stepping up book

Big ideas
Stepping Up calls for social change in Australia that will increase cultural diversity and gender equality to raise workforce participation to full capacity, boosting productivity and GDP, while at the same time improving our capability to work more effectively across Asia. Allowing both genders and all cultures to share in the leadership and decision-making of government, business and society could make us leaders, not followers, in the world…and deliver prosperity to our people.

This book was written for people in society who want to help build a progressive, globally competitive nation; for business leaders who want to attract great people and skills and stimulate innovation; and for anyone eager to get more involved with fast-growing Asian nations.

Big names
The book reports the views of 100 leaders including:
Ann Sherry AO / Carol Schwartz AM / Catherine Livingstone AO / Catriona Noble / Dr Charlie Teo AM / Craig Drummond / David Gonski AC / Diane Grady AM / Prof Fred Hilmer AO / Dr Geoff Raby / Giam Swiegers / Graham Bradley AM / Hugh Mackay / Ilana Atlas / James MacKenzie / Jane Hemstritch / Jillian Segal AM / Joanne Wood / John Denton / Prof Julianne Schultz AM / Julie Coates / Katie Lahey / Kevin McCann / Mike Smith OBE / Nigel Garrard / Paul Waterman / Phil Ruthven / Dr Robert Care AM / Robert Milliner / Shirley In’t Veld / Sid Myer AM / Stephen Roberts / Uschi Schreiber

Big stories
Stepping Up is packed full of personal stories, case studies, logic and argument, including:
– the economic and social arguments for diversity to boost workforce participation and productivity
– explanation of how greater cultural diversity and gender equality can facilitate growth
– the author’s own story about how she discovered diversity and faced her own biases
– research findings from 100 leaders from 26 industries and 16 cities across Australia and Asia
– case studies of Woolworths, McDonalds and Ernst & Young illustrating the impact of company culture
– 3 personal stories by women about workplace discrimination they experienced
– 3 personal stories by men about balancing work and life to support their career wives
– 2 personal success stories by people with Asian cultural heritage
– 2 personal stories about leadership
– anecdotes from around the world about culture change in individuals, companies and countries
– a review of recent reports by Asialink and the Labor Government of Australia on growing through Asia
– frameworks for sustainably changing cultures to build diversity
– a call for action: a private-public partnership to lead social change