Volunteering is often presented in ways that appeal to traditionally feminine-coded traits like nurturing. To engage more young men, organizations should reframe community service as a team-based activity that builds valuable skills and confers status, aligning with their typical reward systems.
Boards hire consultants who present median pay data. The board then decides to pay their CEO 'above average' (e.g., at the 60th percentile) to seem competitive. This action, repeated across companies, continuously pushes the median higher, creating an inflationary spiral for executive pay.
Instead of government-mandated pay ratios, which can be circumvented, implement a highly progressive tax system. High earners like CEOs should face marginal tax rates of 60-70%, redirecting wealth to public services without stifling market dynamics or creating perverse incentives.
When an employee achieves great success in an area outside the company's core mission (e.g., B2B sales in a B2C company), it's valuable market data, not just a management problem. Leaders should consider if this success indicates a more promising direction or a lucrative new business to pursue.
The US tax system penalizes high-income salaried workers ('earners') more than those whose wealth comes from equity ('owners'). Equity compensation, common for CEOs, benefits from lower capital gains rates and tax-deferred growth, which fundamentally worsens wealth inequality.