Leadership Lessons You Can Learn From the Current Riots

Leadership Lessons You Can Learn From the Current Riots

Weeping or Raging? That seems to be our sad choice as we are still grieving all the Corona fallout, and now watch much of the country go up in flames as riots erupt because of police action (or inaction) that caused the death in Minneapolis of George Floyd. While it may seem easier to avoid the news or start screaming at our screens, perhaps there is a deeper and more useful choice.

What Can We Learn? The author James Baldwin wrote that to be black in this country is “To Be in a Rage, Almost All The Time” . While I don’t ever condone violent protests, I can understand how they arise. If we listen to black history and sociology experts, they may provide us with surprising insights into why these uprisings occur.

The Leadership Lesson: If you are a leader or an influencer in your organization, consider whether you can make a difference in moving the needle on race and other inclusion issues. Many experts have shown how diverse and well-trained leaders in police organizations make a difference in outcomes. In fact, other surprising studies have shown that black doctors treating black patients, black teachers instructing black children, and even black retail clerks interacting with black customers have astonishingly better results. The same holds true for other ethnic groups, as well as gender and other identity groups. Listen to Hidden Brain podcast, “The People Like Us”.

I am not, of course, advocating a return to segregation or quotas in hospitals, schools, colleges or elsewhere. What I am suggesting, however, is that you consider whether a more diverse and inclusive leadership team could lead to better results in your organization. As I have written before, diverse teams are more creative and have better profit results. Read my Monday Memo: How Can You Increase Profit and Creativity? Increase the Diversity on Your Teams

There is also a benefit in attracting, mentoring and retaining a diverse talent pool – a necessity in an age where the demographics of our customer base, as well as the pool of available employees, is growing more and more diverse.

What Should You Do?

EDUCATE YOURSELF: As a leader, you need to start with your own education. A good place to begin is with the two podcasts noted above, as well as the other articles on my website.

EDUCATE YOUR STAFF: Diversity and inclusion sessions, as well as other kinds of bias work and organizational audits on these issues, can go a long way to helping your employees understand. Be sure you understand, however, that this kind of education is not a quick fix: diversity and inclusion is a process, not an event.

       Should Leaders Call Someone a Racist?
       As a Leader, What’s Your Responsibility for Diversity and Inclusion?  Do You Know Our History?

LOOK HONESTLY AT YOUR LEADERSHIP: Have you missed opportunities to attract a more diverse and inclusive pool of leaders? Do you hold your managers accountable for considering these issues in hiring and advancement?