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One of the greatest joys of my career has been to bear witness to the accelerating evolution of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging as a maturing industry. It began years ago, with mere whispers about diversity circulating within the corporate vocabulary, mainly focusing on gathering data about representation, and how workforce demographics might be retooled to more accurately reflect the diversity of the talent pool and the marketplace. Then the conversation shifted toward inclusion, or how existing talent—particularly those who are underrepresented and who hold marginalized identities—feel on a day-to-day basis, and what level of trust they hold toward the organization. Next, equity and belonging entered the conversation, raising the critical but as-yet-unasked questions of systemic support and psychological safety as they relate to identity and expression. And still our field continues to expand and broaden, with explorations of what justice might look like, on the heels of a year like 2020, where the call for change crested, and the hard questions became our North Star.

Let me begin by saying that the time for all of these things—diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging, and yes, justice—is now. The call for accountability and empathy at work has always existed, but it is undoubtedly louder than ever before. I believe each and every one of us can think of a recent event, movement, personal anecdote, or news story that throws into stark relief the need for systemic change. But I also believe many of us have been confused about how we can better support that change.

As a diversity and inclusion consultant with over fifteen years’ experience in the field, I have witnessed the vast majority of leaders delegate their responsibility around DEI work. They've outsourced the accountability, and the labor, to people of color, women, and other marginalized groups within their organizations, who they believe can (and should) carry the water because of how they identify, even though there is often less structural power among these identities—and sometimes the smallest numbers—to throw behind efforts. This is particularly dangerous at our current moment in time, because leaders are facing a mounting call to step up or fall behind, and stepping up means challenging this thinking. When those with power and influence shirk accountability or delegate responsibility, or remain inactive, or silent, organizations risk destroying hard-won trust that fuels collaboration, teamwork, innovation, and most important, retention. And leaders cease to grow and evolve; what many don't realize in opting out is that they are also endangering their own futures; the sidestepping around this topic, because of discomfort, lack of competency, or defensiveness can ultimately result in irrelevance.

I say this not to scare or castigate anyone, but rather to set the stage for and demonstrate the pressing need for this book, Hiring for Diversity: The Guide to Building an Inclusive and Equitable Organization. With a steady pulse on this rapidly changing landscape, Arthur Woods and Susanna Tharakan have crafted a singular guide to creating inclusive hiring practices that not only meet but exceed the heightened standards of the modern era. If you're reading this book, then your eyes are open to the far-reaching and pervasive nature of DEI challenges, and awareness is always the first step. All that we have been shown in recent years at work and in the world has awakened a vast new cohort of people to the critical issues that many of us in underestimated and underrepresented communities have been laboring against for decades. Some of us may be showing up to “class” late, but what matters is that we're here now, in the room, and rolling up our sleeves.

That awareness and participation is key, because when we surface our biases and arrive at a deeper understanding of the damage they can inflict, we then have choices. We can remain inactive, silent, or apathetic, or we can move forward and embrace the role we each can play in creating cultures of belonging where everyone is empowered to thrive.

As budding agents of change and innovative risk takers choose the latter option (as I hope you do), I see them undergo a metamorphosis of sorts, a liberating journey characterized by radical honesty, joyful storytelling, and generative collaboration. But the process—like so many things worth doing—is also tempered by significant discomfort, challenge, and obstacles. The future will require a greater focus on equity and intersectionality, which can entail loaded conversations with sobering acknowledgments of power imbalances. As you travel this demanding yet gratifying road, I urge you to lean into that discomfort. I like to say that leadership is not truly leadership unless it's uncomfortable. It's a signal that growth is occurring. If you aren't pushing yourself to do more, and pushing others around you to improve, chances are you aren't doing enough. You would expect no less in so many other arenas of your life; the discipline, practice, and “stretch” needed to build new, healthier habits applies very much here, and when we care enough to follow through, despite the “growing pains,” we see the results over time. One of the biggest shifts to explore is closing the gap between our intent and our impact. A positive or favorable self-perception—our desire always to “be right”—is much less important than developing a deeper understanding of our place in a given system, how we got there, and our ability to effect change from who we are and where we sit.

As leaders—wherever we sit in a given system—this is well within the possible, for all of us. Progress will happen if we dedicate and prioritize our development and hold ourselves accountable while extending grace and space to ourselves to show up and learn imperfectly. Resilience and agility are key; we must learn how to fail forward, and to have grace for ourselves and others as we do so. We are all poised to be beacons for this conversation, and for progress, and as we share the work more completely, however imperfectly, the burden for change can begin to be more equitably shared—and lightened—by many more heads, hearts, and hands.

The truth is, creating lasting and sustainable cultures of belonging is a task far bigger than any one executive, or any one department, or any one initiative. With that daunting reality in mind, leaders often ask me, “Where do we begin?” This book will provide many answers to that, and more.

Hiring for Diversity will ask you to do three things. They may be difficult, but I guarantee they will also be three of the most transformative steps you can take as a forward-thinking leader. First, you will be asked to leverage what you know to do what needs to be done, however uncomfortable that may be. Second, you will be asked to embrace what you don't know, because this is how you narrow the gap toward systemic change. Often, this is achieved by first admitting there's a lot you don't know and accepting that reality. Finally—and this is the most critical step—you will need to choose to be a leader. You will need to step into your power willingly, enthusiastically even, without all (or even many) of the answers, and actively take intentional and brave steps that inspire and support those who want to follow you. They're waiting, and they care.

If you are ready to make a difference for those people, turn the page, and let Arthur and Susanna lead the way.

Jennifer Brown

Founder and CEO, Jennifer

Brown Consulting, author of Inclusion and How to Be an Inclusive Leader