Patricia “PB” Brown Of YGIS Group On Why Diversity Is Good For Business

An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis

Attracting talent and talent retention reduces employee turnover and offsets the retraining expenses and drain on institutional knowledge walking out the door.

As a part of our series about “How Diversity Can Increase a Company’s Bottom Line”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Patricia “PB” Brown.

Patricia “PB” Brown has held leadership roles for more than 28 years in the insurance industry. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience as a leadership coach and advocate for creating diverse, equitable, and inclusive organizations.

Prior to starting YGIS Group LLC (an executive coaching/career development/DEI consulting practice), PB performed various roles as a senior leader at Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, fulfilling P&L responsibilities, regional sales/distribution, and countrywide sales initiatives. Notably, she served as corporate DEI champion; co-chaired the Women’s & Allies (WE) ERG expansion, both domestically and internationally; and sponsored the 1st Women of Color Summit in 2019.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive into the main part of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit more. Can you share a bit of your “backstory” with us?

Sure. I was born and raised in New Orleans, LA, the proud daughter of a Tuskegee airman and a first-generation college graduate in my family. I had the opportunity to reside in the south, southeast, and west coast during my corporate career. In early 2021, I retired from the insurance industry, primarily in Fortune 100 organizations, after a 28-year career leading commercial underwriting, sales/distribution, countrywide field enablement operations, and the expansion of corporate DEI initiatives. Currently I serve as a certified DEI professional, executive/career coach, and independent consultant with a DEIB focus. In 2021, I started a consulting LLC called YGIS GROUP.

Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? Can you tell us the lesson or take away, you took out of that story?

Where do I begin? Early in my leadership career, I became an enthusiast of the “Servant Leadership” practices. This concept applies an altruistic approach to leadership with a focus on the support and growth of others. My goal of incorporating service to others as a part of my leadership style had a positive impact on strong employee engagement, and I exceeded performance targets, talent growth, and introduction of talent to new opportunities.

During one particular event, one of my employees made some critical errors in a proposal with a very important client. The error was significant, and the impact was costly to our client. The incident eroded their trust in our firm’s ability to handle future business needs. During my debrief with the employee, we discussed the why, what, how, and go-forward actions needed to restore the relationship. In the midst of the discussion, the employee became emotional and said, “PB, I am sorry about my mistake, but I am more saddened by how my actions could have a negative reflection on you as the leader, both internally and with our customer. You have empowered us for much more, and I have let you down.” WOW! What accountability, ownership, and commitment this employee showed! Together we worked through this situation, and I have often reflected on this experience when I consider my leadership approach. Empowering people to bring forth their best work is exhilarating and fuels my desire to be the best at my craft, with leadership that inspires!

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you tell us a story about how that was relevant in your own life?

Legacy — “Only what you do for others will last beyond a lifetime.”

As a mother of 2 daughters, I realize that my sacrifice and desire to be the best Mom and that my investment today in their learning, values, and experiences will shape the women they become. If I get it right most of the time, the learnings they gain from me become part of them, and they will share them with their offspring.

As I reflect on my professional experiences in corporate America as a senior leader/coach/mentor/sponsor, I am humbled and grateful for the privilege of playing a part in the career journeys of employees and to see them in higher level roles. They become entrepreneurs, achieve lateral moves, and invest in themselves and others. For me, that’s what makes the PB Legacy an awesome experience.

None of us achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are?

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

My company has several unique attributes, the first of which is the accountability mindset among both the clients and YGIS as a whole. As a leader I’ve nurtured a client-specific content that is focused on impact and intent, thus empowering our clients. When they win, I win. Second, I share firm commitment to our common goal. I’ve personally witnessed a shift in attitudes among individual contributors toward the art of coaching. This creates a self-sustaining cycle of increased commitment. Third and most importantly, I have myself as the DEI consultant, as I have often been the only woman and person of color at the table within a typically male-dominated industry. My resilience, experience, and investment in myself enable me to recognize my value and thus increase my influence and offer coaching to individuals in power.

Are you working on any new or exciting projects now? How do you think that might help people?

Not currently, though I have a few project ideas in the pipeline that are not yet ready for publication.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

I believe that my relentless dedication to helping others through coaching, advocating, and sponsoring gives them the power and knowledge to achieve the best version of themselves, and this also affects all of their connections.

Moreover, as a staunch supporter of inclusiveness, fairness, and equity in corporate settings, I offer support of my brand as a servant leader and brings necessary focus to marginalized groups in the business sector.

Ok. Thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the main part of our interview. This may be obvious to you, but it is not intuitive to many people. Can you articulate to our readers five ways that increased diversity can help a company’s bottom line.

