It cannot be denied that people with the most diverse viewpoints also tend to have the most conflict. It can be natural to assume then, that the best way to achieve maximum productivity in the workplace is to create harmony and the best and simplest way to create harmony is to create homogeneity. As in many cases, the most intuitive answer is also wrong.
While it cannot be denied that diversity inherently creates conflict, it also creates the most stability when it comes to boards. Most decisions made for large groups are made by a small group that ostensibly represents the interests of the larger group. In business, decisions that affect the entire company are generally made by a board of directors. In the interest off all the stakeholders in a company, diversity adds strength to high impact boards.
As much as we might like for things to be different, the truth is that as humans, we can all only act from our own perspective. Even when people try and act in the best interests of someone different than them, they generally create solutions that would be best for themselves because that is all that they know. They aren’t intentionally cruel, they don’t know any different.
When homogenous groups make decisions, they tend to make decisions that make others just like them extremely happy and everyone else pretty miserable, which ultimately results in chaos. The chaos comes when minority members of the larger group whose interests are not being looked out for try and make their voices heard. All-too-often, they are simply drowned out by the majority, which only makes them fight harder and raise their voices louder. Conversely, however, a single representative of a smaller minority stands a far better chance of being heard in a smaller group. As a result, the smaller diverse group stands a far better chance of reaching a consensus that is in the best interests of a much larger portion of the larger group.
When the larger group feels their best interests are being looked out for by someone who can genuinely and legitimately understand what their best interests actually are, they tend to feel less inclined to fight for their own interests. Instead, they can focus on being productive. This ultimately results in a high level of stability as a company and as a business.