How do you develop and support emerging and diverse leaders in your talent pipeline?

One way to do this is to conduct a diversity audit. This involves reviewing your current leadership team and assessing their diversity in terms of race, gender, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, and other relevant factors. You can then identify any areas where diversity is lacking and take steps to address these gaps, such as implementing inclusive hiring practices, offering diversity and inclusion training, and creating a more inclusive workplace culture. Additionally, you can seek feedback from employees and engage in open and honest discussions about diversity and inclusion to identify any barriers that might be preventing diverse talent from advancing.

Two actions that are easy to implement: - Review your hiring process and job description for inclusivity. If you demand certain education that may filter certain groups by design. - Place and support diverse leadership, they will attract people like them.

I have always loved the idea of mentorship. Mentorship opportunities at the job are essential to fostering a diverse and equitable leadership landscape. In my experience mentorship can help to create a culture of inclusion and collaboration, allowing everyone to work together to reach their fullest potential. In this way, mentorship opportunities are much more than just a means of fostering diversity and equity, but rather the cornerstone of belonging at work.

The book "Inclusify" is a must-read in this area of thinking about how we select or hire talent. It provides a framework for leaders to assess the different unconscious biases we each bring when thinking about what makes someone talented or fit for a role and gives practical suggestions for how to counteract those biases and ensure inclusive selection processes.

You can start by clearly articulating your values and goals. This can involve engaging with your team members and stakeholders to identify their needs and priorities and using this information to shape your vision for leadership development. It's important to communicate this vision in a way that is accessible and inclusive, using language and examples that resonate with a diverse range of people. This can involve actively seeking out feedback and input from people with different perspectives and experiences, and making adjustments as necessary to ensure that your vision is aligned with the needs and aspirations of all members of your team.

Equity needs to be part of that conversation. We don't all have the same set of circumstances. Some people are born into privilege, others aren't. So in order to level the playing field, we need to first recognize that each person has different circumstances, and second allocate the resources and opportunities needed in order to reach an equal outcome for everyone. Designated mentoring, coaching, and sponsoring of people from underrepresented groups is a first step in the right direction.

It's important to acknowledge that not everyone has the same preferences when it comes to recognition. Some people love the spotlight of public recognition while others feel extremely uncomfortable with it. Rather than taking a guess and risking making someone uncomfortable, ask each of your people how they prefer to be recognized for a job well-done. After all, recognition should be all about them - not us!

I've become a cheerleader of teams at my organization. It's easy to focus on the individual contributions that are made in the workplace, but it's just as important to recognize the collective efforts of a team. Acknowledging the collective results of a team allows everyone to take ownership of the success and feel proud of what they have accomplished together. In the end, it's a win-win situation for employees and employers alike.