Before we outline how increased diversity can help a company’s bottom line, let’s set a foundation by defining diversity. I believe impactful diversity only comes through inclusion. I am often known to quote Andres Tapia, author of the INCLUSION Paradox, “Diversity is the mix, inclusion is making the mix work.”

A 2002 McKinsey article titled, “What is Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion,” explores the various forms of diversity, including gender, ethnicity, age, neurodiversity, physical ability, and cognitive diversity. Most notably, when we hear the term diversity today, we tend first to think of race, gender, and ethnic diversity and the power embodied in each of these elements. In short, diversity refers to who is represented in the workplace.

So, as we consider the 5 ways in which increased diversity can help a company’s bottom line, here are a few thoughts:

• According to McKenzie research in 2019 analyzing business cases for ethnic and cultural diversity, companies in the top quartile achieved 36% more profitability than those in the fourth quartile. And though there are strong gender diversity performance indicators for women in executive-level roles, ethnic diversity is higher than gender diversity.
• Attracting talent and talent retention reduces employee turnover and offsets the retraining expenses and drain on institutional knowledge walking out the door.
• Accelerated customer-centric and product innovation instills more diverse employee engagement throughout the organization, from C-suite professionals to individual contributors. This focus helps to generate more creative ideas and “what if” questions fueled by the diverse experiences, values, and networks of their employee resources. The act of harnessing this power is not only good for new product delivery, but it also expands the customer client base, thereby increasing revenue and heightening employee engagement.
• Increased diversity improves the ability to compete on the global stage, thus providing companies more robust opportunities to explore new markets and diversification of the product portfolio. More than ever, current and prospective customers demand that organizations do business with employees who look like them and closely understand the unique nuisances of their culture and buying habits. Companies that get this right outpace their competitors.
• Higher employee engagement creates a “talent magnet” for the organization. When employee engagement is high, creativity soars. Consistent “discretionary effort” (when employees put in extra effort and the results are better than expected) becomes the norm, and workers become ambassadors within personal and professional networks, attracting others to join their organization. Needless to say, opportunities for positive revenue and reduction in employee expenses drive best-in-class results.

All five of these areas create positive revenue generation and lower expenses, translating into improved and sustainable ROI performance.

What advice would you give to other business leaders to help their employees to thrive?

I would encourage leaders to do the following:

• Invest in YOURSELF — engage in continuous learning to improve your ability as inspirational leaders, not just managers of tasks. It’s an art!
• Build the cornerstone of your leadership brand on employee development and creating opportunities for employees. Demonstrate how you will partner with employees to help create development strategies that yield results. Provide effective leadership evidence — be able to share how employees under your leadership have been promoted or experienced lateral moves to expand their careers. The higher you move up in your career, the more evidence you need of how you applied your skill with those you lead.
• Be present and serve as an advocate for your employees. Create an environment of accountability and fairness, and provide a “safety net” if they fall.
• Lead with empathy and embrace the power of vulnerability in leadership.

What advice would you give to other business leaders about how to manage a large team?

• Deploy the power of influence. Understand the push-and-pull influence techniques and how to gain consensus.
• Lead by example — your team is a reflection of YOU!
• Delegate power and create opportunities for critical thinking
• Follow through — if you say it, DO IT!
• Seek to learn more about and practice inclusive leadership skills such as sharing your story, receiving and giving feedback, creating psychological and psychological safety, active listening, and demonstrating intent and impact.
• Create a robust awareness of problem-solving techniques and accountability.
• See opportunities for change and accept change disruption. It’s here to stay.

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this :-)

Michelle Obama. I’m so impressed with how she maneuvered through the politics and racial bias, both conscious and unconscious, as the first Black First Lady of the United States. Her resilience and desire to “go high when others go low” have special significance for African Americans/Blacks in America. Her demonstration of grace under pressure and resilience during those 8 years, though quite commendable, take a toll on one’s inner self and mental health. She is relatable and walks in her authentic self. I would be honored to meet with her and share my own experiences of resilience in White corporate America and have some “girl talk” on how we just keep moving forward and re-inventing ourselves, no matter what!

In addition to helping organizations build equitable environments, YGIS Group also focuses on developing leaders committed to advancing DEI initiatives within their organizations. We provide comprehensive leadership development programs that involve training, coaching, and mentoring sessions to equip executives with the skills needed for successful DEI-centric initiatives. Furthermore, we offer training specifically designed for managers on how they can create inclusive work cultures in which equity is a priority.

YGIS Group is dedicated to ensuring sustainable success with thorough planning and careful follow up, always looking one step ahead in order to anticipate potential problems before they arise.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

Readers can find me on LinkedIn as Patricia F. (PB) Brown

Thank you for these excellent insights. We wish you continued success in your great work.