Mojgan Lefebvre has plenty to credit for a flourishing career in technology. Degrees from two prestigious universities, highly sought-after tech skills, and vast corporate experience have all helped pave the way to her current role as EVP and chief technology and operations officer at Travelers.
But Lefebvre points to another important factor in her career trajectory: “A senior manager who made a big difference in my life—an ally,” she says. “We would always talk and we really formed a relationship, so as soon as he had the opportunity, he asked me to work on a project with very high visibility. That really set up my career in the company.”
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Lefebvre is one of the fortunate ones. While many organizations state their commitment to women and advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), women are often not making it to the top ranks of tech leadership. In fact, in a Deloitte survey of nearly 400 senior IT leaders, 75% said their technology department had an authentic commitment to DEI, but that women and non-white workers made up only around a quarter or less of leadership teams—far from representative of the working population.
Enter allyship. By giving voice and value to systematically disadvantaged individuals, allyship can not only empower women to rise through the leadership ranks, but can help deliver significant business outcomes, from increased profitability and enhanced customer experience to improved employee retention.
Here’s a look at what allyship is (and isn’t) and six strategies tech leaders can consider to support, uplift, and advance their female colleagues.
The Art Of Allyship
To truly champion allyship, organizations should first understand what it is—and is not. Allyship is a verb—not a one-and-done program—and it’s everyone’s responsibility. It’s the daily, lifelong practice of empathizing with the experiences of systemically disadvantaged groups, looking out for biases, and actively using one’s voice and power to advance equity in all interactions.
“Allyship is a personal dedication to look outside yourself and do for others in ways that you would have them do unto you,” says Earl Newsome, chief information officer at Cummins.
But for allyship to facilitate meaningful and long-lasting change, it can’t be performative or a singular initiative. Rather, allyship should be a continuous journey and embedded within a company's culture. "For the people who work here, allyship is more of a natural state of affairs," says Jessica Jarvi, general counsel at Western Alliance Bank. "Most of the people who participate in our DEI initiatives wouldn’t label the effort they put in as anything other than doing the right thing. Allyship is simply supporting co-workers and colleagues even if you do not directly share their experiences."
Allyship also shouldn’t be mistaken for mere guidance. “With sponsorship and mentorship, you’re coaching another person on their professional development,” says Jim Fowler, EVP and chief technology officer at Nationwide. “But if you’re truly an ally, you’re an advocate—there’s a big difference.”
6 Ways To Be An Ally For Women In Tech
The good news is there are specific ways IT leaders can elevate allyship in the workplace. Here are six strategies that can help create more opportunities for women in tech.
1. Lead with courage and compassion
Allies should have compassion and courage—courage to use their voice to respectfully call out bad behavior when they see it, courage to use their credibility to stick up for somebody else, and courage to be vulnerable.
“If you’re going to be a great ally, you need empathy,” says Fowler. “You have to understand that the person you’re an ally for might not have had the same experiences you’ve had. You have to be willing to connect and identify with their thoughts, feelings, and perspectives.”
Newsome agrees: “You have to speak to people in their own currency. Meet them where they are versus where you want them to be.” With this approach, allyship can become second nature—and contagious.
2. Open up the aperture for tech talent
Supporting women in the workplace requires a diverse talent pipeline. One way to diversify the tech talent pool is by considering skills-based hiring rather than solely focusing on pedigree. College isn’t necessarily a proxy for ability and by requiring a bachelor’s degree for positions that don’t need that level of education, companies are automatically excluding potentially talented workers.
Another way to effectively diversify a talent pipeline, says Newsome, is by “moving from STEM to STEAM—Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. Focusing on STEAM-related backgrounds, instead of just STEM, opens up the aperture for more people to participate in the technology sector for greater diversity of thought and experience.”
3. Prioritize inclusivity and tie it to performance
According to Lefebvre, “You can’t have allyship without having an inclusive organization.” Yet increasing inclusivity often requires a set of consistent performance metrics. Case in point: At Travelers, Lefebvre says “inclusive leadership goals are included in every single one of our managers’ annual performance objectives.”
In fact, measuring variables such as inclusivity and diversity could serve as a powerful business case for greater allyship. Take, Nabors Industries, for example. Two years into their initiative to intentionally support DEI in their workforce, almost 60% of the company’s hires in 2022 were diverse and 20% of internal transfers were women, says Aparna Mathur, Nabors’ vice president of IT and DEI initiative leader. Additionally, attrition rates for women dropped by 20% over the same timeframe.
4. Secure commitment from leadership
Leaders can play a powerful role in promoting allyship in the workplace. According to Alan Davidson, chief information officer at Broadcom, this begins with “giving people the opportunity to have a conversation with leaders.” These in-depth discussions, he adds, can help women build important relationships across the organization, granting them access to C-suite executives, regardless of title or department.
Western Alliance Bank follows a similar philosophy and has created an executive-led Opportunity Council, which provides employees with access to leadership and continually evaluates best-in-class DEI strategies. Allyship, DEI and IT is a team sport, explains Jennifer Wilson, the bank’s chief digital officer. “There is no ‘they.’ It’s just ‘us.’”
5. Commit to learning—and unlearning
Great allies are willing to invest in learning. Learning the biases they carry, the words that may make someone feel seen or excluded, and the ways they can individually help uplift those around them.
But the journey doesn’t end there. Leaders should also be committed to unlearning. Unlearning the language, constructs, and ideas that are preventing them from creating inclusive environments. As an example, consider the word ‘tone-deaf,’ which is often used in professional settings to describe how a message won’t land. This term isn’t inclusive language for people with disabilities. Everyone has the power to empower, but only if they’re willing to invest in continuous learning and unlearning.
6. Make each day count
“If you move from ‘get’ to ‘give’,” says Newsome, allyship can become a daily practice. Not all allyship initiatives need to be measurable, sanctioned by the C-suite, or part of a larger DEI strategy. Rather, the biggest impact can come from the small actions in the day to day.
While random acts of kindness—like the senior manager who took the time to show an interest in Lefebvre’s talent—can seem small, they can make a huge difference in a person’s career with long-lasting impact. Case in point: Many years later, Lefebvre says, “I was able to be an ally for this manager and find him an opportunity that helped his career. For me, it was a full-circle moment.”
