Countless members of the DEIB Discipline have told us how ill-prepared they feel to undertake a role focused on DEIB. Several previously held unrelated positions before management tapped them to lead diversity efforts across the entire organization. Often, they found that they didn’t have the relevant experience or training to do their job, a situation exacerbated by the paucity of recognized DEIB degree and certification programs. With no one within the organization equipped to mentor them or provide practical guidance, they frequently find themselves overwhelmed and isolated.  

Diversity Directors and those in similar roles have expressed their deep frustration with the agonizingly slow pace of progress and their seeming inability to advance even the most modest DEIB initiatives. Although they worked across a variety of industries at dozens of different companies, educational institutions, and governmental entities, we have identified a common cause of their frustration.   

In their haste to demonstrate a commitment to diversity, most organizations neglect to educate themselves about the breadth of DEIB and its impact. As a result, even those employees assigned responsibility for DEIB who are knowledgeable about the discipline often lack the organizational intelligence and experience to systematically carry out DEIB initiatives that last.  Failure to align DEIB practices with an organization’s mission and goals is the single greatest reason why DEIB initiatives flounder, never reaching their real potential.   

Time and again, we have heard questions and comments that reveal a lack of Organizational Intelligence on the part of those responsible for an organization’s DEIB efforts. For one thing, several DEIB Leaders could not articulate what was important to their organization.  

Passion for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging is not enough to become an effective DEIB Leader. DEIB expertise by itself will not enable a DEIB professional to lead their organization where they seek to take it.