DeepSummary
In this podcast episode, Jennifer Brown, an award-winning entrepreneur and diversity and inclusion expert, has a conversation with Kevin Cummings, the CEO of Investors Bank. Jennifer shares her background as an aspiring opera singer who later transitioned into studying organizational change and leadership. They discuss the importance of building an inclusive workplace culture and the traits of inclusive leadership.
Jennifer presents a four-stage model of inclusive leadership: unaware, aware, active, and advocate. She emphasizes the need for leaders to acknowledge their biases, be open to learning, and actively promote inclusion through their actions and conversations. They also talk about the challenges of addressing unconscious biases in the recruitment and promotion processes.
Throughout the conversation, Kevin and Jennifer highlight the significance of empathy, vulnerability, and authenticity in fostering trust and a sense of belonging among employees. They stress the importance of creating an environment where people feel comfortable bringing their full selves to work and where diverse perspectives are valued.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Inclusive leadership is a journey that requires self-awareness, vulnerability, and a willingness to learn and seek feedback.
- Leaders play a crucial role in setting the tone for an inclusive culture by role modeling inclusive behaviors and holding the organization accountable.
- Building trust and psychological safety is essential for fostering an environment where employees feel comfortable bringing their full selves to work.
- Addressing unconscious biases in recruitment, promotion, and talent management processes is critical for creating a diverse and inclusive workforce.
- Empathy, authenticity, and caring for employees as individuals are key traits of inclusive leadership.
- Organizations should strive to create a culture where diverse perspectives are valued and employees feel a sense of belonging.
- Measuring success in diversity and inclusion efforts goes beyond just representation and should include assessing employees' sense of belonging and engagement.
- Continuous learning, open dialogue, and a commitment to change are necessary for fostering an inclusive workplace culture.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “Approaching being an inclusive leader, you know, with an invitation to say, you know, I think the way I tell leaders to begin the conversation is I'm learning. I'm on my inclusive leader journey. Here's what I'm learning and observing about myself and what I realize I've never given thought to or something that I didn't understand was occurring. I want to have open dialogue about this. I want to learn.“ by Jennifer Brown
- “So the way that we talk of the way that you talk about this as a leader and the way senior leadership speaks about this, and not just talks it, but walks it, I think sends a very powerful message of role modeling, but also accountability through the organization.“ by Jennifer Brown
- “You know, one of our five C's is caring. And really, it's one of our core values. And I think it's very important that we see everyone in the workplace as an individual.“ by Kevin Cummings
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Episode Information
The Will To Change: Uncovering True Stories of Diversity & Inclusion
Jennifer Brown
4/22/22
This episode was originally recorded as a Culture Talk at Investors Bank and features a conversation between Jennifer and Investors Bank CEO Kevin Cummings. Discover the importance of culture and the traits of inclusive leaders. Jennifer also shares her thoughts about how to measure success.