Diversity in the corporate elite and its influence on strategic decision-making and performance have been of interest for researchers since Hambrick & Mason’s (1984) seminal paper on organizations as reflection of their top managers. Following this tradition, we examine aspects of leaders and their personal backgrounds that are of particular concern for modern day organizations. Specifically, we are interested in groups of leaders that are currently underrepresented at the top of the firm, such as leaders with a low social class or immigration background, as well as leaders that deviate from the dominant male leadership prescription. We aim to understand how these groups of leaders are able to “survive” at top of the firm, and have a meaningful impact on firm performance.
