The Good Guys: Mentoring Women and Creating Allyship in the Workplace with David G. Smith and W. Brad Johnson

What's Next! with Tiffani Bova

Welcome to the What's Next! podcast with Tiffani Bova.

This week I am beyond thrilled to be speaking with Dave Smith and Brad Johnson on the What’s Next Podcast! David G. Smith, Ph.D., is a professor of sociology in the National Security Affairs Department at the U.S. Naval War College. As a sociologist trained in military sociology and social psychology, he focuses his research on gender, work, and family issues. He is the co-author of Athena Rising: How and Why Men Should Mentor Women along with Brad Johnson. W. Brad Johnson, Ph.D., is a professor of psychology in the Department of Leadership, Ethics, and Law at the United States Naval Academy and a faculty associate in the Graduate School of Education at Johns Hopkins University. He is the author of thirteen books, including Athena Rising: How and Why Men Should Mentor Women and his newest book, also co-authored with Dave Smith, Good Guys: How Men Can Be Better Allies for Women in the Workplace.

THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… men in positions of power and leaders looking to be allies and mentors in the workplace to further workplace gender equity and inclusion.

TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… Diversity is often looked at as just counting heads without much thought given to how much individuals feel that they are included and included meaningfully. The research is really clear in terms of increased performance, creativity, and innovation, but diversity without thought to real inclusion does not often lead to those outcomes. Good leadership values this and takes it into account. So, how do leaders show that they have this awareness and demonstrate allyship in the workplace? That’s what Dave and Brad are all about, and that’s what they’re sharing with us in this episode! Diversity expands capacity and ability in an organization and creates more opportunities, not less. But to get there, you need to be intentional and set clear objectives. This also applies to mentors and mentorship, and it also applies to workplace culture and how men in positions of power and leadership speak to, with, and about the women in their organizations. Mentorship is the key to creating meaningful change, inclusion, and allyship in an organization. This isn’t about white-knighting or rescuing, this is about creating space, stepping back from the spotlight granted by privilege, and intentionally moving the dial on inclusion with that power.

WHAT I LOVE MOST… Dave and Brad’s mission to create more allyship and inclusivity in the workplace.

Running time 35:03

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Find Dave and Brad online:

Dave Smith’s Website

Brad Johnson’s Website

Good Guys: How Men Can Be Better Allies for Women in the Workplace Book

Athena Rising: How and Why Men Should Mentor Women Book