I regularly get asked these two questions about DEI leadership. Here’s what I say in response

“How important is it for business leaders to take action to address racial justice and equity issues? Do you think businesses have gone far enough to address these issues? Why or why not?” “What advice do you have for business leaders about whether and how they should address racial justice and equity issues?”

The answers are “critical,” “no,” and, I have lots of advice.”

As I wrote in my book, Leading Inclusion, only when the c-suite gets involved is consistent and cable progress made on DEI issues.

Since May 2020, more companies have explored what they could do to make workplaces more diverse and inclusive. Yet, there is often still a disconnect between intention and action at the board and C-suite levels in many companies. Sometimes the board is a laggard. Sometimes both the board and the CEO are laggards. The third and possibly worse situation is when C-suite and BU leaders give lip service to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work but slow-walk implementing systemic change in the business.

Executives without heart in this work are the most significant barrier, and their negative impact is not always immediately evident. Conversations about race are still taboo, and senior leaders seem awkward as they define and articulate their leadership stance. I am concerned that external political factors (such as voting restrictions, attacks on LGBTQIA folk, and restrictions on K-12 education curricula) create hesitancy and drag on progress).

The advice: Train managers to be effective leaders of everyone on their teams

The workforce is becoming more, not less, diverse. Still, many challenges persist for employees from historically subordinated groups: companies hire and promote a smaller proportion of them than majority-group employees. Regardless of hiring, promotion, and mobility, minoritized employees report a much less positive experience than their majority-group colleagues. The main culprit is poor manager behavior. So, I put manager and leader development as the most important thing leaders should do (assuming they are also improving minoritized candidates’ hiring rates).

Communicating progress to the larger community

DEI strategy only matters when it gets “local.” Employees are the priority because the ultimate measure of DEI impact is employee experience. Employees want to hear about the plans and progress, but they will judge success regarding the improvements in their day-to-day experience. The public wants to hear less about the details and more about the stance. The public wants to hear full-throated support for this work and then for leaders to show the evidence (in data and visuals) about what has been accomplished. Additionally, people outside the company will look for clues in company visual branding, social media content (or lack thereof), news articles, blog posts, and advertising.

It is evident to everyone when executives are not leading on inclusion.