Some thoughts on International Women's Day

I invited the women in my organization, Eurasia Group, to stay away work today. I want to explain why...

As I hope you know, today, March 8, is "International Women's Day", or “World Without Women Day.” On that day, women across the country will step away from work to make their value more visible. The event means different things to different people. Some say it’s an opportunity to protest violence against women. Others stress the issues of equality in society and the workplace. Still others call it a rebuke against unconscious bias and the lack of women in positions of leadership. I don’t feel I need to choose a single focal point since all these injustices are real. They all plague the United States of America and our world. So, when I heard about the plans, I supported without hesitation or reservation of any kind. It’s a simple expression of a lifetime’s worth of respect and gratitude.

I’m a political scientist, so forgive me one paragraph of political analysis before I speak on a more personal note. Who will succeed in the 21st century? Which nations? Which companies? Which individuals? In a world of complexity, these are easy questions. For all three, the winner will be the one who uses the greatest share of its talent, ingenuity, strength and wisdom. Any country or company that denies itself the talent, drive, and leadership that women offer will fall far behind those that can unleash all of the above. And an individual denied the chance to apply these gifts won’t realize her human potential. There’s no better definition of injustice.

Those who know me know that I’m a child of strong women. My mother, my grandmother and other women in my family played a larger role than anyone else in my growth from child to adult. At an age when most boys looked to women mainly for inspiration, I saw them as models for emulation. But then comes the day when you look across the table at your collaborators, partners and leaders, and you realize you have a blind spot. There’s no good reason that there aren’t enough women in the room, and you know it. There are many solutions to this problem, and the consequences of failure are rising in real time. For all of us.

My first reaction to World Without Women Day was to think of the past, of all the faces I’ve encountered along the way. Professors, employers, politicians, business leaders, decision-makers of all kinds. That’s a lot of male faces, and I know I’m the poorer for it. Better to think about the future, particularly because as president of Eurasia Group, there are things I can do about it. In our firm, we value intelligence, initiative, dynamism, and leadership. The women of Eurasia Group provide all these things, but more women—and more women in positions of leadership—can provide us with much more. That’s a win for our firm, for women, for men, for our clients, and for me.

I want others to see what I see, and if it takes a day without women to sharpen the minds of men, let’s do it. I’m in with both feet, and my message to all those women—at Eurasia Group, across America, and around the world—is a simple one: Thank you. For what you bring, for what you do, for what you’ve shown us. Thank you very, very much.

And please come back on Thursday, because we can’t go anywhere without you.