Diversity has been on the agenda at business schools and in businesses for more than two decades. But while organizations have made progress, achieving true diversity remains a steep hill to climb. Without universally accepted best practices for increasing and measuring diversity, each institution has been left to its own devices. More recently, organizations have realized that they cannot embed diversity in their cultures without also adopting equity and inclusion as core values. This realization has made their journeys even more complex and challenging.
Embracing all three core values—diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)—is a daunting task. Teaching DEI leadership in executive development settings is no less daunting. At George Mason University School of Business, our pedagogical approach involves distilling the mission into four essential elements:
Vulnerability
DEI conversations work best when all participants recognize that humanity is inherently flawed. There is no better way to promote that recognition than for DEI leaders themselves to openly share real-life instances of their own fallibility. For example, when faculty members or department chairs admit that they sometimes forget to use gender-inclusive pronouns and ask others to correct them when that happens, they own their growth and encourage others to do so, also.Empathy
When people from vastly different backgrounds come together, there’s a higher potential for misunderstanding. Strangers can misread others’ motives and perceive slights when none are intended. False assumptions can turn disagreements into hurtful, emotional conflicts.The purpose of DEI is not to compel people to agree on everything. But DEI leaders should encourage everyone in their organizations to engage others with compassion; take the time to consider what they do and do not know; demonstrate growth mindsets; and, in the absence of perfect knowledge, give one another the benefit of the doubt. Ideally, effective DEI leaders also should use empathy to ask questions that help everyone gain new insights into one another.
Holistic understanding
DEI officers should also cultivate an awareness that we live in a complicated world. They should help people understand that truth often emerges not in black-and-white but as shades of grey. When people are aware of this complex context, they can think in terms not of either/or but of both/and.We recently saw a powerful example of this in our own backyard. Our own university is named after George Mason, who is considered a forgotten Founding Father of the United States. Mason was influential in writing the US Bill of Rights, and he also was Northern Virginia’s second-largest slaveholder. Instead of ignoring this history or trying to escape it through a name change, the university’s leadership decided to embrace the complex truth of its namesake by honoring both the ideals that George Mason represented and the men and women he enslaved.
As GMU’s president, Gregory Washington, wrote in an op-ed for NBC News, “By holding up the reality of George Mason’s experience rather than tossing it away, we can step into the complexity of the deeply uncomfortable truth he represents.”
Unconventional leadership
The most transformative part of DEI naturally involves leadership. Leaders are responsible for setting the tone and putting policies in place that make room for diversity, equity, and inclusion.There is more to DEI leadership than simply following best practices. DEI officers perform best when they have been exposed to diverse experiences and perspectives so that they do not fall prey to groupthink.
In the DEI space, not fitting the leadership mold can be a strength. For example, leaders who have experienced military service, come to their careers later in life, or from outside the corporate world bring fresh perspectives and real-world credibility. Most leaders have something unexpected in their past to draw upon. But too often, they choose not to share their unconventional histories, fearing social consequences or misunderstanding. They should be encouraged to talk openly about their experiences and background.
Every organization is different. These four essential elements—vulnerability, empathy, holistic understanding, and unconventional leadership—provide a flexible framework that leaders can adapt to their own context, while remembering that having the answers is less important than asking questions with genuine curiosity and compassion.
Editor’s note: A version of this article originally appeared on AACSB Insights.
