Joel Pérez, an executive coach and author of *Dear White Leader*, shares his expertise on cultural humility in leadership. He emphasizes that true humility begins individually but must expand organizationally. Key discussions include maintaining high standards without perfectionism, the importance of inclusive conversations, and using criticism as a tool for growth rather than immediate response. Pérez advocates for a leadership style that fosters belonging, encourages open dialogue, and treats mistakes as valuable learning opportunities.
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volunteer_activism ADVICE
Handling Mistakes
Discuss how mistakes are handled upfront to foster a growth mindset.
Create a space for reflection and learning from mistakes instead of focusing on blame.
insights INSIGHT
Perfectionism vs. High Standards
Setting high standards is important, but perfectionism can stifle risk-taking and innovation.
Transparency and clear communication about expectations are crucial for creating a sense of belonging.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Sense of Urgency and Inclusion
A sense of urgency can lead to bad decisions if diverse perspectives are excluded.
Create structures to include relevant voices before making important decisions.
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This book provides a step-by-step approach to having tough conversations with less stress and more success. It covers how to decipher the underlying structure of difficult conversations, raise tough issues without triggering defensiveness, manage strong emotions, and keep balance regardless of the other person's response. The book is filled with examples from everyday life and addresses issues such as race, culture, gender, power, and communication via technology. It is designed to help readers improve oral communication in personal, professional, and public life.
Dear White Leader
Joel Pérez
Dear White Leader provides insights and strategies for leaders to develop cultural humility, fostering a more inclusive and diverse organizational culture. The book emphasizes the importance of meaningful dialogue and understanding in leadership, encouraging leaders to engage in the work necessary for exceptional leadership across all areas of life.
Joel Pérez: Dear White Leader
Joel Pérez is an executive and leadership coach, speaker, and consultant who is passionate about helping leaders and organizations achieve their goals and develop a posture of cultural humility. He has over twenty years of experience in higher education, serving in various key leadership roles. He is the author of Dear White Leader: How to Achieve Organizational Excellence through Cultural Humility*.
We could all get a bit better at bringing a dose of humility into our work. Inside organizations, cultural humility starts with how leaders show up each day. In this episode, Joel and I examine three shifts that will help us better empower others.
Key Points
While humility starts with an individual, it must move beyond them to improve the organization.
Maintain high standards while avoiding perfectionism by discussing how mistakes get handled in advance.
To prevent a sense of urgency from rushing a bad decision, consider who’s missing from the conversation.
Listen, ask curious questions, and say thank you when receiving criticism.
Criticism doesn’t need to be addressed in the moment. Consider reflection, other data points, and responding more in a future interaction.
Resources Mentioned
Dear White Leader: How to Achieve Organizational Excellence through Cultural Humility* by Joel Pérez
Dear White Leader website
Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes
The Starting Point for Inclusive Leadership, with Susan MacKenty Brady (episode 584)
How to Use Power Responsibly, with Vanessa Bohns (episode 551)
How to Discover What People Want, with Tiziana Casciaro (episode 565)
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