Inclusion Through Individual Empowerment by James Lipscomb

Winter 2010

Diversity will be achieved only when we truly abide by Martin Luther King Jr.'s call to judge each other by the content of our characters, not by the color of our skin. The transformative election of Barack Obama was the culmination of many small steps that have brought us ever closer to realizing Dr. King's dream. The president ran his campaign not as a person of color, but as a person of substance, and citizens of all backgrounds voted for him because of his character and intellect.

Strides have been made in the legal profession as well. During the 1960s and 1970s, the profession saw an influx of women and minority attorneys. However, too often, these attorneys encountered employers who continued to harbor biases about their capabilities, and many careers stalled below the glass ceiling. Over time and with the effort of innumerable members of the profession, many prejudicial attitudes were eroded and artificial road blocks were knocked down. Employers that wanted to succeed recognized that there are deeper qualities—such as intelligence, honesty, and diligence—that create excellent attorneys.

Once you have a talented group of diverse employees, how do you keep them wanting to work for you? Part of the answer is derived from Dr. King's message: view your employees as individuals—who have distinct interests and preferences—and not simply as members of identity-groups. Empower them. Give your employees a say about their surroundings, and you will find that they develop a stake in the future of the company.

At MetLife, we put this philosophy into practice by creating an environment where employees feel empowered to develop ideas and initiatives that interest them and that they think will interest others. Our informal motto is "Willing To, Able To, Allowed To." If you are willing to formulate an initiative that you think has value and are able to follow through, you will be allowed to present it to your colleagues and make it a fixture of your workplace. With the autonomy to make significant strategic choices, employees enjoy the satisfaction that results from taking ownership of a unique, successful project and, along the way, have the opportunity to hone their leadership skills.

We have found that employee empowerment inherently creates a more inclusive environment. Attorneys in my office have spearheaded community work, such as mentoring high-school students, and taking on pro bono cases and diversity efforts that include heritage days and recognition of ethnic holidays. These initiatives succeed because they are associate-driven, but survive only when employees find them valuable. Management does not impose these initiatives, but merely creates an open environment where good ideas are free to percolate. The employees are the stakeholders in their success.

Another excellent example is our internal mentoring program, which again was developed by attorneys on my staff. The program, which features one-on-one pairings and group activities, started with twenty participants and now has over one hundred. Meaningful mentorship can be a powerful tool for helping younger attorneys feel accepted, while setting a good example for them to follow. In my experience, the best mentors do not grandstand about legal theories or dictate career paths, but rather listen to their mentees and let them do some thinking on their own.

Ultimately, building an environment of inclusion is about obtaining a deeper understanding of each other—an appreciation for who each of us is. Focusing on "diversity" in a superficial way is sometimes like looking at the tip of the iceberg—what really makes up the person is below the surface of the water. It is only when we get beyond demographics, and recognize each other for the unique individuals that we are, that true diversity is achieved.

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James Lipscomb is executive vice president and general counsel of MetLife, Inc., where he has responsibility for the global operation of the law, government and industry relations, and corporate compliance departments. Mr. Lipscomb has held leadership positions in a number of legal organizations, including the American College of Real Estate Lawyers, the State Bar of California, and the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, where he served as treasurer and a member of the executive committee. His civic affiliations include serving as chairman of the Citizens Budget Commission of New York, trustee of the Practising Law Institute, director of Graffiti Ministries, Inc., and a member of the Center of Hope (Haiti) Inc. Advisory Board.

In 2006 Mr. Lipscomb was named to Inside Counsel Magazine's list of the top 50 most influential in-house counsel in North America and was recognized especially for diversity initiatives.

Mr. Lipscomb received a B.A. from Howard University, a J.D. from Columbia University Law School, and a L.L.M. from New York University.