What happens when you embed DEI into leadership development?

What happens when you embed DEI into leadership development?

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Short answer: Leaders develop the full suite of skills they need.

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Sometime in the last 10 years, your learning & development staff have probably asked, Should we add a dedicated DEI course to our leadership development catalog? A full track? If so, what should it look like? Bias training? Harassment? Inclusive hiring practices? How should it be sequenced? Who is it for? What do we really need?

There are some cases where it makes sense to create a distinct track for diversity, equity, and inclusion:

• Your staff is asking for it,
• Your leaders are asking for it, AND
• Your organization has already laid the foundation of buy-in for DEI

Regardless of whether you add a dedicated track for DEI, it’s also important to look deeply at the leadership development courses you already offer and find ways to weave in DEI principles and skills.

DEI shouldn’t feel separate; DEI should feel like an integral piece of everything that is important to your organization. Why? Because inclusive leadership is just good leadership. Period. If your leadership development programs are missing this, they’re incomplete.

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Here are 3 DEI principles to consider while reviewing and updating your courses:

1. Roles & Representation. 

• Images and language should reflect the diversity of the audience so that everyone can see themselves in the concepts and scenarios.
• Counteract negative stereotypes by choosing names and images that portray people in ways that don’t reinforce harmful stereotypes.
• Carefully consider the identities of experts and leaders: is there an overrepresentation of dominant identities being presented as experts?

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Example

Which of these photos would you choose to accompany this statement?

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“The fact is, work relationships can be challenging. Sometimes, it just comes down to different styles of communication.”

The photo on the left shows a white man and a Black man standing facing each other with gestures and facial expressions that indicate they are actively arguing, while a white woman sits nearby. The statement that workplace relationships can be challenging because of different communication styles downplays the reality of racialized experiences, almost saying “it probably isn’t racism, it’s just a difference in communication styles.” Additionally, the photo reinforces negative stereotypes about Black men being considered aggressive and white women being passive.

The photo on the right shows two white women seated at a table, having a discussion with thoughtful expressions. They are taking notes. There is no racial dynamic in this photo, though you’d want to consider the mix of identities portrayed in the course overall.

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How does this support inclusive leadership?

See it, be it. When we see ourselves positively reflected, we can imagine more possibilities. 

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2. Growth Mindset

• Prioritize encouraging the right skills and behaviors over what to avoid. When expectations are clear, it leaves less room for biased interpretations of behaviors.
• Inspire improvement rather than shaming for missteps. We’re all a work in progress.
• Empower people to use their strengths. This asset-based approach helps people lean into what energizes them in their own unique way.

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Example

Below, compare the set of statements on the left (Diagnosing Low Resilience) to the set on the right (Strategies for High Resilience).

What emotions come up when you reach each set of statements? Do those emotions inspire you to become more resilient?

The statements on the left paint a picture that no one wants to see themselves in, but does it motivate them to change? Probably not. We don’t know where to go from here besides knowing that we don’t want to be “diagnosed” as that.

The statements on the right paint a different picture – one that we can aspire to embody. The framing of “strategies” helps people make a plan for their growth. Further, it lets everyone know what it looks and feels like, so that when we aren’t living up to it, we can make adjustments.

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How does this support inclusive leadership?

Setting clear expectations and encouraging strengths helps everyone see themselves as a leader.

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3. Encourage Empathy

• Acknowledge that different people have different experiences that shape their leadership style. Recognize and accommodate your materials to people with disabilities, people who have experienced trauma and discrimination, and people from a breadth of cultural norms.
• Encourage curiosity by prompting learners to consider other experiences and perspectives, challenging their biases.
• Level the emotional playing field. When you acknowledge different experiences, people feel valued and understood, helping them spend more time being themselves than doing the emotional labor of code-switching. This also eases some of the burden of people having to explain their differences repeatedly.

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Example

Compare the two lessons below and consider which audiences might resonate most with each.

The tip and discussion prompt on the left are clear and embody a growth mindset, but don’t recognize the different ways someone may receive the message based on their identities. For people who have experienced biased blowback when they have advocated for themselves, it takes a lot of courage to consider trying again and sharing their experience in a large group setting.

On the right, the tip acknowledges that it may be best to start with a trusted colleague. The discussion is structured as a breakout group, making it easier to open up about past negative experiences and brainstorm ways to move forward. The prompt also makes space to share why someone may not be in a space to take action.

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How does this support inclusive leadership?

Empathy disrupts bias and assumptions about who is/isn’t a leader and how leaders act.

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With these three lenses, you can refresh your leadership development programs to be more inclusive, respectful, and effective. You’ll connect with broader audiences and ensure that leaders are equipped to lead and manage diverse teams.

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Want to learn more? Get in touch with us at hello@stepupforequity.com or catch Amy Kesling, Step Up Cofounder, along with our client partner Nate Kaufman, Learning & Development Lead at Carollo Engineers, in June at Training Industry’s TICE 2025 during our breakout session, “Not a Separate Track: The Case for Embedding Inclusive Leadership Principles into Leadership Development.”

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