The Power of Two: Gender Diversity as a Collaborative Game

No business leader would deliberately sabotage key drivers of organizational success such as growth, innovation, or peak performance. Yet, by sidelining diversity and inclusion, we do exactly that: cap its potential. Gender diversity isn’t a moral footnote, it’s a proven catalyst for results in a fast-moving, competitive world. As we mark March and International Women’s Day, it is absolutely necessary to shift from talk to action, because equity is not just a women’s issue, it is a business mandate. 

The Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO) reported in 2024 that women account for 43% of Mexico’s workforce, a solid base. Yet, only 3% hold general management roles, down from 4% in 2023. Worse, 73% of Mexican companies lack women in key leadership positions, with sectors like energy and telecommunications showing scant female presence at the top. This isn’t a mere gap, it’s a red flag for stagnation. Globally, the stakes are clear: McKinsey’s 2023 “Diversity Wins” report shows companies with top-quartile gender diversity in leadership are 25% more likely to outperform on profitability. Mexico is forfeiting that edge. Take a local firm as an example: Facing stalled innovation and a drifting customer base, they shifted their strategy and set a goal to diversify leadership with female talent within two years. The result? A revamped product line, surging market share, and a spike in employee engagement. Diverse teams sharpen decisions and fuel agility, plain and simple. 

Governance is another battleground. The Corporate Governance Education Center at CESA University in Colombia finds diverse boards bolster risk management and cultivate stronger cultures. In Mexico, women hold just 13% of board seats, with only 4.6% as independent directors, a slow climb, and nowhere near game-changing. Credit Suisse’s 2022 research drives it home: Firms with at least one woman on the board deliver a 4% higher return on equity. Underrepresentation isn’t just a cultural miss, it hits the bottom line. 

Equity demands a team effort across genders. Mentorship and sponsorship — networks I’ve relied on personally — are vital. For women, support from both men and women is key, yet rivalry can erode unity. Too often, peers view success as a zero-sum contest. Flip that script: when one woman rises, we all win. McKinsey’s “Women in the Workplace 2024” champions structured mentorship paired with sponsorship — senior leaders, male or female, advocating for rising stars. Picture this: a sponsor highlights a woman’s bold idea in the C-suite, and suddenly, she’s shaping strategy. Furthermore, men as allies are non-negotiable. Let’s review a couple of key actions that would drive almost immediate change: 

1. Challenge Bias: In Mexico, subtle biases choke women’s rise. Stanford’s Shelley J. Correll found women face harsher scrutiny in reviews, yet bias training lifts perceptions of their competence by 25%. Step one: see it. Step two: fix it. 

2. Amplify Voices: Men dominate decision-making circles. Herminia Ibarra’s Harvard Business Review work shows that spotlighting a woman’s win, such as a standout project, narrows the C-suite gap. Today, just 20% of women in middle and top management handle profit-and-loss roles. Allies can shift that. 

3. Balance the Load: Equitable parental leave isn’t a perk, it’s a retention powerhouse. Shared responsibility at home frees both genders to thrive at work. Companies embracing this see loyalty soar. 

Thus, this month, I would like to challenge our leadership skills to wield diversity as a strategic lever. Mexico’s GDP growth, averaging 1.5% annually from 2014 to 2024 (FocusEconomics, 2025) reflects untapped potential. The World Bank notes that closing gender gaps in labor force participation could boost GDP per capita by up to 6% in emerging economies like Mexico. IMCO estimates that if women participated in the workforce at the same rate as men, Mexico’s GDP could rise by 22%, adding over US$400 billion annually based on 2023 figures of US$1.795 trillion. When men and women collaborate, harnessing the power of two, we don’t just build better cultures; we ignite thriving, agile businesses. 

In conclusion, equity isn’t a solo act, it’s a collective strategy. Companies have the opportunity today to start with bold targets, audit pipeline, track progress, measure representation and employee impact and retention yearly. Inaction costs too much: lost innovation, thinner margins and a workforce unfit for the future. Diversity isn’t the finish line, it’s the fuel for a successful present and a prosperous future.