I Don’t Wear Chuck Taylors

For those of you who have not met me, I’m a high heels kind of gal.  I love them and wear them almost every day.  In fact, I’ve always been this way.  One type of shoe I’ve never owned and would feel like a total sham wearing is THE classic-  Chuck Taylors by Converse.  

Now, here’s where it gets interesting.  If you believe that the way that we express ourselves in our clothing and in our shoe choices somehow links to our beliefs and behaviors, we’d be in agreement.  You might even think that I’d feel most comfortable surrounding myself with other heel-wearing ladies.  But, this is where I’d lose you.  When I think of many of the professionals that have a solid impact and influence on my thinking about the present and the future of HR, one theme emerges.

They all wear Chuck Taylor’s.

Some of the great industry thinkers I know like Ruettimann, Boese, Nykolaiszyn, and Crosby, to name a few.

I wonder what that says about me.  I hope it says that I’m smart enough not to surround myself with only like-minded people.  I hope that it shows that I like to associate with people that may have the same passions as I do but vastly different opinions and approaches.  I think there is something to this.  And, maybe I’d stretch myself a little by lacing up a pair myself once in awhile.  You know, try to walk a mile in their shoes….

So, maybe next time we’re thinking about diversity, we should look down.  After all, what kind of shoes are you surrounding yourself with? They just might make you a better person.