The Nasdaq's Push to Diversify Corporate Boards

Any time you propose a change that impacts thousands of companies, you're likely to hear complaints. That's what happened when the Nasdaq stock exchange said it wants its listed companies to disclose their board diversity stats. What's more, it wants companies to have at least one woman and at least one individual who identifies as an underrepresented minority or LGBTQ+ on their boards.

The proposal is still making its way through the SEC approval process, but Nasdaq's CEO says she's not concerned by the debate surrounding the plan.

"This is a significant change to the governance of public companies. And so we like the rigor," Adena Friedman tells Alan Murray and Ellen McGirt in this episode of Leadership Next.

This diversity rule would be a first for a major American stock exchange. Pushing for the change placed Friedman - the first woman to lead a major American stock exchange - on Fortune's latest list of the World's Greatest Leaders. Friedman originally joined Nasdaq as an intern in 1993, and was named CEO in 2017. 

Tune in for more on the board proposal, her take on the current stock market, and how leadership has changed as a result of the pandemic.