Whats New in Diversity in Leadership - What You Need to Know

'What's New in Diversity in Leadership' - What You Need to KnowA few months ago, I spoke at an organization that sponsors workshops on College campuses to discuss what's new in leadership training. During the workshop, a diversity in Leadership approach speaker presented the 'What's New in Diversity in Leadership' workshop.In the presentation, the presenter begins by describing his interest in the topic of diversity in leadership and diversity in the workplace. He mentioned a handful of seminars on leadership that he attended at different colleges, and read a few articles about what he has learned through his research.After describing the focus of his seminar and reading some sample papers from those that he attended, the presenter then discussed the importance of his seminar in enhancing diversity initiatives on campus. In particular, he discussed the topic of diversity in leadership. He suggested that many leaders and organizations need to learn how to provide training for leaders and members in order to provide proper direction for their initiatives.The presenter then showed slides that had the model of a stereotypical man and woman that gave an example of two leaders. He demonstrated that although these two leaders were of the same race, both were racial stereotypes. His suggestion was that in order to make progress in diversity, organizations must pay attention to the issues of race and gender and engage with the diversity initiatives on campus. He also noted that these same issues can be applied to other areas such as race and ethnicity.The presenter then gave several examples of these 'red-white-and-blue' style stage presentations. He discussed how creating a leadership opportunity for everyone will create a stronger sense of unity and ownership within the organization, and he listed examples of organizations that are already doing this.In previous demonstration, he spoke about how leadership is more than being the best person for the job, and that the l eaders skills focus needs to change to focus on diversity and inclusion. He concluded by pointing out that the suggestions that he made in his presentation do not call for white-only training. Instead, he encourages leaders to find people who have similar experiences and bring them into the organization so that they can learn and grow together.The presenter's suggestion was a wonderful one, and I hope everyone who plans to participate in a diversity initiative or promote diversity within their own organization takes notice. It's great to see someone who is working within the organizational culture to address the real problem and provide a practical solution.Presenters like this are needed today more than ever before. Please consider all this and think on it.