The business case for diversity

Rather than engaging in equity, diversity and inclusion as something “nice to have,” inclusive leaders embrace it as a “must have,” on par with all essential components of a strong business. On top of being the right thing to do, fostering a culture of inclusion also has benefits, as reported by a McKinsey & Company study:

• Companies with more than 30% women executives were more likely to outperform companies with only 10-30% female leadership
• Companies with higher ethnic and cultural diversity outperform those with diversity solely in gender
• The most diverse companies are more likely to be more profitable than less diverse companies

Diversity is an asset in business, but to be able to attract and retain diverse talent, employees need to feel that they are included and belong.

Practicing inclusive leadership

Becoming an inclusive leader is a process of learning, unlearning, listening, practicing and making mistakes. Yes, you will make mistakes along the way, and that’s okay. To be an inclusive leader, you can:

• Consider different points of view
• Create safe spaces for challenging conversations
• Invite ideas and feedback
• Take ownership of mistakes
• Challenge your biases
• Amplify a range of diverse voices
• Encourage others to keep learning and growing
• Use your power and voice in positive ways

There are many opportunities to improve inclusivity leadership in your company by exploring and taking action on the following:

• Who is recruited, hired and promoted
• How you nurture a work environment that’s safe for everyone
• How your budget and pay are allocated
• How your marketing and sales materials represent people and communicate messages
• Where you purchase products and services

Experiencing barriers at work

Considering how people experience life and the barriers they may face can help you better understand what inclusion looks like. Some challenges your employees may be facing at work include:

• Cultural: race, religion, customs
• Communication: primary languages
• Economic: financial limitations
• Attitudinal: bias, stereotypes, social influences

For example, a team member who speaks English as a second language may face communication barriers when writing in English. Or a parent who has to leave work to care for a sick child may face an attitudinal barrier if they are assumed to be less committed than other team members.

Recognizing and removing barriers is essential when creating inclusivity in your workplace. Take a moment to consider what barriers might exist in your organization. How do the different backgrounds, life circumstances and other variables on your team impact what workers need to be successful?

Understanding bias

Bias is when a person has preconceived notions about someone and treats them differently from others as a result. This can occur without any facts or reasons and is often based on assumptions and stereotypes. Unconscious bias can lead you to favor or disfavor someone based on the following:

• Gender
• Sexual identity
• Religion
• Race/ethnicity
• Age
• Similar background

There are some biases team members or managers may not be aware they hold, but that show up unconsciously in how they think and behave.

Perception bias

These are fixed, oversimplified notions about others that are assumed to be true. Perception biases are often stereotypes formed in society that a person accepts as fact. Even stereotypes that may seem positive, such as saying a coworker is good at something because of their race, is perception bias.

Conformity bias

This is when an individual goes along with others instead of using personal judgment. This may cause an individual to say things or behave in ways to fit in with a group. For example, if colleagues make sexist jokes, a person who laughs just to fit in is experiencing conformity bias.

Confirmation bias

This is when a person seeks information to support previously held beliefs. An individual may look for evidence to support their beliefs rather than consider all viewpoints or objective facts.

Affinity bias

This is a tendency to connect with similar people. This can show up in the hiring process when the interviewer chooses candidates who resemble them over those who do not.

Biased thoughts vs. behavior

Biased thoughts may pop into your head without warning. Sometimes they may even be in direct conflict with your values. These can be sexist, racist, homophobic or other offside thoughts that seeped into your subconscious through media, experiences or upbringing.

Noticing biased thoughts is an opportunity to think more critically about them. Where did they come from? Do you believe them? What learning can you do to overcome them and replace them with beliefs more in line with your values?

If our thoughts are our inside voice, our behavior is our outside voice, witnessed by others. Some behaviors happen quickly in response to events, and they can be based on our biases. Pause and be intentional about addressing your biases so you can behave in line with your values to create inclusive spaces.

The role of power

If someone has more money, social influence or other forms of power, their biases can have a larger negative or positive impact than someone with less power. Think about how this might show up in your business. If a doctor has a bias that affects a patient, a loan officer has a bias that affects a loan applicant or a leader holds a bias about a team member, how might this impact the company?

As a leader, you make decisions that have an impact on who is hired, promoted and let go. If your biases creep into your decision-making and behavior, they can significantly impact your team and the workplace.

Disrupting bias at work

Catching yourself in a biased thought or action, or recognizing and standing up against bias from employees, is an ongoing process. Here are some ways to get started:

Continue learning

Keep learning about your biases and getting to know people who are different from you. This helps you better understand people as individuals and see how they are unique.

Do a bias check

When making a decision, pause and seriously consider whether or not bias has crept in. Are you acting a certain way because of a bias you hold?

Speak up

If you see or hear bias, respectfully say something and speak to another leader if needed for support or further action.

As a leader, you need to support your team in recognizing and overcoming their own biases about other team members or clients. You set the standard for how bias is dealt with in your workplace, and you can do this at the same time that you’re working on your own biases.

Understanding equality vs. equity

Equality and equity are often misunderstood as being the same, but there’s a big difference. Creating equality means giving everyone the same things—the same exact resources, opportunities and support. But if people already have what they need, and others aren’t getting enough, equality isn’t helping enough people.

Instead, inclusive leaders aim for equity. This is where everyone gets what they need. At work, this can look like an accommodation that supports an employee and enables them to perform at the same level as peers who may not need that accommodation. Providing a team member who has ADHD with an adjustable desk so they can alternate between sitting and standing is one example of an accommodation that promotes equity.

Being an ally

Part of your journey to be an inclusive leader involves allyship—being a proactive supporter of inclusiveness and equity and encouraging your team members to as well. We can act as allies every day by challenging our own biases, speaking up about bias and standing up against bias when we witness it.

Some inconvenient truths

Becoming an inclusive leader can be difficult. Here are some things to remember along your journey to inclusive leadership:

• It’s sometimes uncomfortable.
• It might feel emotional and personal at times.
• You’re going to make mistakes.
• You might feel like you want to opt out.

Push back when you’re tempted to stop doing the complex work of becoming an inclusive leader. The ability to opt out is actually a privilege; people who are part of a marginalized community don’t have the option to just stop experiencing inequity or prejudice.

Consider connecting with other leaders who are at different stages in a similar journey and lean on one another for support along the way. Keep learning and trying out what you learn. Inspire others to lean into their journey, and grow as inclusive leaders together.