Diversity is a 'dirty word' but the business case is clear The Coalition's cabinet consists of just four female MPs, while in business, the stats are not much better: only around 16pc of FTSE 100 board roles are made up by women. Many in the business community say they understand the "diversity" issue, but they recoil into their seats of resistance once the lack of women, ethnic minorities, those with disabilities or from working class backgrounds is questioned. Some automatically assume that any efforts to encourage greater representation of diverse groups are synonymous with foregoing the best talent or person for the job, just to tick a box. This of course, is not true. Separate research studies, carried out by RBS, Eversheds and Business In The Community's "Opportunity Now," all point to the conclusion that diverse workforces and boards, and inclusive leaders, equate to greater company success. Having a workforce that is representative of the clients and customers and communities we serve makes business sense. If there's anything I can take away from sitting on the Diversity and Inclusion Board for the London Olympic Games Organising Committee, chaired by its chief executive Paul Deighton, is that the inclusion agenda must be led from the top to provide credibility, to set the priority and to fundamentally change organisational culture. If businesses continue to be complacent in assessing their current organisational make-up, and fail to adjust recruitment and retention strategies accordingly, then I don't agree that it is always the best person for the job that gets the job. While we cannot guarantee equality of outcome for women in their careers, what we must push for is greater inclusion so that women have the same chance as men to get ahead. Women are not a homogeneous group and therefore efforts cannot be one size fits all. It's not enough to push for more women at the top whilst ignoring other diversity strands, lest we simply replace one type of leadership with one that is "pale, stale and female."