Much gained on gender gains despite US polls
Iwas in Washington, D.C., and New York recently for the premiere of “Don’t Look Down” — a new documentary about my ballooning adventures — and it was obvious that many Americans are angry and fearful in the aftermath of this month’s presidential election.
Over the years I’ve visited the US countless times, and I’ve learnt a great deal from running businesses in America. While “hope” may not feel like a suitable word to describe the country’s divisions right now, I know that Americans are diverse in experience and that they will always be united in hope.
Since the election I’ve also been thinking a lot about the impact that the long political cycle has had on women — and young women in particular — as misogynistic rhetoric was flung during the campaign, and in the aftermath of the vote. Politics aside, I know how much of an impact words can have on young people who are just starting out in their lives and careers, and specifically in the business world.
My daughter, Holly, is grown now. She’s a qualified physician and an accomplished business leader. But if she were 16 years old today, my advice to her would be: Never mind the bollocks. Do not let others define you. Keep working for what you believe in, and do not give up.
When I was first getting into business, there were very few women in positions of power whom young women could look up to as role models. Since then, the world has been turned on its head (thank goodness!), and as we all know, many of today’s most dynamic, creative and smart leaders in business, politics and non-profit are women.
I’ve been inspired by many, from Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg to the philanthropist and entrepreneur Melinda Gates to Jayne-Anne Gadhia, the chief executive of Virgin Money.
Whether people want to recognise it or not, the world has changed, and this shift toward inclusion and diversity has made our businesses inarguably more successful and innovative and strengthened our communities.
Of course, there is much more work ahead on improving gender balance, including at Virgin, but I cannot imagine where our companies, or our society, would be without all the brilliant, driven female leaders we have today. If we do not continue to encourage women and girls to aim for the top, we will be leaving more than half our talent on the table.
It’s with this in mind that Virgin America partnered with both LinkedIn and LeanIn.org, an organisation led by Sandberg, on a campaign to encourage women to pursue their career ambitions and share their career stories.
In addition to professional development sessions available for free on Virgin America flights equipped with high-speed Wi-Fi, we also named a new Airbus A320 aircraft “Lady Boss” — a reminder that the sky’s no limit for women in leadership roles.
As I mentioned, there is much more work to be done. And while the ultimate glass ceiling wasn’t shattered in the US earlier this month, I know that it will be someday — and I hope that happens in the near future.
Finding the good
I believe in finding the good in any situation, so I think it’s worth highlighting some positives with regard to drug policy that came out of the recent election. On November 8, voters in California, Nevada and Massachusetts voted to legalise and regulate the production, sale and consumption of cannabis while Montana, North Dakota and Florida approved medical marijuana bills.
Just a decade ago, very few people would have believed that an end to the nation’s prohibition on marijuana could actually be within reach.
As I wrote in a recent column, the millions of people who have been arrested for possessing or selling cannabis, then locked up because of mandatory sentencing laws, are often barred from reaping any benefits from legal cannabis markets. From an entrepreneurial standpoint, that’s not only unfair, but it also prohibits people with real experience in the cannabis trade from contributing value to this nascent sector.
I hope that the new president-elect will recognise that the war on drugs has been a colossal and costly failure, and that he will continue to support the criminal justice and drug policy reforms initiated by President Obama and many courageous state governments.
I’m confident that more positive small steps are ahead. In the meantime, I’m looking forward to many more years of trips to the US to visit with our brilliant staff and wonderful customers.