Maintaining Professional Leadership in DEI Initiatives

There's a widening gulf between the workplaces that continue to be safe, respectful, inclusive, and fair, and those that descend into toxicity, exploitation, chaos, and mistreatment. The hard pill to swallow is that this difference has nothing to do with the strength of leaders' commitment to diversity, equity, or inclusion. It's decided almost entirely by whether leaders see people as assets or expenses. I've worked for many companies that have stated their commitment to DEI. They've put it on their websites. They've named it in their shareholder reports. They've trained their leaders on how to talk about it. They've sponsored many events. Now, some of those outputs are changing as leaders take their commitment underground, the language evolves, and programs shift, often to heavy criticism. Yet, from my experience over the past year, some of the organizations "retreating" on formal DEI continue to have extraordinarily healthy workplaces. Some of the organizations "doubling down" on DEI are simultaneously backsliding into toxicity. Why? Because REAL progress toward diversity, equity, and inclusion has little to do with a company's stated commitment, and everything to do with how the leaders of that company treat their people. In workplaces that treat people as expenses, leaders see people as disposable. They treat their customers poorly because they see an abundance of replacements. They exploit their workers because they know that there are ten desperate candidates on the market ready to replace any overworked employee prepared to quit. Peoples' low engagement, turnover, and competition are simply the costs of doing business. In these workplaces, DEI support is cynical. It exists to give the illusion of progress and false hope, while keeping the toxic status quo of exploitation fixed in place. Shareholders can vote 99-1 to keep DEI — but retaining a superficial program is not the same as creating progress. In workplaces that treat people like assets, leaders see people as the foundation of the organization. They treat their customers, workers, managers, and vendors well, because they value not only purchases made or work product delivered, but the harder-to-measure trust, relationships, loyalty, and institutional knowledge that people possess. And by doing so, they have the highest likelihood of achieving diversity, equity, and inclusion, even if they don't say "DEI." This is what we have to stay laser-focused on in these times. Pushing leaders to value not "saying the right words," but seeing the value of people. Building workplace cultures of high trust and collaboration. Elevating everyone's needs as equally important. Having the courage and tools to solve problems as they arise. Creating well-understood processes and procedures to safeguard a #FAIR workplace. Making sure EVERYONE WINS. The work is greater than the words. And make no mistake: the work continues on.

One uncomfortable mistake I see us make in DEI and #leadership work – myself included – is assuming shared intent. We often start conversations about #InclusiveLeadership as if everyone already agrees it's the "right" way to lead, and that exclusionary or coercive behaviours only show up accidentally: out of habit, #UnconsciousBias, or lack of awareness or of time to think twice. A recent Forbes article by Mary Crossan helped me name why that assumption is fragile. The uncomfortable truth is this: some leaders have been rewarded – repeatedly – for behaviours we'd label "dark-side." Control, pressure, fear, silencing dissent. In many contexts, those behaviours work in the short term. They deliver speed, clarity, results. And organisations keep reinforcing them. If we ignore that reality, we risk talking past the very people we're trying to engage. Bright-side leadership (authentic, fair, inclusive, empathetic) isn't self-evidently better to everyone – especially in environments that prize quarterly outcomes, certainty, and dominance. When DEI work starts from the assumption that leaders are already, at least in terms of intent, "on the bright side," it can feel naïve, moralising, or disconnected from their lived experience. This doesn't mean we should legitimise harm. But it does mean we should diagnose before prescribing. A few shifts I'm trying to hold more consciously: 1️⃣ Test for beliefs, not just behaviours. Before advocating inclusion, get curious about what leaders genuinely believe has made them successful so far – and what trade-offs they're already living with. 2️⃣ Name the short-term payoff honestly. If dark-side behaviours deliver speed or control, acknowledge that – and then explore the long-term costs they create (burnout, poor judgment, ethical drift). 3️⃣ Work with context, not against it. Inclusive leadership thrives in high-integrity environments. If the system rewards fear or heroics, individual behaviour change alone will struggle. 4️⃣ Reframe #inclusion as judgement, not niceness. This isn't about being "good", but about sustaining sound decisions when pressure, urgency, and power distort our perception the most. 5️⃣ Slow down the certainty. When leaders are over-rewarded for confidence and decisiveness, inclusion can sound like hesitation. Position it as a way to see more, not decide less. For me, this article was a reminder that DEI work isn't about assuming moral alignment – it's about meeting people where they are, understanding what has shaped them, and then carefully expanding what they believe is possible. Inclusive leadership is far from obvious. It has to be made compelling – in context, in practice, and over time. 💬 And that got me curious: where else have you noticed we at times assume alignment that isn't actually there? 🔗 Link in the comments.

This "disillusionment with DEI" we're seeing today reminds me of the Ostrich Effect, where both companies and DEI professionals are acting like ostriches. Companies rebranding DEI into some "meritocracy excellence" fluff or those completely halting investment in it are burying their heads in the sand to avoid acknowledging that people are diverse and will continue to have different needs and access to opportunities. By ignoring this reality, they miss out on their true organizational potential. Younger employees will demand it even more, leading to a loss of competitive advantage in the future. This disillusionment stems from a misunderstanding of the business case for diversity. It doesn't come from merely having different faces in the room. You must strategize, form teams wisely, address systems and processes, and grow leaders who can create a climate of diverse information exchange. Yes, it takes effort. But the collective intelligence from well-leveraged diversity is your best business case, yet you've never aimed for it because it's unknown and hard. The same goes for DEI professionals who have fed companies false promises. The intention to engage as many people as possible in much-needed changes was noble. However, some of us tried to deliver results alone, without a budget or solid competence, which meant failure from the start. Now, as we observe disengagement, we again bury our heads in the sand as if there's no problem. There is: things don't work this way, and our task is to change the approach, not the mission. We need to think holistically, introduce change consciously, use an evidence-based approach, plan strategically, manage stakeholders, work with influence, and not promise to deliver anything without the resources. DEI is a new field, and it's no surprise we're all learning as we move forward. That's normal. What's not normal is to remain rigid in our thinking and approaches. Diversity work, in my opinion, starts with mindset work. It begins with thinking in first principles, then in systems, realizing cognitive and emotional processes involved, mitigating bias in our judgment, self-discovery, understanding the social context and power dynamics, discovering others who are different from us, learning evidence-based methods to address decision-making pitfalls, and finally, acting thoughtfully. It's not as fun as taking an industry report that says diversity drives performance and buying one-off easy solutions, I get it. But ignoring it like an ostrich moves us nowhere, and we've all got a bright future to move towards together. ________________________________________ Looking for more insights on better thinking? 📨 Join my free newsletter: https://lnkd.in/dsyQSRxV

💠 Inclusive Leadership: Creating a Culture That Embraces Diversity💠 As an HR leader, I’ve seen firsthand how the strength of a company truly lies in its people—and the diversity of perspectives they bring to the table. But real inclusion goes beyond simply hiring a diverse workforce. It’s about creating an environment where every person feels valued, heard, and empowered. As HR leaders, we have the responsibility—and the opportunity—to build inclusive environments that don’t just check boxes, but genuinely empower individuals to bring their whole selves to work. I’m passionate about this topic because it’s a challenge we all need to face head-on: How do we cultivate a culture of belonging that allows everyone to thrive? Here’s what I’ve found works to move the needle in building an inclusive workplace. 🔹 Lead by Example: Leadership sets the tone. Commit to ongoing learning about diverse perspectives and model inclusive behaviors. Your openness can inspire others to follow. 🔹 Foster Open Dialogue: Create safe spaces for employees to voice their experiences, ideas, and concerns. Implement regular check-ins and feedback channels that encourage honest conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). 🔹 Revamp Hiring and Development: Go beyond the resume. Focus on building diverse teams by removing biases in recruitment and offering equal growth opportunities for all employees, regardless of background or identity. 🔹 Measure, Adjust, Repeat: Regularly assess DEI efforts through employee surveys, data analysis, and feedback loops. Be willing to adjust your strategies based on what the data and your employees are telling you. 🔹 Celebrate Differences: Acknowledge and celebrate the diverse cultures, identities, and experiences that make up your organization. Whether through employee resource groups (ERGs) or company-wide events, find ways to amplify diverse voices. Inclusive leadership is a journey, not a destination. It requires ongoing commitment, curiosity, and empathy—but the reward is a workplace where everyone thrives. How is your organization fostering a culture of belonging? If you’re looking for ways to build a culture of belonging, HR Soul Consulting would love to discuss how we can support your organization on this journey. #HRLeadership #InclusiveWorkplace #DEI #CompanyCulture #LeadershipDevelopment #Belonging #soulifyyourhr

