Episode 40

Gena Cox: Building inclusive organisations

Available on these channels and more

Inclusion has been one of those terms we might reserve for HR, an initiative, or a special interest group.

Wrong. It’s critical to the success of any organisation, and a moral responsibility.

For too long, traditionally disadvantaged groups — by race, gender and sexuality — have progressed more slowly and had poorer experiences at work.

Their leaders — from a majority group — have employed avoidance tactics, in some cases standing away and not giving eye contact, sticking to their familiar places and faces.

What does it take to build an inclusive organisation? Dr Gena Cox shares the highlights of her book Leading Inclusion:

  • The critical three Cs required of any leader.
  • Why talking about a business case for diversity or inclusion (or both) is offensive.
  • Where biases show up, and what to do about them.
  • Why it doesn’t take special or different leadership of people who are different from the majority.
  • What it takes for a chief diversity officer to have a positive impact.

The best bits of these conversations are captured in my newsletter Strategic Leader.

More about Gena

After a decades-long year career advising leaders in some of the largest companies in America and beyond, Dr Gena Cox concluded that the pace of workplace inclusion change was unacceptably slow. She harnessed her organisational psychology and executive coach insights, her understanding of C-suite dynamics, and her personal workplace experiences, to write a book, Leading Inclusion. Her book helps leaders connect unfamiliar dots to drive inclusion from the top of their organisations. Gena asks her clients to remember one simple idea: inclusion tops diversity!

“You’re not an effective leader if you’re not leading 100% of the people in your team.”

Dr Gena Cox, organizational psychologist and executive coach

VIEW RUNNING ORDER

03.55 The George Floyd killing.
08.04 The importance of ‘noticing’.
15.51 What’s wrong with the business case for diversity.
18.06 Biases in the workplace.
22.18 Interventions.
25.08 The role and efficacy of CDOs.
28.10 The same — not special — support.
31.05 The hard ‘soft’ skills.
33.48 Her impact.
37.20 Habits and practices.
Dan Pontefract: Reframing work-life balance

Dan Pontefract: Reframing work-life balance

Tiffani Bova: Enhancing your customer and employee experience

Tiffani Bova: Enhancing your customer and employee experience

David Rogers: Rethinking digital transformation

David Rogers: Rethinking digital transformation

Marcus Collins: Creating your culture

Marcus Collins: Creating your culture

Keaton Hoskins: Leading a limitless entrepreneurial life

Keaton Hoskins: Leading a limitless entrepreneurial life

Tammy Gooler Loeb: Creating optionality in your career and life

Tammy Gooler Loeb: Creating optionality in your career and life

Juliette Powell & Art Kleiner: Using AI responsibly

Juliette Powell & Art Kleiner: Using AI responsibly

Suzanne Heywood: Learning from your childhood

Suzanne Heywood: Learning from your childhood

Aldo Spaanjaars & Sandrine Zerbib: Learning from Chinese entrepreneurs

Aldo Spaanjaars & Sandrine Zerbib: Learning from Chinese entrepreneurs

Share This