The Demands on Up-and-Coming Leaders of Color

Every October, companies in the United Kingdom give special attention to DE&I issues, boasting about the plans and goals they continue to progress towards. As this year’s United Kingdom Black History Month comes to a close, it’s important to remember that championing diversity and inclusion is something we should do all year round, to make the difference beyond October.

Meaningful change starts with leadership. Which is why I’d like to end this month reflecting on the 2022 Black History Month theme of “time for change, actions not words”; how we can accelerate progress when it comes to diversity of leadership within the communications and public affairs sector and what actions do we need to take to get us there.

First, I think it’s important to emphasize that while, actions are better than words, not every action has significant impact. For example, when reflecting on diverse representation of executives in C-Suites, I am torn. Yes, seeing people of color in high-level roles has a positive impact. However, simply hiring senior leaders of color is a very surface level commitment which oftentimes, can turn into a KPI or a checkbox on a to do list. When focusing on measurements like this, you easily lose sight of equity and inclusion.

Sadly, representation alone does not remove the barriers, systemic issues, and acts of discrimination employees may face day to day. The reality is that most people of color who are put in leadership positions don’t have the necessary support networks to ensure their success. DE&I is much more complex than representation, it requires considerations on a holistic level, including aligning approaches across leadership, employee behaviors, training, and development.

So how do we turn words into meaningful action? Starting with attracting talent, we are all aware that the shortage in this area shows no signs of slowing down. Brands have recognized they need to be more creative and rethink their traditional hiring processes to overcome this issue and be able to compete with smaller more dynamic companies. It should be recognized that not everyone will have been afforded the same opportunities as others and therefore, extra consideration should be given to those who come from non-traditional backgrounds and show enormous potential. However, it is incredibly important to put qualified individuals in these visible leadership positions. I stress the word qualified because previously I have seen people placed in roles in a bow to public pressure and they were not the qualified. When that happens, it sets progress back significantly.

Once the right people have been hired, it’s key to consider if they have all the tools and opportunities they need to thrive and achieve their ambitions. When we think about supporting up and coming leaders of color we should be thinking beyond just ‘inspiring’ people and more about improving their skillset. There needs to be a proactive effort to support their development by nurturing their talent, investing in their skill development, and helping them navigate the corporate ladder. ?Ensuring the conditions are right for their success should be treated with equal importance as creating diverse leadership teams.

At a senior level, it’s very easy to not be aware of any discriminatory experiences that employees may experience, hence why it is critical to create an open line of communication with people of color about what it’s really like to work for your organization. Be open to receiving any feedback and criticism as this will give you and your team an accurate picture of what actions need be taken to address inequalities. Once you make a plan, stick to it, and hold yourself accountable if you fall short of these goals. Communicate your progress often with your teams and ensure conversations continue regularly and consistently, not just during Black History Month.

As I think about Haleon’s DE&I journey, I am thrilled with the progress we’ve made so far and the positive changes we’ve implemented. I see more people that look like me in leadership positions and we are also engaging with young talent to ensure that we are inspiring both current senior leaders and those that will one day take our places. I’ve recently taken on the role of Chair of our global Ethnic Employee Resource Group, Illuminate. ?My focus in this role will be to bring together each of our country Employee Resource Groups who support DE&I at the local levels, and ensure we have a joined up approach across the business; learning from each other and making the entire business a more welcoming and diverse environment. More importantly, once we’re formed and fully functioning, I want to challenge us to work across these groups to establish strong commercial connections with our customers to create real dialogue and share talent pipelines.

What really drives me is creating an equal future for my children and their peers, so they will have more options about where they decide to apply their skills and education.?I hope the work we put in today will inspire young people to pursue the careers they want and feel empowered to drive change in the companies they join to create a more inclusive and purposeful society.