Hall of Fame Profile: Patrick McLaurin, Leadership & Diversity

Patrick McLaurin Leverages One Published Article into a Comprehensive Executive Branding Campaign

As Director of Diversity and Multinational People Strategy at Booz Allen Hamilton, one of the world’s largest management consulting firms, Dr. Patrick McLaurin dedicated himself to promoting corporate diversity. In the process, he was able to showcase Booz Allen Hamilton’s diversity efforts, particularly a Board Diversity Initiative that he led.

McLaurin began by approaching MWorld, the flagship publication of the American Management Association (AMA). The editor was impressed with McLaurin’s unique insights on global diversity. She asked that he participate in a roundtable discussion for an article entitled Leading Diversity in Times of Change, which included other Booz Allen executives, and set the stage for other AMA articles and a white paper distributed globally to their members.

The MWorld article prompted McLaurin to refine his ideas, take stock of his expertise, and differentiate himself in the field of corporate diversity. He created a thought leadership platform around the concept of “global talent management” that distinguished him and his firm as innovators in this growing sector.

From there, McLaurin identified other media where he could reach a broader audience. Editors were receptive, and within a few months he placed articles in American Executive, Employment Relations Today, and Leadership Excellence.

At the same time, he applied to be a speaker at several global conferences, and was selected to give the keynote address at the Consulting World conference sponsored by the Institute of Management Consultants. His talk, “Consulting With Multi-National Multi-Cultural Companies,” was designed to provoke a lively discussion on global diversity issues.

McLaurin then launched a blog, which he called “Leadership and Diversity,” that allowed him to comment  on diversity issues. His postings carried titles such as “The Global Graying Workforce: Implications for Leaders,” and “Institutionalized Bias or Systematic Faults in the Retention of Talent? Walgreens Under Fire.”

All of these accomplishments led to an invitation to submit a book proposal to a major publishing company for Talent without Borders, a book concept inspired while writing the MWorld article.

“Publishing helped me focus my thinking and finally take action. It was a tremendous motivator and springboard for other opportunities,” says McLaurin. “Within one year, I went from relative obscurity in my field to laying a strong foundation for my expertise and industry thought leadership around corporate diversity. Moreover, by cultivating my own reputation as an industry thought leader, it reflects equally well on my employer and their commitment to advancing diversity.”