Equality vs. Equity: From Being Concerned to Caring - The Fundamental of Inclusive Leadership

As the year comes to an end, there is no better time to be more conscious of the concept of equity in everything we do than this season of joy, giving and appreciation.

Whether it is in the end-of-year performance reviews and bonuses, rewards and recognitions, the purchase and distribution of Christmas gifts, or even with those we invite for holiday gatherings, we should be conscious of how to make people feel valued, appreciated, and included.

The challenge that most people and organizations face is to understand the fundamental differences between equality and equity. The popular saying of “doing unto others as you would like done unto you” doesn’t factor in diversity and individuality.

The Platinum Rule states that we should “do unto others as they would like done to them”.?But to implement this, we must know and understand our colleagues and employees.

Before discussing vacation schedules with your team, do you know what religious or cultural holidays are important to them?

Before providing recognition or rewards to employees, do you know what they value and what makes them feel appreciated?

Before you assign extra tasks or hours, have you considered how this may impact an employee's mental or physical health?

Before you finalize a job posting, have you reviewed the job description for signs of racism, sexism, homophobia, ageism, and ableism?

One of the topmost challenges that have emerged in workplaces all over the world, more than ever, is the negative impact of a culture that is bent on treating everyone the same, oblivious of inequities in some aspects of operations and inconsiderate towards those who are disadvantaged by the system.?

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"Alex is a change agent who touches each person with whom he interacts with his powerful and practical transformation and motivational message and training techniques. Thousands of successful business leaders in Jamaica while attending the Jamaica Stock Exchange’s premier conference on investment and the capital markets have reacted positively to his life changing leadership sessions and in-house training which have enhanced corporate productivity and growth. We have certainly benefited and we thank Alex and the Alex Ihama School of Greatness. The JSE made a Great Choice and so can you. ."?– Dr. Marlene Street-Forrest, Managing Director, Jamaica Stock Exchange, Kingston, Jamaica

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Equality vs. Equity: From Being Concerned to Caring

- The Fundamental of Inclusive Leadership by Alex Ihama?

?Equity is fundamental to Inclusive Leadership.

?Without it, equity that is, leadership is ineffective if not dictatorial.

?After training, coaching and mentoring thousands of leaders in many industries and nations around the world, I have learned that exceptional leaders are those who are consistently compassionate, concerned, and caring.

As indicated in my book, The Mystique of Leadership, exceptional leadership is about being inclusive in your thought process while intentional about attracting, retaining, increasing and maximizing the diversity of all sorts.

Unlike the concept of equality which ensures everyone has access to the same opportunities, equity, which is exceptional leadership, recognizes and appreciates the fact that everyone is faced with different challenges and therefore allocates the resources that each one requires to the same objective.

It is no longer enough to treat others as we would like to be treated, but rather treat others as they would like to be treated.

Depending on the context, using ourselves and standards as the yardsticks for others could be misconstrued as discrimination, inequity, and even injustice.

Equity is to intentionally create opportunities for new immigrants to be educated, equipped and empowered to excel in academics, careers, and business in a country they just arrived in.

Equity is to implement an annual review of salaries to ensure equal pay for equal responsibilities, especially between all genders and ethnicities.

Equity is to ensure the available funds for philanthropic activities like gifts, donations and corporate social responsibility are shared proportionally to the level of challenges faced by the recipients.

Exceptional leaders are constantly kind, compassionate, and concerned. They are strategically caring enough to distribute available resources and opportunities based on?the individual circumstances of their people.

The fundamental difference between equality and equity is the maturity of paying attention to the?individual circumstance rather than the collective narrative.

“The path to achieving equity will not be accomplished by treating everyone equally. It will be achieved by treating everyone justly according to their circumstances.” —Paula Dressel

TO REGISTER FOR OUR WORLD CONGRESS ON BUSINESS LEADERSHIP & WORKPLACE EQUITY, CLICK HERE