Strength in Diversity: We Are The Student Doctor
What is the secret to creating a successful business?
There is no quick or easy answer, demonstrated by the vast amount of literature published on this subject. One important factor, that is recognised by all entrepreneurs, is having the insight to recognise that we are not good at everything. One billionaire businesswoman, Sara Blakely, advised “to hire to make up for your weaknesses as soon as you can afford to”. Some of us have difficulty staying motivated or we may be indecisive or less organised. We can make up for this by finding people that complement our skill sets. Further to this, Stephen R. Covey, author of the book, “7 Habits of Highly Effective People”, said that:
“Strength lies in differences, not in similarities”
Why is diversity crucial to success?
It is well established that diversity breeds creativity and innovation, and these outcomes are increasingly recognised as key differentiators of the world’s most successful companies. It was found in a Forbes study, that a key driver of the creative process is the diversity and inclusiveness of the workforce. From business to politics, groups of people that can mutually respect each other’s differences, and grow and learn from their respective experiences, are that much more likely to be successful.
The current Canadian government sets an example for world leaders. The Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, was revolutionary in creating the first cabinet with equal numbers of men and women. When asked to explain his gender parity promise, he answered “Because it’s 2015”. In a report by McKinsey, they found that companies in the top quartile for diversity are more likely to outperform companies in the bottom quartile for this measure.
Why does diversity drive innovation?
We are all products of our cultural, ethnic and religious affiliations. For instance, a 23-year old female from Indonesia and a 50-year old male from America have had very different life experiences and challenges. Our cultural identities form the way we think, our behaviour and ultimately the skills that we possess. Collaborating with people from different backgrounds, therefore, encourages us to think outside the box, because it brings forth ideas which we would have never previously considered. This collective sharing of ideas, for the greater good, drives creativity and innovation.
Especially in light of recent political events, we feel it is essential to highlight the value of diversity. Often, we become so comfortable in these identities that we become accustomed to our ring fenced comforts and fail to see beyond this, and thus unable to appreciate new perspectives. How can we learn anything new, if all we do is more of the same?
Diversity and The Student Doctor
At The Student Doctor, we are proud to have team members from a huge range of backgrounds. We strongly believe in the motto that “Diversity is a mentality”. This means that we do not seek to simply appreciate our differences for strategic gain, but to genuinely understand each other. To meet this end, we have built our editorial policies upon a diversity and inclusion statement, which you can read here. To celebrate the diversity of our editorial team, we have created a video “We Are The Student Doctor”, with team members introducing our journal, in their respective native and second languages.
“Our strength lies in our differences, not in our similarities”.
We would like to take the opportunity to thank all of our team members who volunteered to take part in the video and Bensound.com for the background music featured in the video.
James Kilgour & Shivali Fulchand
Editors-in-Chief
