The phrase I hear the most

"I can't believe this is still happening its 2019"

It does beg the question though, as to why is the current year we are living in highlighted as significant when we talk about the expectations of where we should be when we talk about equality? Maybe quite simply because there is a deep yearning and expectation for us to have moved past the many things that still rear its ugly head in a modern 21st century perhaps. Maybe it sends a clear signal that there is yet a lot more to be done, maybe it serves as an opportunity to look at what has been done and celebrate progress.

This month is Black History Month (BHM) a month focused on celebrating and acknowledging the achievements and contributions of black people in Britain and is the perfect time to drive inclusion, educate, raise awareness, have the sometimes-deemed uncomfortable conversation too. When I look back sometimes, I get a sense of deja vu.

I have learnt history has a way of repeating itself, no matter how far we go back and forward through the years. For the 10 steps we make going forward it can at times feel like we take 20 steps back .That adage appears to be true, if we keep doing the same thing over and over we get the same outcome. I have also learned history can be made to have a different end to the one that has gone before.

Inclusive leadership behaviours in football

I have spent October speaking at events, reviewing what others have been doing to acknowledge BHM, but I confess a huge part of it has been spent glued to the tv watching sport and what a month for sport it has been. I highlight a few names that have made my month of watching sport this year one to remember, in the spirit of BHM; Simone Biles, Brigid Kosgei, Eliud Kipchoge, Coco Gauff, Katarina Thompson, Dina Asher Smith, and Joe Fraser. A lot of history made by some of these individuals too.

Whilst it has been a great month for sport, sadly we have seen an ugly side too. The ugly side I am sure many said, “It’s 2019 this should not be happening” But nothing that has not happened before as history tells us, but something about this time round seemed different.

The England v Bulgaria match made for some uncomfortable viewing for sure, but I did get a little deep and meaningful in my admiration of Gareth Southgate and observed behaviours demonstrated by him in handling the situation which we can all take onboard particularly leaders of people. I have included supporting questions which I imagine he was playing in his mind; the italic statements are from his interviews.

• Belief: Belief drives behaviour and moves to action. What do I see happening? What do my team see happening? How does it make me feel? Do I truly believe in equality for all? (“This should not be happening in today’s society it makes me feel sad and I have personally seen it and heard it over the years” Gareth Southgate in various interviews.
• Empathy, Humility, Self-Awareness, Build Trust, Curiosity, Cultural Intelligence, Collaboration:  How does it make my team/employees feel? Do I hold any biases myself in this respect? How do I make sure I am being honest about my own knowledge? How do I show I am prepared to listen and learn?

It's important to include everyone in the conversation, get everyone’s perspectives, create an environment of inclusion which enables all to speak up about their reality aka lived experiences, listen and empathise, a key ingredient to emotional intelligence “I sat and talked to all my team not just the black players to understand their point of view”. Let’s face it, he wasn’t afraid to have the uncomfortable conversation, he stood in front of any discomfort, embraced it and facilitated the conversation building trust within his team and with him. He was open to learning and finding out how he can help recognising that all of them would have different perspectives.

It is not difficult to talk about race; it only becomes difficult when we choose not to talk about. It seems pointless if it’s just the black voices or any voice of difference shouting for change, or connecting with the converted. It needs to be a much more inclusive conversation.

It’s good to talk about race and have the uncomfortable conversation to get comfortable, but it must extend to action. We can’t use talking as a further barrier to the pain and impact that direct and indirect discrimination and conscious or unconscious bias of any kind has on the individual.

People want a safe way to speak up but more importantly people need to feel safe in the knowledge that they will be heard, and something will be done big or small.

• Respect, Value & Support: What action do I need to take to ensure all my team can play and be at their best? Is the current approach/policy working and how can I make it better? He stood by his team he had no issue in following the protocol, and taking the action to have them not play but he involved them in the decision that was in essence about them and understood the importance to them to be recognised for doing their job and doing it well not to be recognised for the colour of their skin or any other difference, but for their talent. 
• Commitment: How will my team’s future performance be impacted when or if this happens again. What lessons can we learn and how do I ensure that they continue to feel valued, respected and supported and not just by me? How can I use my influence to remove the barriers? (I spoke to my team and we prepared well following the match in Montenegro as to how we would address the situation should it arise again”).
• Visible leader:  How can we make a statement/stance and take action that demonstrates the strength of my team through my leadership and demonstrate our zero tolerance to any form of “ism” be that from our own teams or outside forces and demonstrate a united front this is wrong!!! Again, he stood by his team and let them contribute to the decision-making process ie to walk off or continue to play with a team discussion in the dressing room. That said he was clear that he would not tolerate it and would have walked off had it continued in the second half. Quite prepared to stand in front of the protocol and not be bound it.

A winning combination? Being human, an inclusive culture & performance

They say that if you want different results you must try different approaches, and leaders who create an inclusive culture see performance increase… a score of 6-0 speaks for itself.

Here is a leader that simply cares and connects with his team on a human to human level, stands by all his players and binds them in a glue to my mind called “Values” & “Unity” that transcends from just playing football and being about race. He lives and breathes the values and his leadership shadow is there for his team to trust in, see, hear, feel and follow.