Google just agreed to pay $50M to settle a racial bias lawsuit. But the real story? The warning signs were there years ago—and they were ignored. 🚨 Back in 2018, over 20,000 Google employees staged a global walkout, protesting how the company handled sexual harassment claims, and the $90M exit package they gave to an executive, Andy Rubin , the creator of the Android software, even after the company concluded that a harassment claim against him was credible! Then came April Christina Curley, a diversity recruiter at Google who raised concerns about how Black candidates from HBCUs were treated. Her reward? She was dismissed. And now, years later, the company is paying the price—economically and in their reputation. Having spent decades in tech and corporate leadership, I’ve seen this movie before! These situations unfold slowly—not all at once, but in small missteps that are ignored. But I’ve also seen how powerful it can be when a leader listens early, acts with intention, and builds a fair system of accountability with checks and balances before a crisis forces their hand. But this isn’t just about Google. It’s about every company out there that thinks DEI is optional—especially now in face of all the anti-DEI actions and rhetoric. To these leaders I say, "proceed at your own risk, because data and history show just the opposite to be true." ✅ It's a fact that when done right, DEI is a safeguard that helps you attract the right talent, retain your best people, improve decision-making, and yes, it protects you from the kinds of legal and reputational risks that make headlines. So what can organizations do today to build a stronger, safer culture? Here are 4 things I'd recommend: 🔎 Make inclusion measurable – DEI isn’t fluff. Use real-time data to find out where the gaps are, what’s working and what’s not. 🤩 Create safe spaces for feedback – Anonymity isn’t dangerous. It’s how you achieve transparency as an organization and get honesty from your employees. 📊 Audit your people processes – From hiring to promotions and pay equity – unconscious bias will creep in over time unless you actively manage and remove it. 🛠️ Equip your managers – Inclusive leadership isn’t innate. It’s a skill—one that can be modeled and developed. If you’re re-thinking your DEI strategy in this new environment, I encourage you to read the full story (link to be posted in the comments) and feel free to add a comment or DM me. Let's get the conversation going. The stakes are too high to get it wrong. 🧭 It’s time we stop treating DEI as a “nice to have” that can change with the way the wind is blowing—and start seeing it for what it really is; a core business function that protects and propels organizations. Because when inclusion is real, everyone wins. 👏 #Leadership #Culture #HBCU #Inclusion #DEI #HR #BusinessStrategy #EmployeeExperience #Retention #Accountability #Android #settlement #lawsuit Image credit: The Source Los Angeles. 🙏

Today in #accountability. As the Head of #DEI, it is imperative that you see a part of your role as holding the organization accountable for building the structures that enable those commitments they've put on the website. But here's the hard part: you cannot do it all on your own. You need to have the right elements in place if you want to be successful. 🙏 Will & Consent: The senior-most leadership has to *want* to be held accountable for the commitments that they've made. Most do not. Most want credit for putting out a press release about how "committed" they are to building an equitable & inclusive environment but are not willing to put in the time and effort to achieve this. 🕐 Time: Most leaders that *are* willing to be held will, at the beginning, lack the foundational knowledge about how to achieve their ambitions. They will need to dedicate time to learning how to actualize what they've committed to. And they'll need to dedicate ongoing time to checking on the status quo, progress, and investing in addressing issues. 🧐 Curiosity & Humility: Hearing that you're failing (and given the inequity we inherit from the world, we nearly always are in some way) isn't an emotionally easy thing to do. Leaders have to be willing to be wrong in order to be right over time.

DEI leaders are facing more resistance than ever. As we all grapple with the growing uncertainty in our industry, I've spent countless hours researching the right language, fine-tuning Perfeqta’s strategies, and pivoting to help my consultant network stay ahead of the recent rollbacks. I've been in constant conversations with other professionals, putting our heads together to navigate this and continue to support our clients and organizations. I know it’s overwhelming. I’ve felt it too. Here’s where I’ve landed so far: 1. Don’t wait too long to adjust to a changing environment. Evolving is crucial, and the longer you stick to what’s comfortable, the harder it becomes to navigate shifts. 2. Stay informed on legal compliance. Keep your initiatives aligned with evolving policies. Work with legal counsel to assess any necessary adjustments while protecting your core DEI efforts. 3. It’s also Black History Month. I’m reminded that leadership has always required resilience in the face of adversity, but growth doesn’t happen when you’re running on empty. To lead others, you have to first lead yourself. 4. Get crystal clear with executive leadership Ensure that business leaders understand the long-term value of DEI. It's not just about compliance, but about performance, innovation, and engagement. 5. Adapt the language if necessary If “DEI” is facing pushback in your organization, consider reframing the language without diluting the intent. Ensure that the work continues, no matter the term used. 6. Prioritize your well-being. Leading in a polarized environment is exhausting. Set boundaries, build a support network, and take care of your mental and emotional health. This work requires us to sustain ourselves so we can continue leading with impact. Leadership today is about striking the balance between observation and action. The future of DEI may look uncertain, but the need for inclusive, equitable workplaces has not changed.

