This isn't about abstract theory; it's a conversation focused on practical insights for leaders, managers, and entrepreneurs navigating real challenges. You'll hear from scholars, CEOs, and innovators dissecting topics across management, marketing, and organizational strategy, translating complex research into actionable advice. The discussions get into the nuances of building effective teams, driving growth, making strategic decisions, and understanding the forces transforming industries. By tuning into this podcast, you gain access to the forefront of business thinking, a resource for anyone looking to sharpen their skills and lead more effectively. The consistent, in-depth dialogue provides a valuable perspective that goes beyond headlines, offering a deeper understanding of how to succeed in a competitive landscape. It's a direct line to the ideas that matter, presented through thoughtful conversation designed to provoke reflection and inspire change in your own professional approach.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

HBR IdeaCast
Podcast Episodes
Leading a Workforce Empowered by New AI Tools [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:25
New AI technology enables anyone to become a programmer — opening doors to faster analytics and automation but also presenting big challenges. Organizations need policies and strategies to manage the chaos created by wha…
How One Ukrainian Company Cultivated Resiliency Amid War [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:37
Companies plan for crises and aim to be resilient and adaptive in the face of all kinds of risks, but it’s always easier said than done. And perhaps none of these threats is as serious as war. That’s what Roman Rodomansk…
How to Reinvent a Consumer Brand [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:51
How does a brand or product that's been around for decades suddenly become popular with a whole new segment of consumers? Terence Reilly has some pointers. As CMO of Crocs, he used social media and celebrity collaboratio…
The VC Fund Closing Equity Gaps — and Making Money [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:40
Much of the business world has bought into the idea of stakeholder capitalism. But Freada Kapor Klein and Mitch Kapor say that doing some good by doing well isn’t enough when the business impact still creates negative ef…
How Companies Can Adapt to More Government Intervention [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:04
After decades of industrial policy that favored globalization and free trade, we are entering a new era. Prompted by the pandemic, climate change, rising geopolitical tensions and economic concerns, countries and groups…
How One F-35 Fighter Pilot Makes Decisions Under Pressure [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:04
There are few jobs that demand decisive, clear thinking under pressure more than that of a fighter jet pilot. But the best combat pilots don't act on gut and muscle memory alone. They train to use proven mental models fo…
In Defense of Middle Management [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:00
Middle managers are meant to serve as a go-between for leadership teams and individual contributors. But in large organizations, with many layers of hierarchy, some of these roles feel like bureaucratic bloat, which, in…
What the Best Leaders Know — and What Skills They Develop [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:33
If you had the chance to talk to hundreds of business leaders at the top of their game, what habits and patterns would you learn? Adam Bryant has done just that. He's the senior managing director of the ExCo Group and fo…
Best of IdeaCast: Escape Your Comfort Zone [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:09
We know that trying new things, taking risks, and even failing are vital to most success stories. But getting out of areas where you’re comfortable and breaking through to the next level is easier said than done. Andy Mo…
Why Entrepreneurs Don’t Need Venture Capital to Scale [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:45
With all the hype in the startup world around unicorns and hypergrowth, entrepreneurs feel enormous pressure to raise massive amounts of cash from venture capitalists. But now, as interest rates have risen, a lot of that…