Women Leaders Forum Co-Founder Kim Stuart Presents A 360-Degree Case For Diversity

Everyone can and should play a part in fostering diversity in the workplace.

Kim Stuart

Kim Stuart

“You should be like Missy instead of being like Mike.” — Missy Elliot

Earlier this week, consulting firms Key Group and The Ackert Advisory, with the support of tax advisory firm KPMG LLP, hosted the Women Leaders Forum (WLF) in Washington, D.C.

The WLF co-founders’ goal is a network that will cultivate and support the advancement of women leaders and serve as a catalyst for change with other organizations. This year, Jana Cohen Barbe, partner and former global vice chair of Dentons, presented the keynote speech.

On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to catch up with Kim Stuart, founder of Key Group and co-founder of the Women Leaders Forum. She traveled to and from her home in Northern California to launch this initial summit in D.C. And the trip was well worth it. Stuart is a seasoned veteran of the legal industry, having spent the last decade focusing on comprehensive professional development programs that provide the insights, management principles, and framework essentials for effective law firm leaders.

Here is a (lightly edited and condensed) write-up of my conversation with Kim Stuart:

Renwei Chung (RC): What was your motivation for founding Key Group as well as the Women Leaders Forum?

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Kim Stuart (KS): My motivation for founding Key Group was to produce initiatives for law firms that effect positive change and to have the flexibility to focus on the ones I am passionate about.

I founded the Women Leaders Forum, together with David Ackert (President of The Ackert Advisory), because I am passionate about supporting women and about helping other women advance into leadership and management roles within their firms. I want to see those small percentages of women in leadership roles increase substantially in my lifetime.

RC: With over 18 years of marketing and business experience, including a decade in the legal industry, what types of change in companies and firms have you noticed with regard to diversity and inclusion?

KS: There is more of a focus on highlighting diversity and inclusion in the companies and in firms. However, sometimes it ends there. Many initiatives are ineffective. Firms need to be engaged at all levels, in all capacities. Similar to thinking about business development all the time, firms need to think about diversity all the time, including ways to cultivate talent and lead with purpose.

RC: You mentioned there is a compelling business case for diversity. Can you tell us more about this?

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KS: Studies show that companies and firms with women in leadership roles – in management, in the C-Suite, on boards – are more productive, benefit financially, and are more effective in retaining talent within the organization, which ultimately fosters a positive culture and profitability. That is strength on all levels – a 360-degree case for diversity.

RC: From a marketing and business standpoint, why is it important to have a seat at the table?

KS: It is critical to have multiple perspectives and diverse skill sets at the table. Not just one voice or similar voices. From a marketing and business development standpoint, fresh, unique perspectives and independent voices all lend themselves to driving innovative marketing and cultivating business.

RC: For those who were unable to attend the inaugural Women Leaders Forum this week, can you tell us about some of the most memorable moments and highlights?

KS: Highlights started with Jana Barbe’s keynote: “My Name is Jana Cohen Barbe, and I am an Approval-Holic.” Her speech and group dialogue were the perfect catalyst, setting stage for the program in a manner that was very personal, relevant, inspiring and fun. Additional highlights stayed true to the theme of authenticity and ways we can leverage our talent for growth and leadership. We dove into how to access our personal power, frameworks to drive innovation, business development technology and tools, cultivating leadership and/or rainmakers, the science of decreasing stress, and navigating and addressing unconscious bias.

RC: You have worked with a number of successful attorneys over the last decade. What are some traits that you believe make a successful attorney, and how important is a law firm’s environment in helping an attorney succeed in her career?

KS: I have been fortunate, and continue to be able to work with many successful lawyers and leaders. This is a great question, and relevant to the Women Leaders Forum, as I just presented on this topic with Carolyn Fairless (managing partner of Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell) and David Ackert. Our session was entitled about “Cultivating skills and attributes necessary to be a successful lawyer or a successful leader.”

There are many qualities and traits, but some of the most important ones include authenticity, trust, the ability to know yourself, and the ability to understand others and their difference. It is vital in order to be agile in your development of and fostering of successful relationships — to serve others, help others win, and get to a “shared” goal versus an “individual” goal.

RC: It was great chatting with you. Is there anything else you would like to share with our audience?

KS: One thing I want to share is that everyone can and should play a part in fostering diversity in the workplace. Be present and proactive, be a mentor or a sponsor, request diverse pitch teams, request diverse management teams, support and provide opportunities for advancement, provide professional development and leadership training, demand your vendors are diverse, etc.

We all have an opportunity and a responsibility to ourselves, to our companies and firms, and to our community. Moving that needle, sooner versus later, depends on it.

Thanks very much, Renwei. It was a pleasure chatting with you too!

RC: On behalf of everyone here at Above the Law, I would like to thank Kim Stuart for sharing her story with our audience. We wish her continued success in her career.

Kim Stuart can be reached at kim@key-grp.com. You can also visit her website Key Group for more information.


Renwei Chung is the Diversity Columnist at Above the Law. You can contact Renwei by email at projectrenwei@gmail.com, follow him on Twitter (@renweichung), or connect with him on LinkedIn.