By Jennie Glazer, CEO, Center for Talent Innovation
What Are We Giving People to Believe In?
By Jennie Glazer | Center for Talent Innovation
What a night of historical firsts.
Across the country, Americans elected leaders who broke barriers that have stood strong for generations. Keisha Lance Bottoms became the first Black woman elected governor of Georgia in our nation's history. Deb Haaland became the first Native American woman elected governor of New Mexico. Peggy Flanagan became the first Native American woman elected to the U.S. Senate in Minnesota. Chris Pappas became the first openly gay man elected to the Senate in New Hampshire, and Abdul El-Sayed from Michigan became its first Muslim member.
There's something wonderful about seeing the American promise expand in such tangible ways. These are individual achievements worth celebrating, and moments that allow more people to imagine themselves in places they may once have thought was beyond their reach.
After the past few years especially those of us in this work, we needed a moment like this.
It's been hard. Families and communities have been divided. People have been frightened for their futures, their livelihoods, and their rights. We've heard a great deal about what people oppose, and far less about the future we might create together.
This morning, my colleague Birgit Neu in London was already hearing from inclusion leaders asking whether these results meant DEI was back.
What struck me was the hope behind the question.
I thought immediately about the leaders in CTI's own Task Force. Over these past few years, they've faced enormous pressure. Some have seen their teams reduced, their work questioned, and the language they've used for years become politically fraught. And still, they've found ways to keep going. They've worked with business leaders, reconsidered old approaches, built new ones, and continued opening doors for people.
I have enormous respect for that persistence and dedication. It matters more than many people realize. Because the private sector is one of the most powerful forces for change we have.
Think about the decisions companies make every day. Who gets a first job. Who has a manager who sees their potential. Who can afford to care for a parent or raise a family while building a career. Who gets access to new technology and the skills to use it. Who has a chance to lead.
These decisions shape lives, families, communities, and ultimately our economy.
And the stakes are growing.
AI is changing how work gets done and how people enter and advance in their careers. Economic insecurity is real. Trust is fragile. A generation of young people is wondering whether the opportunities their parents had will be available to them.
Companies have the ability to influence what happens next, through the jobs they create, the people they invest in, the opportunities they open, and the kind of workplaces they build.
That gives us a remarkable opportunity to offer people something they can believe in.
A vision of work where talent can be discovered in more places. Where people can grow as jobs change. Where differences in experience and perspective help us make better decisions. Where employees can see how their contributions matter to the success of the enterprise, and share in that success. This is work with deep purpose and enormous economic value. We should be proud to say so.
To the leaders who have stayed committed through these difficult years, thank you. Your determination has kept possibilities alive for people you may never meet.
And to the broader business community, this is a moment to think bigger about what we can accomplish.
The election gave us some extraordinary firsts. But, most of all, it has restored hope forthe future.
Imagine how many more firsts we could help make possible, in our companies, our communities, and the lives of the people who depend on us.
There's so much worth building.
Let's get moving.