Christina Matteucci is the executive director at New York-based David Beahm Experiences, working alongside lead event designer and owner David Beahm.
From unifying the political divide, to healing race relations, to solving our global climate crisis, solutions for our world’s biggest problems won’t come from one hero, they’ll be the product of many minds working together. The prototype for that alliance begins in the workplace; it begins with the "number twos." (And I should know. For the past 19 years, I have been the preeminent, second-in-command to Manhattan-based event designer David Beahm.)
With the rise of CEOs like Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Richard Branson, the successful entrepreneur has become a veritable superhero in American culture. However, the lack of diversity among straight, white, male models of professional success is, at best, extremely problematic. Worsened by society’s universal obsession with entrepreneurship as the vehicle for professional recognition, these patterns could spell disaster for the future of the United States workforce in a post-COVID landscape.
Why? The data shows the struggle for professional recognition is wiping out the virtue of collaboration, and the future of that reality is a deeply unsettling one.
Let’s use Gen Y as our model. Millennials are currently the largest contingency in the U.S. workforce—a statistic confirmed by the Pew Research Center. However, a 2019 Gallop poll reported that only three in 10 millennials felt engaged at work. A second 2021 report raised even bigger red flags when it revealed that employees who do not feel adequately recognized in the workplace are twice as likely to say they'll quit in the next year.
For an economy struggling to rebound from the pandemic, rebuilding will hinge upon team retention, and the foundation of a great team starts with the heretofore unseen, number twos.
So just why, exactly, should CEOs and entrepreneurs give a second thought to their seconds in command? Here are three ways number twos will lead the corporate American ecosystem into the future.
The Next Rodeo
The biggest misconception when it comes to relationships between the first and second-in-command is that mentorship is a one-way street. However, from technology to social trends, around the country, number twos act as cultural ambassadors to their employers, ushering them into the next era of business, all the while collaborating on evergreen policies that will cement a sustainable business long after an entrepreneur’s retirement. Trust us to show you a new way; you may just enjoy the ride, and we feel of value in the process.
The Weather Report
Much like that brass barometer hanging on the wall, long before a number one has any inkling, an astute number two can predict the professional storms that lie ahead. There’s a certain degree of distance and detachment that comes with the prestige of having your name on the door. Acknowledge and capitalize on their more approachable bridge to your team and clients; an empowered number two can be your very best advisor and your secret weapon.
The Real Power Suit
Whether they are culturally enriching your office, bridging the generational divide or challenging social mores, the likelihood is that your number two does not look like you, talk like you or think like you—and they shouldn’t. Rather than hide your second-in-command behind a curtain in fear they might eclipse you, recognize, leverage and celebrate the diversity you were smart enough to bring to the table. The future is all about representation, and diversity looks good on you too!
Indeed, the number twos do hold the keys to the future of the American workforce—and there is no better time than now to learn their names.
Listen to Matteucci expand on this topic on today's GatherGeeks podcast as she talks with host and BizBash founder David Adler here.
