Imagine a world without limits

What would a world look like where conventional notions of success and power are not implicitly tied to culture or gender? Where unconscious biases do not exist.

Where we are not limited. Where everyone has a chance to thrive.

As a leader at Microsoft, I'm passionate about being an ally for all and making sure people don't feel held back by pre-defined notions of success, gender, or leadership.

Leading up to International Women's Day, I've been thinking about gender biases that continue to exist. In 2022, we're still dealing with inequity in wages, opportunities, and leadership roles.

As allies, we can think of three steps to overcoming gender bias that address the wider system:

• Awareness: Decision makers, both male and female, must increase awareness of their own biases and try to recognize when these views are affecting their hiring and promotion processes. But awareness is not enough! These biases occur subconsciously, which means we cannot correct them through conscious effort alone.
• Attitude: We need to accept both men and women in counter-stereotypical roles. The expectation that women should be communal makes it difficult for them to ascend to leadership roles. The expectation that men should be agentic makes it difficult for them to choose caregiving roles. Breaking gender stereotypes means that we need to allow all members of society the freedom to choose the roles most suited to them.
• Analysis: Collect data in our organizations to reveal the true picture. Find out the gender balance among all applicants compared to successful applicants. Look at the gender balance in our short lists. Examine performance reviews by gender and role to see if there is gender bias occurring at that level. The data will help determine where to concentrate efforts.

How can allies provide more support

• Listen and amplify: Amplify women’s voices, acknowledge their experiences, and take on the role of educating other men, all in ways that inspires trust and respect. These are fundamental commitments allies can make.
• Credit female co-workers’ ideas fairly: Women are still underrepresented in many workplaces and paid less than their male colleagues, in part because their contributions and ideas are often overlooked. Emphasizing the good ideas of female co-workers, mentioning them in front of senior leaders, treating them with fairness.
• Challenge sexism, and speak up when you hear sexist language: It’s hard to step in or speak up when you see someone being harassed or treated unfairly, or when those around you are engaging in derogatory “banter,” but men calling each other out sends a powerful message that sexist language and actions will no longer be tolerated
• Support diverse female leaders you believe in: Support, volunteer and sponsor diverse female candidates in critical roles. Be data driven in all decisions related to people and keep diversity front and center of hiring, progression, retention, rewards, etc. 
• Reflect on power and privilege: Being an effective ally starts with self-awareness. Beyond gender, listening to individuals with different backgrounds from your own – in terms of race, sexual orientation, religion or ability – is crucial to understanding how our intersecting identities impact our lived experiences.

Allies should stop doing

• Stop over-mentoring women: Mentorship programs are good to certain extent. But allyship and sponsorship are the need of the hour.
• Stop making women lead alone: Women can't play alone in gender equality. Men need to lead and engage as allies. 
• Stop building homogenous teams: Ensure equal representation

On gender equality, we've made progress over the past few decades. Women are being recognized in nearly every field as leaders, history-makers and game-changers. It's about time.

But hard work remains to break down biases and to establish true equality.

What gives me the greatest hope is my wife who is a doctor and my two daughters who believe they can do anything they desire, and they are chasing their dreams. And many of my colleagues who have made significant impact across many industries.

I'm here to voice my support, to remove blockers, and to say that we all thrive when everyone gets a chance.