It is no secret that the DEI (Diversity Equity Inclusion) acronym has faced a challenging shift. Once embraced by organizations and individuals in the wake of the George Floyd murder, DEI has become a trigger - albeit for varying reasons.
The shift, however, goes deeper than what’s on the surface. Beneath these three letters lie divisions that are both profound and far-reaching.
What happened?
DEI landed in the middle of perhaps the most intense Culture War in American history. In fact, DEI was at the core of the fight for power and control over the nation’s identity, already in progress.
According to Kiara Alfonseca in an article, Culture Wars: How Identity Became the Center of Politics in America, “the shift came amid the racial reckoning of 2020, which shifted the national conversation toward anti-racism activism and a heightened promise to address societal inequities that impacted people of color.”
When majority groups in a position of power began to feel like the gains toward equality for a minority group were losses for the majority, a backlash ensued. In 2022, Hakeem Jefferson and Victor Ray wrote in White Backlash Is A Type Of Racial Reckoning Too, “A reckoning suggested the country was on the cusp of lasting change. But to the extent that a reckoning occurred, it was short-lived and didn't lead to fundamental changes."
Why Didn't DEI Stick?
Throughout history, the fight for equity has never been linear, and for a true reckoning to occur, there has to be action and sustainability.
In 2020, the ubiquitous response to workplace challenges was a band aid approach in which organizations offered one-off training, hired DEI Officers, and pieced together ways to deal with the equity and inclusion issues. There was action, but it was superficial action.
The sector has since struggled because leaders often did not know how to align what they learned with their actions. The lack of congruence between what they espoused and what they did in the post-training period created an unsustainable model. In effect, DEI practices and policies did not last because organizations didn’t know how to successfully implement what they learned.
In order to affect long term social change, the approach to belonging, inclusion, and equity must be operationalized. This requires substance and depth. Today, division and tension still exist in work spaces across the country, depleting organizations from productivity, engagement, and time.
Is Values-based Leadership the Answer to Sustainability?
VBL is a leadership style that reflects inner convictions and is directed toward the well-being of others and the organization. It is different because it keeps organizations accountable and gives leaders the steps to bridge the gulf between what they know and what we do with what they know.
Based on in-depth thought that isn’t traditional for typical organization development, VBL deals with discovery, strategy, and implementation with a substantive foundation that is grounded in tried and true leadership theories. It ensures that every action is centered in a values system which becomes the North Star or compass for all decision-making, and deeply integrates the principles of belonging into every aspect of an organization.
VBL is set apart from other leadership styles because of its unwavering emphasis on self-reflection and awareness, consistent value alignment, integrating espoused values into culture, and a focus on what is best for society. It trains leaders from the inside out in a holistic manner.
VBL emphasizes consistency in living out defined personal and organizational values, focusing on creating a stable foundation for decision-making and culture-building. This stability is a catalyst for sustainable change.
VBL Fills The Void
In today’s ultra busy world where people have little time for reflection, VBL has the ability to reach beyond the workplace to fill a void. As faith spaces decline and content consumption turns negative, the teachings of values-based leadership organically helps to bring values-based people into communities. Intentional people who center on their ‘North Star’ as they walk through life improve both workplaces and communities.
Despite the new sentiments around DEI, the need to shift society from “Culture Wars” to “Cultures of Belonging” in workplaces is more important than ever. Most employees and their leaders are still looking for open and safe spaces where they can be vulnerable and have deep, courageous conversations. By training leaders from the inside out, VBL has the capacity to lead us to a more inclusive world, one leader and one organization at a time.