It really does confirm for me that what really sets managers apart, and elevates them to leader status, their competitive advantage if you will, are those leaders who are prepared to let go and let people be their compass, genuinely believe they are a core asset to their purpose to achieving strategic outcomes and have a high degree of emotional intelligence.

Can history be rewritten to have a different end than expected?

Many better placed than me will have much better commentary and opinions I’m sure, I am no football pundit. But for me that match has written a new end to what has happened before and has much wider significance in creating a new beginning.

Never has racism in football home and abroad been so visible to so many and more significantly this is not just about the black players. Previously black players faced it on their own, turned the other cheek and just played with little support from the FA who did nothing to condemn the abuse and harassment they endured and had their careers ruined because of it, this was just deemed part of the game. The FA did apologise in 2001 but the impact and damage had by this time had been done.

This is now about a bigger “shared purpose”. We are seeing a new era, a new generation of leaders and players nurtured, empowered, included, prepared and supported to not stand for what happened in the past and bringing a new approach and thinking to the table.

Gareth and the England team did all they could in their sphere of influence and handled it with dignity and professionalism. The ball is now firmly in the court of UEFA and other football bodies the FA included in setting the tone and action needed for it not to happen again, ensuring diverse representation is reflected within leadership roles and coaching pipelines, all of which must be led and activated from the top.

But its 2019…2020…2021

So yes, it’s 2019, Black History Month is ending, and I do not think the conversation and action stops in October nor should it. We can no longer doubt the evidence, the impact that is prevalent in society and in our workplaces regarding race. I am not black for one month; the impact of exclusion does not stay in abeyance until the following October and sadly racism does not confine itself to one month either.

I am not broken and I don’t need fixing, but I know I have had to develop a third layer and harden myself to racism and micro behaviours, but it does not lessen in any way how it feels when you receive racist abuse, or to have your potential limited because of it or negate the impact it has on your mental health, an aspect which often gets ignored.  

It’s time to act it’s time to change and it’s time to remember every day, inclusion matters, to all of us.

If we are to move from saying “but it’s 2019", (and don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with saying it) and seeing history constantly repeat itself then we must act, and ask ourselves "what am I doing?" "what can I do?. We know that action gains momentum when we unite and work together. But, what I also know is that it is within the power of "I" to embrace all difference and drive inclusion and belonging, that is why change must start from “I” not they, them, or someone else be that at work or at home.

Mitigate the Risk to Your Business

What we can’t allow is bias, prejudice, stereotypes, assumptions to continue to feed into our dialogue, systems, processes, actions and workplace cultures freely. 

This poses a big risk to business, and like any other risk we need to mitigate them and make them harder to take root, because once firmly embedded in the culture it can take a long time to restore the balance. A lack of action has a big impact, and quite frankly sends a message which is in direct opposition of company shared purpose and values. It makes it pretty darn difficult to conduct business, attract and retain talent, improve products and services, provide better customer service etc regardless of what sector your business is in.

We must all, not just C suite leaders and senior leaders (but they absolutely play a big part in being inclusive leaders, integral in fact) play our important part in fostering an inclusive culture responsibility to;

• Get to know people to connect and build authentic human to human relationships.
• Address the barriers we hold about others which impact our people decisions.
• Have the conversation and understand through those conversations the things needed for each individual to perform and be at their best, listen to what people say, and what people don’t say. Listening it’s the key to really understanding people that need to be heard and makes that shift towards a speak up environment and not just on diversity and inclusion either.
• Support, value and recognise people from all backgrounds to achieve their potential not just the focused characteristic of the month… That’s equality and true inclusion leading to belonging.

So why do we say the current year we are in?

Maybe quite simply because there is a deep yearning and expectation for us to have moved past the many things that still rear its ugly head in a modern 21st century. But I will conclude that in this instance it serves as an opportunity to look at some firsts, acknowledge some companies and highlight what some individuals have done.

• Brands such as Sainsburys & Argos visibly acknowledge BHM.
• Instagram joining forces with some of Britain’s most iconic black voices for #ShareBlack Stories.
• Nike's launch a black history month jersey and a Until We All Win campaign celebrating black British athletes and working with them to break barriers
• Channel 4 for their season of documentaries and films covering varying aspects of black life and culture and intersects.
• Sky who acknowledge Black History month with a plethora of films old and new, bios, documentaries, music icons, across many genres and intersects.
• Apple who launched a Black History Month “Superroom” with guest playlists from black artists, 100 track “History of Black Music” and more.
• The appointment of Professor Olivette Otele, the first History of Slavery professor at Bristol University.
• The grime artist Stormzy and his support of black students underpinning the impetus for an increase of Black students at Cambridge University. In addition, his publishing house will publish Malorie Blackman's autobiography.
• Diane Abbott become the first black MP to represent their party at Prime Ministers Questions.
• Individuals in my local community create a campaign to address racism on social media Together Against Racism with a strong underlying message of equality and unity.

 Its 2019… I am the director of my actions, and the camera is on me, and I now see how history can have a different end or a new beginning, do you?”