Change happens through action. For example, if we want to solve the hunger problem in our local community, we donate to a food drive. We volunteer at a food bank. We do things that solve the problem.

But often the hurdle to taking action is knowing what action to take. Research shows that bystanders are often unsure of what to do. And when they don't know what to do, they tend to do nothing.

That's why I wanted to talk to David Smith and Brad Johnson about their book, Good Guys: How Men Can Be Better Allies for Women in the Workplace. Brad and David share specific steps individuals and organizations can take to support women in the workplace. It's a male ally playbook.

And a playbook is desperately needed. One of the biggest workplace challenges today is how few women, particularly women of color, hold leadership roles. Though women make up nearly 50 percent of the workforce, in 2020, they held only 38 percent of managerial positions, 33 percent of senior manager/director roles and 21 percent of C-suite titles.

David is a professor of sociology in the College of Leadership and Ethics at the U.S. Naval War College. Brad is a professor of psychology in the Department of Leadership, Ethics, and Law at the U.S. Naval Academy and a faculty associate in the Graduate School of Education at Johns Hopkins University.

Episode Links

Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Hong

Structured exposure 30-5-1

The invisible knapsack

Impostor Syndrome

Let's Talk by Therese Huston

Athena Rising by W. Brad Johnson and David G. Smith

Bystander effect

The Team

Learn more about host,

CM 187: David Smith and Brad Johnson on the Playbook for Male Allies at Work

Curious Minds at Work