When are you going to start leading?

Welcome to Simply Diversity. This bimonthly letter breaks down key diversity concepts and explains how you can apply them... simply. There are plenty of terms heard ‘round the Internet as we prioritize diversity, inclusion and belonging in everything we do. This newsletter explains what these concepts are, why they’re important, and how to practice them.?

This newsletter is called Simply Diversity for a reason. Every other week, I provide reflections and actions that are easy to say, easy to write and easy to do.?

Unless, perhaps, you are in a leadership role. Then, for some reason, these simple demonstrations of humanity seem to escape you.?

Break it down:?

As of the date of this writing, it’s the second anniversary of George Floyd’s murder. I would say “let that sink in for a moment,” but you already did that. You literally let it sink in for a moment.?

Just long enough to make proclamations. Just long enough to give the appearance you care about the people who work in your companies. But not long enough for you to actually consider doing anything that would be remotely useful or sustainable.

There is a trend right now that is beyond troubling. We are fighting for women’s rights and for children’s rights, for LGBTQ+ rights and for Black lives to matter. As a Black woman with children in this country, I am tired of the deflections, the excuses and the lack of action.?

It is time you do something different. For more than a year, you have read this newsletter providing you with ways to do something different and I urge you to actually pick one. It is time for commitment, coupled with accountability.?

You might wonder what the conversation regarding Roe v. Wade has to do with your company. You are probably even wondering what the shootings in Buffalo, New York or Uvalde, Texas have to do with your company. And, you probably wondered silently what George Floyd’s murder had to do with your company.?

THAT is where you need to start. You need to understand the connection between these events and the way your company is being run.

It should be clear to you.?

Unfortunately it isn’t.

Do Something Different:

So let me spell it out: There is a distinct lack of humanity in the way we lead in the United States and in the world.?

There are a small group of individuals being allowed to make rules that benefit the few while simultaneously harming many and you are mirroring that leadership style in your workplaces.?

Your “do something different” is to stop being held hostage by those who are resistant to change.?

Stop allowing fear to affect how you run your companies.

Stop focusing on all the things you think you may lose and instead look at all the gains that are within your grasp.?

Nineteen children were killed yesterday in Uvalde, Texas. And while you can’t do something about that, there are things you can do. If their deaths aren’t enough reason for you to take action in a space where you can make a difference, then be honest with us and yourself.?

Admit that you don’t care to take action to support diversity, equity or inclusion; you care more about yourself and maintaining your title. And if that’s the case, you’re not an ally, but an adversary.

About Stacey Gordon and Rework Work:

Stacey Gordon is Executive Advisor and Diversity Strategist of Rework Work where she and her team coach and counsel executive leaders on DEI strategies for business, while offering a no-nonsense approach to unconscious bias education for the broader employee population. Stacey’s unconscious bias course was the most popular course on LinkedIn Learning platform in 2021 and it has also been translated into multiple languages. Stacey is also the founder and host of the Rework Work Community, a free diversity, equity, and inclusion learning and practice space for professionals. You can find Stacey’s book, UNBIAS: Addressing Unconscious Bias at Work, at Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, and wherever books are sold.