🔒Why CEOs resist addressing diversity, equity and inclusion

The recent violence in Atlanta against members of the Asian community and the high-profile trial of a former Minneapolis police officer charged with murder in the death of George Floyd is keeping the racism conversation front and center in the headlines and on the minds of leaders.

Many of them, however, are still grappling with how to address this issue in the workplace, not realizing that it’s not going away any time soon.

Unfortunately, many CEOs are still struggling and resisting the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) progress their employees hope to see within their organizations.

Why the resistance? I offer five reasons, based on observations and candid conversations with C-suite leaders, as an invitation for self-reflection about the cost of resisting the urgent need for proactive executive leadership during this critical time in history.

Lack of awareness

It is no secret that an overwhelming number of C-suite leaders lack deep awareness of issues affecting the Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) community.

Many of them, by their own admission, grew up in homogeneous neighborhoods and attended colleges or universities where instruction and leadership was carried out by people who looked liked them.

And when they started their careers, the trend continued. They may have had brief interactions with members of the BIPOC community but not truly meaningful relationships.

In most cases, their conversations tended to be transactional, rarely about issues of race that go beyond the stereotypical storylines of marginalized people.

Although many leaders acknowledge that racism exists, they struggle to internalize the deep roots of structural racism and its detrimental impact on their organizations and their employees.

After attending an awareness session, one leader blurted out, “How could I have lived my entire life and not realized this is the reality for so many?”

Simple. They grew their careers, raised their families, accumulated wealth, and led multimillion-dollar operations woefully unaware of a major crisis.

Leaders have before them an unprecedented opportunity to change the cultures of their organizations for the better — but first they have to be willing to listen and commit to becoming aware of how systemic racism is affecting their workplaces.

Not realizing that the culture they built has caused harm

As consultants, delivering DEI climate assessment results is one of the most difficult parts of our job.

CEOs tend to focus on what the organization is doing well for their employees and resist the idea that the organization they have built with deep pride could be inadvertently nurturing an environment where their BIPOC employees may be experiencing various degrees of discrimination, microaggressions or practices and policies that perpetuate racism or roadblocks to advancement.

Learning from the data objectively takes courage and the willingness to put away defensiveness. CEOs who ultimately emerge with renewed awareness and the boldness to create a culture where every employee can thrive ultimately acknowledge the issues because they choose to approach listening and learning with curiosity and courage.

They ultimately probe and look at ways to proactively address the real challenges facing their organization.

The instinct to be the expert in the room and discomfort of leading from behind

“The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance — it is the illusion of knowledge,” said the late American historian Daniel Boorstin.

Becoming more aware is a step in the right direction, and it comes with listening and gaining more knowledge. Newly awakened CEOs or executive leaders can be the greatest asset to progress, but they can be stumbling blocks if they let their newfound knowledge hijack the conversation after a few lessons about DEI.

Indeed, passion and commitment are needed to affect organizational change. And, yes, CEOs need to be the champions of this journey. However, this is a time to lead from behind and to champion others who have more experience.

Passion, while well-intentioned, must never overshadow the voices of the people who are affected.

Fear of the conversation

The events of the last year have opened the door for conversations about racism that have never taken place in the workplace before.

C-suite leaders are now forced to lead while lacking a basic understanding on the topic and the consequences of saying the wrong thing can have irreparable consequences and serious career implications.

Knowing this, CEOs have shared that they avoid the topic or engage in surface discussions to avoid making a mistake. Please know this — it is possible to have uncomfortable conversations that are productive within the right environment where curiosity, humility and compassion are allowed to exist.

How? Start by admitting that you don’t know what you don’t know. Admit ignorance and that you may make mistakes, and partner with experts that can help your organization on this journey.

No current impact on the bottom line

Organizations today are still able to conduct business in homogeneous environments that lack diversity, equity and inclusion without an impact to their profits.

For that reason, CEOs do not see the need to address racism now. That is about to change in the near future, if it hasn’t already.

Leaders are discovering that culture change is not just about addressing racism but actively creating healthy organizational cultures where every employee feels valued and has access to opportunity.

Addressing issues of inequity is in essence ensuring that business remains relevant, not only for customers but for employees.

There is a business case for DEI. Leaders who choose to respond with creative and innovative ideas at a time when industry disruption is the norm not only will attract new clients and talented employees, their organization will lead the way of a more inclusive, equitable and diverse organizational future that is already knocking at our doors.

Karen Hinds is the founder/CEO of Workplace Success Group in Waterbury and author of five books. Maria Keckler is an executive consultant on communication, leadership and strategy at Workplace Success Group.