The Lonely Life of A Diversity and Inclusion Leader

There’s a lot of talk about lived experiences and sharing authentic stories.

Find about about one experience that no seems to be bothered about – the lived experience of a Diversity and Inclusion Leader.

Here are some key messages from this episode

  • DEI leaders are not always experts
  • False promises affect a DEI leaders efforts
  • A DEI leader often comes into conflict with HR

Play the episode for more.

Here are some key takeaways from this episode

There are huge knowledge gaps around what they do

“There’s three aspects to discuss here. The first is you.. your knowledge gap..  the reality is as Diversity and Inclusion Leader you’re probably not a subject matter expert and you know what.. you don’t need to be”

They quickly learn the truth about the companies Diversity Promise and it may not be nice

“If you’re a Diversity and Inclusion leader and you got into this to create change, then false diversity promises affect your day to day work; it affects your ability to do the job that you intended to do”

They can cause tension between them and HR

“But the inconvenient truth is that an effective D&I leader can and often will experience tension with HR”

Check out these related episodes of the show

3 Biggest Problems experienced by organisations on their inclusion journey 

7 Biggest Diversity & Inclusion Mistakes being made in your organisation 

Whenever you’re ready, there are a few ways I can support your Inclusion Journey:

The Elements of Inclusion #4

Leaders must collaborate innovatively to leverage cultural expertise and drive business performance.

  • Why inclusive outcomes are driven by innovation
  • How developing a business case for diversity and inclusion specific to your organisation is a competitive advantage
  • Why novelty is at the heart of your inclusion journey

The Elements of Inclusion #3

Leaders must establish systems to ensure that everyone shares the same advantages and benefits. These processes will create incentives for inclusive behaviours.

  • How to augment your team with the tools and insights they need to prevent structural disadvantage
  • Why reinforcing generative norms ensures everyone belongs in the organisation
  • How inclusive representations can be embedded to promote an inclusive culture

The Elements of Inclusion #2

Leaders must redefine career development relationships to support inclusive performance.
  • Why traditional mentor relationships must be revised for an inclusive workplace
  • How leaders must embrace networks of developmental relationships for individual growth
  • Why established workplace norms must evolve for inclusion in the modern workplace

The Elements of Inclusion #1

Leaders must properly socialise people and socialise inclusive ideas by providing an environment for the cultural learning needed for an active role in an inclusive organisation

  • How your socialisation processes must evolve to encourage the sustainable cultivation of inclusive competencies
  • Why Leaders must consistently negotiate the line between organisational commitment and personal authenticity to promote performance
  • How developing intersectional self awareness can help leaders to leverage individual employee experiences