The employees who make up today’s most successful corporations should not only reflect diversity of race, gender, and ethnicity — but also reflect diversity of thought, ideas, and experiences. As obvious as this may seem, many corporations unfortunately promote a culture that rewards a lack of diversity when it comes to idea generation and challenging the status quo.

Consider the employee or manager who tries hard to emulate the boss as a means to move up the ladder. Dressing in similar clothes, speaking in a similar style, and demonstrating some of the same interests. Sound familiar? Yet sadly enough these are indeed the managers who many times find themselves on the succession planning list.

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Maybe so. But it’s also the surest way to dumb down your organization, by creating parrots who seek to echo the boss rather than generate new ideas and approaches.

Shareholders deserve better. It should start with a corporate leadership team that resists the seduction of imitative flattery. They should seek to encourage an environment that embraces diversity — of people, creative thought, and unbridled innovation in every shape and form. And the management team itself should reflect this diversity and set the example for the rest of the organization.

A baseball team made up only of left-handed pitchers will never get to the World Series. Likewise, the road to your company’s success will not be paved with how well your employees compliment the boss, but how well a diverse group of employees can complement one another.