Why Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion is Central to Good Leadership.

At Wide Open Voices we believe that the delivery of EDI is central to all good leadership and not simply a bolt on to what we do as leaders. We believe that the principles and values of EDI underpin effective leadership and are reflected in the key modern leadership theories – read more on this here. In addition to the moral and ethical case for EDI, we also believe that how you go about delivering EDI is the best way to lead an organisation regardless of your convictions. It is not simply that delivering on EDI is the right thing to do. Nor is it simply that delivering on EDI for marginalised groups benefits the business, as McKinsey regularly report – see their latest report here. It is also that delivering on EDI is a broad leadership approach itself, particularly in relation to developing cultures for success. This thinking is described below. We give a brief definition of what we mean by Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and then relate these to good leadership and the benefits of taking this approach.

Equity – the recognition that people face different barriers in accessing opportunities and realising their potential. These barriers can be systemic, social, cultural, or individualised. Addressing and removing these barriers requires the creation of the ‘conditions of equity’ in the workplace. In creating the conditions of equity, attention is paid to addressing the different barriers faced by different people to provide equality of opportunity for all.

Good leadership recognises that different people have different needs and requirements to achieve their full potential, whether this be as an individual or as member of a team. These needs and requirements can be systemic, social, cultural, or individualised. Good leadership creates an environment in which these differing needs and requirements are understood, and provision is made for them to be met for all people.

Understanding and knowing how to create the conditions of equity in the workplace enables a leader to address the barriers and meet the needs and requirements of all people such that they can reach their full potential.

Diversity – the recognition that workplaces are often homogeneous in their make-up and certain groups in society are under-represented. It also recognises that these groups often do not have a representative voice at any level within an organisation. As such, diversity is not simply about numbers but also about representation and voice.

Good leaders recognise that a range of perspectives, ideas, and outlooks create more dynamic, innovative, and productive workplaces. They also recognise that these perspectives, ideas, and outlooks emerge from a variety of social, cultural, and educational backgrounds and must be represented and heard for them to inspire innovation and growth.

Understanding how to create and sustain representational diversity across gender, race, class, sexual orientation, disability, etc, enables a leader to develop a work environment that encourages and nurtures innovation, creativity, and growth.

Inclusion – recognises that for people to reach their full potential they need to feel that they belong in an organisation. This means that they can feel safe to be who they are without fear of discrimination, express their views without fear of ridicule or censure, and that who they are is respected and valued in equal measure to everyone else.

Good leaders recognise that when people feel a sense of belonging within an organisation they tend not to leave. This means talent is retained and can be further developed, rather than lost to a competitor where there is a more inclusive culture. Good leaders recognise that when people feel respected and valued for themselves, they are more committed to the goals of the organisations, and when they feel safe to be themselves, their well-being is improved, and they perform better and are more productive.

Understanding how to create an inclusive environment for everyone enables leaders to establish the culture that sits at the heart of adaptable, resilient, and successful organisations.

Critically, by creating the conditions of equity for all and an authentically inclusive culture, leaders provide a context in which representational diversity can be sustained, top talent retained, and creativity, innovation, and growth embedded across the organisation.

The connection between delivering EDI and good leadership is not complex and seems almost obvious when highlighted as above. This speaks to an issue in relation how we engage with EDI, perhaps with uncertainty, perhaps with a degree of anxiety, and perhaps with a sense that it is a distraction from what we understand as the work of leadership. Once we appreciate and understand that the values and principles of EDI are applicable to all aspects of business leadership then we can see how beneficial it is to develop an EDI informed approach to leadership development programmes for existing and emerging leaders in any organisation.