Developing Leadership Skills Through Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Think back to a time where you had a long and deeply engaging conversation --> that's how you become a great leader using diversity, equity, and inclusion.
For the month of April, I'm focusing on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and how it is important in developing leadership capacity.
When you are in this space and doing this work, you are opening yourself up to walking in other people's shoes. You're learning more about them and understanding where they are coming from. Armed with these skills, your team can become more productive and innovative than teams that lack diversity.
engaging conversations
Do you remember a time during band camp, high school or college, you were sitting next to someone having a really deep and engaging conversation?
You talked about your life.
You talked about where you've been.
You talked about where you had struggles and triumphs.
You talked about what you loved to do.
These moments were so fulfilling that they went into the middle of the night. You never wanted them to end.
This level of engagement is what getting into the diversity, equity, and inclusion space
is all about.
when you open yourself up
When you open yourself up to the work and embrace other people and the things that make them diverse, you're developing meaningful connections. *You have to be inclusive about it though! These conversations have to be in a caring and thoughtful manner.
Creating meaningful relationships is crucial to a leader's skills in being productive in the workplace because your team will trust you. They are also able to bring their authentic and productive selves to work.