We need leaders who boldly champion inclusion | June Sarpong
Jan 20, 2025
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June Sarpong, a veteran broadcaster and fierce advocate for diversity and inclusion, discusses the need for leaders to embrace discomfort in order to champion inclusion. She emphasizes that true progress requires bold disruptors willing to challenge the status quo. Sarpong also highlights the importance of trust in leadership and the transformative conversations that pave the way for meaningful change. Additionally, effective strategies for enhancing representation in the workplace are reviewed, particularly for women and people of color.
Leaders must challenge the status quo and embrace discomfort to drive meaningful progress in diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
Structured programs and targeted recruitment strategies are essential for increasing representation and fostering genuine inclusion within organizations.
Deep dives
The Need for Digital Operations Improvement
Modern digital businesses must assess their operational efficiency to avoid a chaotic environment that hampers customer experience. Utilizing platforms like the PagerDuty Operations Cloud allows organizations to consolidate software, reduce operational costs, and enhance resilience. This approach not only speeds up innovation but also mitigates risks associated with digital operations. By leveraging such technology, companies can transform their operations into a more streamlined and effective system that supports growth and adaptability.
The Challenge of Diversity and Inclusion Leadership
Effective leadership in promoting diversity within organizations requires a bold approach to disrupt the status quo. Despite widespread acknowledgment of the benefits of diversity, progress remains stagnant, with a significant majority of leadership positions still held by white males. Innovative leaders must be willing to push uncomfortable conversations into uncomfortable connections to foster real change. By sharing examples such as John Landgraf's commitment to diversifying FX's creative team, it is evident that action-oriented leadership can lead to both cultural and commercial success.
Strategies for Increasing Representation in Organizations
Research indicates that structured programs play a key role in enhancing the representation of women and people of color in the workplace. Initiatives like targeted college recruitment campaigns, formal mentoring programs, and cross-training through job rotation have shown to increase diversity significantly. Specific examples reveal that mentoring can boost representation among women of color by up to 24 percent. Thus, implementing these strategies alongside a commitment from leadership can create more inclusive and equitable workplaces.
This week, we're revisiting an episode on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) — essential drivers of creativity and profits, yet progress has been slow. It's time for leaders to become "rock stars" of inclusion — and that starts with pushing through discomfort, says veteran broadcaster and diversity leader June Sarpong. "When it comes to diversity and inclusion, we need bold disruptors who are uncomfortable with the status quo, even if the status quo benefits them," Sarpong says. After the talk, Modupe highlights proven strategies that increase representation and inclusion in the workplace.