How do you embed inclusion into the DNA of an organization? This 10-year success story at VMware demonstrates an-often overlooked strategy: Forge new relationships built on mutually beneficial growth, learning and strategic partnership. I was also new to inclusion work when the article’s co-author, Amber Boyle (She-Her), asked us to create a bias-blocking training program that was novel in 2013 and to have all senior people managers take it. That foundation provided a larger “choir” to support VMware efforts to move from nascent to impactful. Working with partners at Exponential Talent LLC, where co-author Tiffany Galvin Green, Ph.D. leads DEI strategies, VMware’s efforts built an accountability structure and engaged leaders in defining their DEI work and metrics of success. I love that Boyle and Galvin Green ground their success in building new relationships. Oftentimes, DEI initiatives skip the effort and time needed to build meaningful relationships and instead move straight to redefining processes. Without meaningful relationships, DEI efforts can seem like a give-and-take instead of a win-win. I am grateful that I got to learn so much from the brilliant VMware team along the way. There are many great lessons in this article that are a Playbook for companies intending to make the intentional long-term investment in diversity and inclusion. Brava on work well done! And while I worked with and learned from so many people in that journey, I am forever grateful for your trust in me, Betsy Sutter, Molly Anderson, Caroline Simard, and Ellen Snee EdD. #diversityequityinclusion #leadership Published in MIT Sloan Management Review

Ever wondered how to build a team that feels like a global family? Let’s talk about Workplace Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)! 🌍 As the CEO of Goodman Lantern, I head a vibrant team spread across the world. From how we deliver results to how we solve problems, I have seen that diversity is our strength and inclusion is our superpower. A diverse team brings a wealth of perspectives, fostering creativity and innovation. Inclusion ensures that every voice is heard and valued, making our team more cohesive and collaborative. If you are looking to embrace DEI in the workplace, here are my 3 most important tips: 👇 🌈 Celebrate Differences: Acknowledge and celebrate the unique backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives that each team member brings. Host cultural events, share stories, and encourage open dialogue to build understanding and appreciation. 🌈 Foster an Inclusive Culture: Create policies and practices that promote equity and inclusion. This can include flexible working arrangements, mentorship programmes, and regular DEI training. Make sure that everyone feels welcomed and supported in your workplace. 🌈 Lead by Example: As leaders, it’s crucial to model inclusive behaviour. Show empathy, actively listen, and be open to feedback. Encourage diverse viewpoints and make decisions that reflect a commitment to equity and inclusion. We all want a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and empowered. To achieve this, you need effective internal strategies that work for you and your team. Let us help with that. Explore our DEI services here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gn6y7Za4 #Diversity #Equity #Inclusion #DEIinWorkplace #DiversityAndInclusion #DiversityEquityInclusion

So, what needs to change? Yesterday, I called out media companies for platforming bad take after bad take about DEI. Someone DMed me and essentially asked, "Okay, smartypants. If DEI is not dead, what needs to change?" I've written about this before, but here we go again. My list of what needs to change: 1️⃣ We need to professionalize the field of DEI. We need to develop a standard set of competencies and knowledge that DEI professionals are recommended to possess. Much like HR has the Society of Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP), American Payroll Association, WorldatWork, and Human Capital Institute, DEI needs a clearinghouse that offers consistent education, awareness, network, support, and belonging for DEI professionals. I'm not arguing for any gatekeeping. The legal profession has the Bar. Financial services has FINRA. Membership is not mandatory, obviously, but we begin to professionalize the work. 2️⃣ As part of this professionalization, we become aware of the required skills. At Uber and MMC, I created a standard competency model for my team w/ various levels of mastery. There are two tracks. One is for those who were business partners meant to work directly with the leaders in the business. The other is for program managers. Those skills include: - Change Management - Diversity and Inclusion Functional Subject Matter Expertise (Social Justice, Critical Race Theory, Gender Studies, Disability Studies, Global/Cross Cultural knowledge etc.) - Business Acumen and Financial Literacy (this included data analytic skills) - HR Competencies & Employment Law Literacy - Stakeholder Management - Program and Project Management Skills, including Planning & Organization - Problem Solving - Facilitation and Communication Mastery - And above all else, Self Awareness & Resiliency 3️⃣ DEI Professionals need more courage and more support. Many brilliant and outstanding DEI professionals currently work for companies with zero support systems. Their corporate lawyers are threatening them and their heads of policy and communications to keep quiet, keep a low profile, and tow whatever party line senior leaders want to put out for consumption. Many of these DEI professionals are isolated and alone. Usually, they are on a team of 1-5 individuals. And while these DEI professionals are being well compensated, few have enough resources to walk away from all the bullshit. Many are women of color, and they might be among the first in their families to have the potential to build some generational wealth. What these leaders don't need right now are people repeatedly celebrating the demise of DEI. 4️⃣ Increasingly, DEI professionals must upskill their AI and algorithmic justice acumen. The implications of societal biases multiplied by quantum levels of AI calculations are unfathomable. I'm an old horse in this DEI arena, but I'm not out, and I'm making the investment in myself. We all must. I've run out of space, but there is still more.