When speaking about diversity, it can often be a complex subject for many workplaces. Sometimes they are not sure where to start or how to go about being more inclusive. However, promoting diversity has always been and will continue to be an increasingly crucial part of having a sound workplace environment. Diversity needs to be considered in all aspects of the workplace, from hiring practices to onboarding and training to cohesive teamwork on projects. Diversity is also an essential part of leadership. Diverse leadership strengthens a company’s culture and helps bring in various viewpoints that others may not have had before. Below we will discuss a few methods for promoting diverse leadership, as featured in Forbes.

Curating a Supportive Workplace.

Often, people of diverse backgrounds feel like the fight for inclusion can burden their team and leaders. They will often be afraid to speak up about things that should be changed out of fear of causing rifts with others or losing their job security. However, leaders should understand that diversity provides both personal and professional advantages in their workplace. With building a supportive workplace, there should be certain resources available. These can include diversity-friendly policies, structured feedback mechanisms, diverse opportunities outside of the workplace, and employee-led task forces.

Enforce and Uphold Strong Values.

To promote a diverse way of leading, the company must truly value a diverse way of leading. Diversity should not just be a claim for companies to enhance their brand culture without putting in the real work. Leaders should initiate communications supported by strong values such as humility, courage, and discipline. When leaders lead by example and uphold these strong values, it encourages the rest of the team to do the same. This will also open the door for more innovation, increased sales and productivity, and more cross-functional learning activities.

Be Sure To Recognize Everyone’s Accomplishments.

Favoritism should never be present within a company. This type of leadership has very negative results for the team as a whole. The best way to build a strong team is to embrace and recognize each individual regardless of status or rank in the company. This provides a way for each member of the team to be seen and motivates them to accomplish future goals.