Leaders are under increasing pressure to ensure their businesses are gender-balanced and inclusive for the benefit of the economy and society.

But how? And what does that mean for YOUR business?

This pioneering book is a route map to help leaders get started and navigate the way to leading a high-performing gender-balanced business. It features:

• An easy-to-follow 6-step guide with practical advice and solutions
• Case studies to illustrate how businesses like yours have implemented winning ideas
• A compelling 5-minute pitch to inspire your team to take action

Fixing the gender gap is a key indicator of an effective leader in the 21st century, and gender balance is essential to enable transformational business growth.

Julia Muir is the award-winning Founder of the Automotive 30% Club and CEO of Gaia Innovation Ltd.

‘This eye-opening book will leave you questioning why the pace of change is so slow when the benefits are so clear. The evidence speaks for itself, and this is a must-have read for any business leader.’- Stuart Miles, MD, CDK Global Ltd
‘Change the Game is full of practical steps to help leaders drive better gender balance. There is no quick fix but for any leader looking to make progress, this is a great place to start.’ – Catherine Faiers, COO, Auto Trader Group plc
‘In a male-dominated sector, few have done more to highlight the automotive sector’s lack of progress in getting an appropriate gender balance in the workforce than Julia. The book makes for uncomfortable reading and shows the work to be done.’ – Robert Forrester, CEO, Vertu Motors plc
‘This is a great example of a book that provides practical execution-oriented advice from the start. Evidence led, it creates a route through some of the most challenging parts including how to pitch to the unconvinced and how to systemically make changes. If every organization worked with the six steps, we could make real progress to level the playing field.’ – Sarah Morris, Group Chief People Officer, Compass Group plc
‘Forget the box-ticking. Forget the endless parade of statistics. Forget “blaming the women”. This guide cuts through years of jargon and posturing to the heart of what it takes to reach gender equality.’ – M. Tamara Box, Managing Partner, EME at Reed Smith LLP and passionate gender-balance campaigner
‘A timely read given the pandemic. This book gives a real-world approach to tackling gender balance in the workplace – I encourage all leaders to read it and take note.’ – James Brearley, CEO, Inchcape UK

FOREWORD

by the co-Chairs of the 30% Club; Ann Cairns, Global Vice Chair of Mastercard and Brenda Trenowden CBE PwC Partner

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

PART ONE:

1. THE BUSINESS BENEFITS OF BALANCE

Don’t settle for less

2. INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP

Creating a winning business

3. A BURNING PLATFORM

Why we need it now

4. SLAYING THE DRAGON

Dispelling Myths and Creating Legends

5. OVERCOMING BARRIERS & HANDLING RESISTANCE

Inspire, Inform, Reform

6. WHAT MEN CAN DO

Sponsors, Advocates, Mentors, and Allies

7. WHAT WOMEN CAN DO

Trailblazers, Real Models, Growers and Lifters

8. IKIGAI

The Impact on the World

PART 2: SIX STEPS TO SUCCESS

9. KNOW YOUR DATA – AND MAKE YOUR PLAN

10. REACH OUT TO NEW TALENT POOLS

11. LEAD A RECALIBRATED ORGANISATION

12. WELCOME IN THE WOMEN

13. PULL WOMEN THROUGH THE PIPELINE

14. HOLD ON TO YOUR INVESTMENT

PART 3:

15. BE A GAME CHANGING LEADER

If Not You Then Who? If Not Now Then When?

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

FURTHER READING

FORMAT / ISBN / PUBLICATION DATE / RRP

Audiobook / 9781788604321 / March 8, 2023 / £14.99

Paperback / 9781788602181 / March 9, 2021 / £14.99

Ebook / 9781788602174 / March 8, 2021 / £7.99

Paperback and eBook Bundle / £16.99

Julia Muir

Julia Muir is the CEO of Gaia Innovation Ltd and Founder of the Automotive 30% Club, a network of automotive CEOs and MDs working to close the gender gap. She is a Vice President of the Automotive Fellowship International and speaks regularly at automotive events such as the FT Future of the Car summit. She has been a judge for various sector awards, and is often approached for comments and contributions by the motor trade press.

Named in the Financial Times and HERoes top 100 Women in Business Global Champions of Diversity in 2017, 2018 and 2019 for her work as the Founder of the Automotive 30% Club, Julia provides advice to members and directs the club’s digital communications and activities such as the ‘Inspiring’ e-zine; a digital lifestyle magazine for the women of the sector to which she contributes comment and opinion pieces. She is also a steering committee member of the Global 30% Club, which is working to appoint more women to FTSE 350 boards.

Julia has over 25 years’ experience in automotive retailing, manufacturing, marketing and consulting. She has a Business Studies degree and a Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Development, and has worked in the UK, Germany and Spain. She helped to establish the BSc in Automotive Retail Management at the Loughborough University School of Business and Economics’ Centre for Automotive Management, and recently taught modules covering authentic leadership on their executive programmes. In 2018/19 she was the lead on Employment and Skills and the Equality and Diversity Champion for the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership Board.

Julia designed the Inspiration for Innovation programme to help automotive employers and universities create gender balanced talent pools, aiming to achieve the best employment destination for every child, and she was awarded the Mary Lou Carrington Award by the City of London Worshipful Company of Educators for her work with the charity Speakers for Schools.