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The ‘S’ in ESG relates to the people elements impacting organizations. This includes employee relations, organizational health, people culture, DEI, and community outreach. In this episode, Amanda Hsieh talks with Dr. Aarti Shyamsunder, Global Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for YSC Consulting, where she is responsible for creating distinctive, research-based and impactful client solutions and thought leadership in the DEI space. Prior to YSC, Aarti ran her own research and consulting practice, “Psymantics Consulting”. Her work with clients from around the world focused on applying evidence-based solutions to organizational talent management issues such as leadership assessment and development and DEI. Before that, Aarti worked at a global non-profit organization where she conducted and disseminated research related to women’s advancement in the workplace and helped organizations in India become more inclusive. Aarti is also the co-founder of Metamorphosis, a DEI consulting collaborative, a founder-advisor for Cymorg – a platform for virtual gamified leadership simulations and is the founder and President of “COSI” (the Community of Organizational Sciences in India). With over 70 invited talks (APEC forum, SIOP) and publications (book chapter “Inclusive Leadership: Transforming Diverse Lives, Workplaces and Societies, Journal of Business and Psychology, and HuffingtonPost) to her credit, Aarti focuses on evidence-based practices in her consulting, research, writing, speaking and teaching. Aarti obtained her Masters and PhD in industrial-organizational psychology from the University of Akron (Ohio, USA) and a BA in psychology from St. Xavier’s College (Mumbai, India).

Creating an inclusive culture is the direct result of individuals living the tenants of inclusive leadership. Listen as Amanda and Aarti discuss the role of leadership in shaping organizational culture built on the principles of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Aarti describes the general evolution of DEI from a compliance focus, to establishing a diverse workforce, to the current emphasis on inclusion and belonging and their roles in the overall employee experience. She also shares the ‘3 Cs’ of YSC’s formula for an inclusive culture: curiosity, courage, and connection. Lastly as it relates to equity, Aarti advises organizations to define what it means for them, with less emphasis on desired outcomes and more focus on correcting historical disparities experienced by diverse groups of people. The information shared in this episode will be helpful to DEI and business leaders who are starting these efforts within their organization, or seeking ways to continue to advance their work in this space.

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Episodes Resource Links

How leaders can signal inclusivity through their actions: http://www.aspeninstitue.org/blog-posts/how-leaders-can-signal-inclusivity-though-actions/

Embedding DEI into daily leadership actions (ysc.com): https://www.ysc.com/news/embedding-dei

Aarti Shyamsunder LinkedIn: http//www.linkedin.com/in/aartishyamsunder/

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