Pro Bono Helps Build More Inclusive Leaders

We recently teamed up with the Taproot Foundation to explore how and why service can be the secret to success in our latest report, Pro Bono + Inclusive Leadership. It’s an idea that I’m really excited about because I’ve seen the impact pro bono can make firsthand. It is exponentially more than just a “feel good” opportunity – pro bono exposes your employees to new ways of thinking and helps develop traits that make them into better, more inclusive leaders. Leaders that demonstrate commitment, courage, cognizance of bias, curiosity, cultural intelligence, and collaboration. At Deloitte, we consider these traits critical to cultivating enduring human capabilities, which enable teams to be adaptable and agile in any context or challenge, and from a business standpoint, allow us to capitalize on the diversity of markets, customers, ideas, and talent that characterize business today.

The Exponential Impact of Inclusive Leaders

Deloitte participants in pro bono work at Deloitte don’t just display and rely on these leadership traits when they’re doing pro bono work—it has become an integral part of who they are as an employee, leader and person. They bring that inclusive leadership approach to all the work they do.

For example, I’m proud to have served on the board of Urban Alliance for the last five years. Urban Alliance focuses on education, workforce development and mentorship of economically-disadvantaged youth. This organization means a lot to me because the youth that they serve are reflective of who I was when I was younger. Deloitte has worked with the organization for 10 years and has taken our young professionals in their 20s and put them front and center to work with Urban Alliance’s senior leaders. Katie, a senior consultant, was a volunteer with Urban Alliance, providing ad hoc consulting services for them, before moving into a volunteer leadership position. This experience exposed her to diverse, strong women leaders who bring a different perspective than leaders in corporate America.  Working with inclusive leaders has helped Katie learn that it’s ok to vocalize when diversity is lacking. For her, it’s created the space to start recognizing the lived experiences of others.

Kelly, a manager working with Camelback Ventures—an incubator that provides capital, coaching and connections for entrepreneurs of color—shared that because of her involvement in pro bono, she now has the courage to acknowledge and critique when she sees a lack of diversity in clients or teams. Kelly recognized that up until this project, she had only one lead client who wasn't white (and typically white male). She is now thinking about the role she wants to play in challenging the bigger status quo, including how she can cultivate and support clients who don't fit that profile as well as support more diverse junior practitioners as she grows as a leader at Deloitte. Furthermore, Kelly says she feels more equipped to have open dialogues to understand alternate perspectives and create spaces to discuss how race and other facets of diversity show up at work.

Ultimately, pro bono work is one of many social impact strategies that an organization can use to equip your leaders to be more inclusive in everything they do. Beyond the workforce, investment in pro bono also strengthens your organization’s brand by demonstrating commitment to your community through sustainable initiatives. If you’ve been thinking about the way your organization can make a bigger impact on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and strengthen your workplace culture, look beyond making donations to local nonprofits– set up programs that allow your employees to work alongside them.