Diversity & Inclusion, From Challenge to Opportunity

Diversity and inclusion are now essential in corporate life, hospitals, educational settings, government, and leadership teams. In today's ever-changing global environment, we can either effectively leverage the increasing diversity of our nation, or lose our competitive advantage. This only requires a different mindset and a shift in our behaviors. Bringing the best of everyone to the organization and creating diverse leadership teams is essential. A paradigm shift in the way we think about and leverage diversity and inclusion. The pace of change in diversity and multiple generations in the workplace present an unprecedented opportunity for Organizational Improvement. Currently there are also a significant number of corporate leaders retiring and many new leaders coming in who have experienced the world differently and bring with them a new perspective.

This is about the health and welfare and competitive advantage of our corporations, organizations, boardrooms and classrooms, where our nation is seeking to thrive and succeed. The one singular competitive advantage can be our people; and diversity is the key to being adaptive, knowledgeable and innovative. Diversity improves innovation and creativity, while those very things (innovation and creativity) improve problem solving. Therefore, we can say that problem solving is improved with the integration of diverse minds. It's in the minds and hearts of the people who work for your corporations. It's in the mind shift that we all can choose to make. We have to respond to the world of change going on outside our companies. It's a competitive advantage to have diversity of thinking, diversity of creativity, diversity of experiences, diversity of perspective, in order to respond to the diverse challenges and requests of our customers.

We must be intentional about reflecting the communities we serve and the world in which we live. The link is realizing that if you want to gain competitive advantage in this global economy; if you want the kind of talent that you'll need to continue to be leading edge in your particular organization, you will need to leverage diversity in every aspect of leadership as well.

Let's consider four Dimensions of Leadership:

Vision is to think big and new. Diversity is not a challenge or obstacle to overcome, it is an opportunity to embrace.

Reality is to have no illusions about our new global marketplace and consumer base, and the global talent base and future workforce. To choose not to embrace diversity would be to deny the reality of our future.

Ethics is about our moral duty to others, it's being sensitive to people. Honoring and valuing the abilities and contributions of others, embracing the responsibility and accountability for our actions in this regard. An ethical leader is always sensitive to people and of service to all others.

Courage is about claiming the power to initiate, act, and risk. Courage means to act with distinct intention. We all need the courage not to fear or deny our differences, but to respect and strive to understand people with different cultures and experiences, and to grow from our encounters with others. The more I engage with those not like me, the more I learn!

A leader helps others to see a vision of their own success.

An organization will have more success in the global marketplace as well as in our own multiethnic nation, if they embrace diversity and inclusion within their mission and within their people and the values within both.

Valuing diversity means changing our mindset from the challenge of something we must manage or overcome or control, to something that we can embrace, honor, and appreciate. It also means thinking about diversity and inclusion as our social responsibility. Valuing a diverse workforce means valuing diversity in experience and perspective. Differing points of view will be sought. Diversity will be valued and honesty will be rewarded, not suppressed.

This doesn't mean that we diversify our teams with uniquely different people of the same race….or those whom we are most comfortable with. It means that we hire those who are 4' and those who are 7' tall, those who are from the suburbs and those who are from the inner cities, those who are male and those who are female, those with difference skin color or different accents, and on and on. We are still a nation with racial baggage and we all carry fears and bias that we are often unaware of until we are put into situations where we must respect the individual differences and appreciate what strength we can find when we come together and want each other to succeed. We have to accept that we are a nation that still struggles with institutionalized racism, sexism, classism, ageism, etc.

We must seek out talented, educated men and women of all ages, of all ethnic, racial, socioeconomic, and religious backgrounds. If you don't know how to go about this, ask. Go to the universities and visit with the Asian young professionals or the Latino student union and the LGBT business technology group, just to name a few. Attend the Black business association or women in business alliance. And… if we can't find diverse and qualified individuals, then I believe we must commit to creating the access and opportunity for all people to become the talented, educated men and women that our nation needs to lead in our classrooms, sit on our boards, run our corporation, and represent us in government, in order that we will be a stronger, more powerful nation of influence and innovation, competitive in the ever-changing global economy.

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