Do you ever wonder why LinkedIn decided to show a (+) symbol after your 500th connection? Does that 501 person simply not matter as much?

Leaders often bemoan the lack of data when confronted with the fact that there are so few LGBTQ+ C-suite executives (most companies do not collect data on sexual orientation). While it is true that recruiting diverse talent is easier when the demographics are searchable in a database, there is a vibrant representation of LGBTQ+ professionals in junior roles.

I did not grow up with gay role models, and perhaps my coming out story would have been easier if I did. I’d like to believe that at the very least I would have been easier on myself. I also did not grow up with professional gay role models. I’d like to believe that I would have been less fearful of being myself in the corporate world if I’d seen more of them wearing their identities with pride.

This is why Sponsorship matters. A “snowcapped” (straight white male) leadership team will not change without intentionally making different choices. Even an action as simple as spotlighting a gay executive from another organization on a panel can inspire new possibilities for junior colleagues.