Tesla's first diversity report shows leadership is mostly white, male

The majority of Tesla's leadership is white and male, according to the company's first ever diversity report, released late Friday.

Why it matters: Recent research suggests that diverse leadership leads to increased and better innovation and improved financial performance, per the Harvard Business Review and the Boston Consulting Group.

By the numbers:

• Tesla's U.S. workforce is:
• 34% white
• 22% Hispanic
• 21% Asian
• 10% Black
• 7% other
• Tesla’s leadership in its U.S. workforce is:
• 59% white
• 25% Asian
• 4% Black
• 4% Hispanic
• 1% other
• By gender, Tesla’s U.S. workforce is:
• 79% male
• 21% female
• By gender, Tesla’s leadership in its U.S. workforce is:
• 83% male
• 17% female
• Of note: The report did not include how many people in Tesla's workforce have a disability, nor did it break down how much of its workforce is nonbinary or gender nonconforming.

What they're saying: "Where we are today represents the progress that we have made and the steps we have taken up to this point," the company said in its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Impact Report.

• "We know we have more work to do to be representative of the evolving U.S. population and we are committed to implementing the plans we’ve designed to get us there," Tesla added.
• "Where we are today represents the progress that we have made and the steps we have taken up to this point. We know we have more work to do to be representative of the evolving U.S. population and we are committed to implementing the plans we’ve designed to get us there."
• The company also said that to ensure hiring efforts result in a diverse workforce, it was committed to recruiting from Historically Black Colleges and Universities and expanding its internship program to "become our driving force in attracting diverse talent at our professional entry level."

Go deeper: The stark new reality for American CEOs