How the Chauffeur Test Exposes Fake DEI Leaders

Thanks to social media, there are more “DEI experts” than ever before.

Too many sound impressive but lack the depth to deliver results.

They are masters of "chauffeur knowledge".

This is dangerous for you.

We're going to explore how you can spot them.

Popular Posts

Before we dive into this week's insights.

Here are three popular posts worth revisiting from the past week .

1) 7 DEI tactics guaranteed to make you look ridiculous.

Number 4 is my favourite.

Here I discuss common mainstream practices that devastate your credibility.

Read it here.

2) You’d be amazed at how many people will support your “DEI” plans if you speak like a human being.

Here I discuss the importance of being "clear not clever”.

Read it here.

3) Bernie Madoff ran a Ponzi scheme. DEI has one too.

You heard of this? It’s pretty slick.

Here I discuss a scam I want you to avoid.

Read it here.

Thanks to social media, there are more “DEI experts” than ever before.

?We’ve all seen it:

- The grifters promoting ideas from a book they pretend they wrote.

- The one quoting research they’ve never actually read.

- The one passing off lived experience as expertise.

?But are they helping or harming you?

- They sound confident.

- They sound convincing.

- They sound like authorities.

?Why?

Because they are masters of what’s called "chauffeur knowledge".

(Also known as limousine knowledge.)

Tell me if you’ve heard this one.

Chauffeur Knowledge

It is said that after winning the Nobel Prize, German theoretical physicist?Professor Max Planck went on a tour giving a very specific lecture on quantum mechanics.

He is known as the father of Quantum Theory.

It is said that his chauffeur, having heard the talk so many times, joked that he could give the lecture himself.

So the Professor tried it.

One day, they switched roles and it is said that the chauffeur delivered the lecture flawlessly.

But when a real scientist in the audience asked a challenging question, the chauffeur was immediately exposed because he couldn’t go beyond the script.

Is this a true story?

I don’t know.

I haven’t checked.?

I actually don’t care.

The value for me is in your understanding of “chauffeur knowledge”.

It’s often confidently presented.

It’s surface-level.

It’s rehearsed.

This means it lacks depth.

This means it lacks value for implementation.

It reminds me of 3-Book Experts.

These are the people who claim expertise after reading just a handful of books.

(I talk about it more here).

I’ve witnessed this up close.

Once I delivered a workshop at a conference and I bumped into the keynote speaker. He was about to get on stage and he told me that he was talking about a book he just read.

He had the book in his pocket. He was still taking notes.

Standards are low.

I’ve got a high standard because during my PhD I focused on what it meant to be professional. This influences how I look at this work.

Here’s a quote from my thesis.

Professionals are “an organised body of experts with esoteric knowledge characterised by elaborate systems of instruction, entry examinations, training and an enforced code of ethics (Abbot, 1988).”

These people have expertise, you know because they can:

- Answer tough, unscripted questions.

- Adapt their thinking to new contexts.

- Apply the concepts, not just repeat them.

Their skills have been tried and tested.

So what’s the Chauffeur Test?

Really the question is: How do you spot an expert?

A while ago I reviewed a book called Evidence Based Management.

The authors said it was essential to determine the level of professional expertise in practitioners when seeking reliable and valid insights.

They gave 3 criteria you can use for evaluating professional expertise.

1? Multiple Opportunities for Practice:

Professionals who practice their skills are more likely to develop expertise.

Look for practitioners who have consistently engaged in their specialised activities over time.

2? Direct and Objective Feedback:

Practitioners who receive direct feedback on their actions can refine their expertise.

Consider professionals who work in environments where the outcomes of their actions can be readily assessed.

3 Regular and Predictable Work Environment:

Professionals working in regular and predictable environments have greater chances to practice and refine their expertise.

Look for practitioners who operate in controlled settings that allow for consistent skill development.

All of this is really saying two things:

1.? Are you doing the work?

2.??How can we know you can be trusted?

I test by asking questions.

In his video, Ryan said dig beneath the surface with 1 or 2 questions to reveal the level of knowledge. ?Check it out here.

I like asking questions to go 2 levels down into the topic.

Let’s try it now:

If someone asks me.:

“What is inclusion?”

I always say the same thing:

We think of Inclusion is a systematic business strategy to ensure that everyone shares the same advantages and benefits.

This means:

- Everyone can perform

- Everyone can belong

- Everyone can reach their potential

If someone says.

“shares the same advantages and benefits? Are you talking about equality of outcomes?”

I say no. In fact, we don’t talk about equality much at all.

We talk about Diversity.

We think of this as a management approach that recognises that as individuals we have differences. And there is value in our differences.

If you check out the show.

I go even further talking about:

- Equity

- Fairness

- Social Justice

- Belonging

And why this matters when dealing with claims, assumptions and hypotheses.

Check out the full show here.

I also explain it's not an opinion I've formed.

It’s the result of our evidence based inclusion practice.

This means gathering evidence from 4 key sources.

1 The scientific literature.

2 The organisation.

3 Stakeholders affected by your decisions.

4 Expertise. Most people rely on their own. I like to borrow from others too.

This is evidence based inclusion.

Please pay attention to this point:

It's not just practical experience.

It's not just book knowledge.

It's not just research.

It's all of it.

Our podcast is documented evidence of everything I’ve just said.

This week is episode 384.?

That’s where I encourage you to use the chauffeur test on me.

I also encourage you to use it on other people.

Use this to make your own mind up.

I can help you if you want more support and want to get practical.

Want Actionable Inclusion Insights Every Week?

Every Monday, I send The Inclusion Ready Leaders Brief.

It’s a short, strategic email for People Leaders who want to build inclusive workplaces without needing to be a DEI specialist.

It’s designed to help you:

• Earn the trust of your colleagues
• Optimise for measurable results
• Implement a systematic process

Join 1300+ leaders who get it every week.

[Subscribe here]

Final Thought

This newsletter has been running for over 3 years, with 180+ editions and 9,600+ leaders reading weekly.

If you found this useful, share it with a colleague who need this.

As always,

I’m cheering you on.

Dr. Jonathan

PS.

Are you going to try the chauffeur test this week?