To breathe a sigh of relief or not? There is now a new speaker of the United States House of Representatives. The news brings some calm in that the Speaker plays a pivotal role in decision-making and can remove/minimize the lingering threat of a potential government shutdown. On October 25, 2023, Representative Mike Johnson won the majority vote from the Republican party and secured the position. The leadership vacancy was due to the ousting of the prior Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, prompting multiple ballot votes to determine new leadership. This article will explore the necessity for more inclusive representation of leadership in the House of Representatives.
The Role of the Speaker
Let’s first look at the role of the Speaker of the House. According to the United States House of Representatives website, the top position oversees the House activities and is a part of the succession plan for the President position. The leadership role is essentially in ensuring consensus for passing legislative bills.
The History of the Speaker Role
Of the 118th installations of Speakers of the House, dating back to 1789, the role has included a woman twice—that woman, Nancy Pelosi, who served in the Speaker of the House role in 2017 and 2019. Otherwise, predominantly White males have held the position.
A Need For More Inclusion
According to Census information, by 2030, the United States will experience significant shifts in its demographic makeup. Those changes are due to generation, race, and ethnicity shifts. Given that information, plus the history of those occupying the Speaker Role and the increased diverse representation in the House noted in Pew Research, there is a strong likelihood that even more shifts are on the horizon to change House Leadership. For now, however, consider those involved in the decision-making process to land on the replacement leader and note that deliberate inclusion was not a consideration. If that were the case, the slate of candidates for review would have included diverse representation to take on the role. As previously stated, gender-wise, the numbers are heavily imbalanced with 99% male representation.
As mentioned earlier, there is a need for more inclusion in this area. Given the breadth of responsibilities, having a more inclusive leadership team would allow greater confidence in ensuring that the priorities of the United States communities are well considered. The Center for Creative Leadership 2020 Summary of Leadership Development Research says all diversity dimensions must be present to reap the full benefits of said diversity.
Consider the same scenario in the workplace wherein leadership remains the same for hundreds of years and manages to avoid fully embracing the organization’s community and customers. Undoubtedly, the consequences would be that the organization would be surpassed by competitors more willing to take advantage of diversity to make better decisions and develop more innovative solutions.
Although pushback exists on more inclusive practices, many remain committed to embracing America’s changing look and needs. As such, it’s time to allow more diversity in the House of Representatives’ most senior leadership role. Let’s see a different face in leadership for the Speaker role and other positions in the political landscape before hundreds of additional years.
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