We used to call it “group think”, and we learned the hard way that, whether solving an engineering problem or putting together a marketing plan, it didn’t always lead to the best outcomes.

The opposite of group think is cultivating diverse perspectives. It takes more work. But it delivers dividends. Literally.

A study by BlackRock found that companies with the most balanced gender representation achieved a remarkable 7.7% average annual return on assets (RoA) over the past decade.

Another study by McKinsey & Company showed that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity were 25% more likely to deliver above-average profitability than those in the bottom quartile. Surveying 22,000 firms globally, Peterson Institute for International Economics found that increasing the number of women in the C-suite from 0% to 30% results in a one percentage point increase in net margin. This translates to a 15% increase in profitability for a typical firm.

But let’s be clear. The data isn’t saying that sprinkling some women into your leadership makes for higher profits. But it does point to the fact that companies who consistently cultivate and retain a culture of diverse perspectives are more likely to succeed. And despite the hype about “AI taking our jobs,” the reality is we’ll need more people, not fewer, to harness Gen AI. We also need a new broadcast workforce skilled in robotics, virtual production, 2110, and IP-based workflows.

Add to this the urgent need for constant upskilling to replace the so-called “great retirement” of baby boomers and you have the perfect storm: more need than ever for a multi-faceted and upskilled workforce.

This is why the media industry needs to embrace programs that ensure that all those people 8-12 years into their careers in technical positions, including women, feel supported as they grow into management and leadership roles.

Building skills

Helping our sector—and the people in it—thrive been the work of many organizations over many years, including #GALSNGEAR. Our training focuses on four pillars: developing your unique qualities to lead a team, negotiation skills, financial literacy, and building your leadership brand. We find these are skills not often or consistently offered by M&E companies. And yet they are essential to supporting emerging leaders.

For our members at all career phases, we also offer monthly tech and career upskilling webinars, in person networking, professional speaking and mentoring opportunities and beta-testing partnerships. But the biggest tool #GALSNGEAR provides is a supportive community. In our digital world, feeling connected to others is a known factor in driving retention and profitability, as well as personal satisfaction.

Whatever may happen in the future with what we call “DEI”, he reality for most M&E companies is that those who reach a broad talent pool, provide ongoing upskilling, and retain emerging talent, as well as embrace strategies for nimble problem-solving—they are the ones that will prosper.

Our big CONNECT Women’s Leadership Summit at NAB Show in Las Vegas at the beginning of this year was a case in point (and yes, some men attended too—good for them!). The theme was “Resilience, Redefined”, and we explored this topic in a number of ways.

First, through the lens of an industry leader and diversity advocate with advanced degrees in both engineering and public policy. Michele Wright, PhD, Director of Business Development and Outreach at SMPTE, led us through her career twists and turns, her views on how change happens (slowly, but with purpose), and her belief that “the best is yet to come.”

Attendees also worked through a detailed process for creating their own personal financial wellness framework, led by Tacy Roby, CFP, Wealth Advisor with Tribridge Partners Financial.

I definitely heard many “aha” moments from the floor during the hands-on workshop “Money Matters: Empower Your Financial Journey”.

Lifelong learners

After some good old-fashioned networking, we ended the Summit with an inspiring and thoughtful panel on “Banishing Burnout, Building in Balance” moderated by Amanda Sapp, VP of Media & General Manager at Bread of Life/ 102.5FM. The group dove into the challenges of being in an “always on” society—and industry—and how they have worked to build balance into their busy lives.

They offered valuable advice for both experienced and early career attendees on how to extract yourself from negative situations, and put yourself forward for the career challenges you relish.

The panel included Michelle Oh, Co-Founder & General Manager of Roll.ai; Jin Soon Brancalhao, Head of Marketing at Kickscale, and Carla Prates, Product Management, Sales & Customer Support for Digital Anarchy. And they were proof that dynamic, life-long learners are contributing to the evolution of our industry.

aced with global economic uncertainty paired with the constant change that is the norm in our technology-centric industry, what’s next? No one knows for sure, but companies who embrace agile, diverse thinkers will drive past those stuck in old ideologies like homogeneity and group think.

Amy DeLouise runs a multi-platform digital storytelling company, is a frequent industry speaker, and is part of the leadership team of www.galsngear.tv

This article first appeared in the Summer 2025 issue of ¡AU! Journal. Access the whole magazine here.