How Ally Leaders Boost Belonging and Business Outcomes

Being an inclusive leader within your industry and organization doesn’t always require formal backing. Sometimes it’s about how you personally act to support others.

Security Management discussed the issue of allyship with Melissa Mack, a managing director at Pinkerton, at the second annual Women in Security & Ally Gala at GSX 2024. The event was a grassroots effort to elevate the security profession, drive diversity of thought, and advance conversations around the future of security leadership, she says.

The event—like many women in security groups’ activities—was open to all security professionals, not just women, because “when you’re in such a male-dominated industry, it requires allyship,” Mack says. “We need allies to be courageous, to sometimes speak the unpopular opinion. We need them to advocate for marginalized groups. Allies really understand and recognize the value that women bring to our industry.”

But what does allyship in the workplace mean? It’s not about being friends—friendship and allyship are two separate things, Mack adds. You can have many friends of a certain demographic, but if you don’t speak up for those individuals, that friendship doesn’t translate to allyship.

“There are some dynamics and distinctions around allyship and friendship that are important to recognize, because it’s about the intention, it’s about the context in which that relationship is based,” Mack says.

For instance, a manager who uses his or her position in the organization to ensure all employees have a chance to present their ideas in meetings or to lead different groups would be an ally. Ally leaders make space in meetings for differing opinions to be voiced and considered. They offer mentoring or coaching to individuals who might not have the same background as them to help them succeed alongside their peers. Similarly, these leaders might highlight an employee’s achievement on an essential behind-the-scenes project to senior leaders, giving that individual a higher profile in the organization and boosting his or her sense of belonging and appreciation.

This personal investment in allyship can boost a variety of business outcomes. When individuals feel valued and included, they bring new ideas to the table, enhancing innovation, according to workplace culture and training firm Inclusivv. This further leads to increased employee engagement and talent retention.

Allyship also means speaking up when an employee is not being treated respectfully. Women are almost twice as likely as men to be mistaken for being more junior than they are, according to LeanIn.org’s Women in the Workplace 2024 report. Women are also more likely to deal with comments or actions that call their credibility or leadership potential into question, including being interrupted or spoken over more than others. Allies can keep an eye out for this behavior toward all employees and correct it, ensuring workplaces remain a safe place for merit-based achievement for all.

Swift microaggression corrections and support ensure that people with diverse viewpoints and perspectives have the chance to participate and succeed—something that’s essential in security.

“If you look at the threats we face as an industry, they’re not homogeneous,” Mack says. “So, it’s important that the solutions, innovations, and strategies we use to mitigate those threats are also diverse in nature. That’s why it’s so important to have diversity of thought, not everybody thinking the same way because we all came from the same place, or we all look like each other.”

Mack adds that security is positioned well for robust collaboration and problem-solving, with key stakeholders across law enforcement, military, academia, technology, business development, and private industry. If individuals in those areas of expertise and backgrounds are empowered to share their ideas, skills, and wisdom, then that pushes the industry forward.

Allies can help those individuals find avenues to contribute, so they “know that they don’t have to mute themselves,” Mack says. “That’s what this industry really needs for innovative, forward-thinking, transformational movement going forward.”

Claire Meyer is editor-in-chief of Security Management. Connect with her on LinkedIn or via email at [email protected].