University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
Expand Beyond Your Current Culture
Book

Expand Beyond Your Current Culture

Diversity and Inclusion for CEOs and Leadership

Leslie Short
Maven House Press, 2021
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Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Applicable
  • Engaging
  • Inspiring

Recommendation

Do you possess a genuine commitment to advancing diversity and inclusion (D&I) in your company but have questions about how to best proceed? In this practical guide, corporate operations strategist Leslie Short offers succinct, down-to-earth advice to help leaders move their outdated workplace cultures forward. Learn how to avoid common pitfalls and embrace best practices, while undertaking D&I work with care and respect.

Summary

Making your organization more diverse requires self-reflection.

Well-meaning people often lack the interpersonal tools and self-understanding to make their organizations more diverse and inclusive. Leaders can’t successfully oversee Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) without reflecting on their own biases. Honestly consider your feelings about diversity. For example, how do you feel when you imagine a workplace with more women, African Americans, LGBTQ+ people and individuals with disabilities? Transformation requires difficult conversations and adjustments, so make sure you’re ready for those undertakings.

When examining your unconscious biases, take inventory of your reactions to the following:

  • Black Lives Matter – If you rush to say “All Lives Matter,” you fail to acknowledge the suffering Black people, specifically, experience.
  • “We” and “us” – Whom do you include in your inner circle? Whom do you view as “other”? 
  • “I don’t see color” – Never pretend you don’t see race. Indicating that all people are the same showcases your privilege. ...

About the Author

Leslie Short advises organizations on how to create cultures that embrace diversity and inclusion in her role as CEO and owner of The Cavu Group.

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