Why leaders can’t afford to be colour blind
Please don't say that colour doesn't matter to you. It must.
If you follow me on social media, you likely work your butt off every day trying to inject more humanity into the way you lead, work and live. Your goal is to prioritise the well-being and development of others so they can be their best selves. You know that when they thrive, so too does your business, the people it serves, their families, communities and so on.
You likely believe that you prioritise all of humanity regardless of colour. Well, that's just not true. In fact, it's impossible. We don't lead, work and do business inside a bubble that isn't directly impacted by the world around us. And my friend, this world remains systemically racist. Therefore, when you say that colour doesn't matter to you, you are denying the very real, life limiting burdens of every Black and Brown colleague, employee, customer, collaborator, supplier and partner with whom you engage.
All lives should matter... yes... but they don't. Not in this society. People of colour are disproportionately disenfranchised, discriminated, and brutalised. As a Humancentric Leader it's critical that you accept this fact and work to change it. Because if it isn't changed, NOTHING you do toward building sustainable people and organisations will ever be enough. NOTHING.
Please don't devolve these conversations to a few compulsory diversity and inclusivity training sessions led by somebody else. Step up and lead by example. Make the choice to be actively anti-racist. Seek knowledge from those who've been doing this work for years usually for little or no financial gain. Reimburse them for their teaching and do your own research. (See resources link below)
Challenge the status quo, have the difficult conversations and call out racism whenever you see it. Encourage and enable others to do this too. Ask questions, listen, then listen more. Validate and lift the voices of people of colour throughout your organisation and within your life. Accept the discomfort; feelings of shame, fear and vulnerability when you screw up in the process and try again. Always try again.
The last few years have definitively proven that it's not enough to change the system. It's time to break the system down and create a new, better one that serves everyone equally.
Be that leader.
Be that human.
Click the following link for a comprehensive list of resources to get you started. We gratefully acknowledge and thank Sarah Sophie Flicker and Alyssa Klein for compiling this list and circulating it freely. Anti-racist resources
Books we’ve been learning from recently:
