Author Keith Wyche of ‘Diversity is Not Enough’: 5 Steps We Must Take To Truly Create An Inclusive, Representative, and Equitable Society

…Education and “Truth-telling”: In my experience, once people take the time to educate themselves on the facts as to how we got to this point, it creates empathy, and that empathy leads to action. The reality is, the history of this country most Americans were taught in school was inaccurate. This leads many to view diverse groups as victims of their own doing, rather than groups who have historically been marginalized, devalued and discriminated against. Many organizations have brought in organizations like the Racial Equity Institute to educate their leaders on America’s true history.

As part of our series about ‘5 Steps We Must Take To Truly Create An Inclusive, Representative, and Equitable Society’ I had the pleasure to interview Keith Wyche.

Keith Wyche, author of the new book Diversity Is Not Enough: A Roadmap to Recruit, Develop and Promote Black Leaders in America, is a recognized thought leader in the areas of Change Management, Executive Development, Leadership, Business, Career Development, Diversity and Inclusion, Transformation, and Innovation who excels at talent development and has a consistent record of growing revenue and expanding margins across a broad range of industries, including technology, manufacturing, outsourced services, and grocery retail. A frequent public speaker, he is also the author of Good Is Not Enough: And Other Unwritten Rules for Minority Professionals (nominated for an NAACP Award as an Outstanding Literary Work,) and Corner Office Rules: The 10 Realities of Executive Life, Wyche’s work and insights have been featured in TIME Magazine, USA Today, The New York Post, The Miami Herald, and Black Enterprise Magazine. He has appeared as a guest on NPR, Fox Business, NBC’s The Today Show, Business News Network (BNN), and more.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to ‘get to know you’. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?

I’m a child of the 60’s, raised in Cleveland, OH during the height of the Civil Rights movement. I was the oldest of three with two younger sisters. After attending predominantly Black Cleveland Public Schools, my parents sent me to Trinity High School, where I was one of only two black male students in my graduating class. This experience would prove helpful as it taught me how to interact and navigate in a predominantly white world. Later, I would attend and graduate from Cleveland State University where I served as the Editor of The Vindicator, the universities “black” campus newspaper.

Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?

By far it was Carter G. Woodson’s “The Mis-Education of the Negro”. I read it in high school as I was struggling with living in two worlds. The inner-city where I lived, and the suburbs where I went to school. I was conflicted, trying to “fit in” with both my black “homies in the hood” and my white “classmates in the heights”.

Woodson challenged me to be a critical thinker, not beholden to the mindsets of my family and friends, nor the stereotypes of those outside my community. I’ve never forgotten Woodson’s words, “when you control a man’s thinking you don’t have to worry about his actions”.

As a result, I’ve always been intellectually curious, a critical thinker, and not afraid to make up my own mind. Additionally, it’s allowed me the courage to also not be afraid to speak my mind.

Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life or your work?

My father was my hero, role model and teacher all rolled into one. One of his constant messages to me was, “always treat everyone with respect, regardless of their position in life, and always command respect from everyone, regardless of their position in life.” This advice would serve me well in my corporate career as I learned how anyone from the janitor to the receptionist can help you despite their position on the totem pole. Conversely, it’s allowed me to hold my head high and be comfortable when interacting with bosses, leaders and those in power.

How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?

At its core, I define leadership as, “the ability to galvanize a team or a people around a common cause or strategy, provide them with the tools and skills required to successfully achieve the strategy, and then encourage and empower them to execute the strategy.” Furthermore, it’s a leader’s job to identify, develop and create new leaders.

An example of this is when I managed over 30,000 retail associates and had to lead them to transform from a “brick and mortar” business model to a omni-channel business model that required new tools, processes and procedures. I first had to help them understand and accept “why” we had to change. Then I provided them with the new tools, training, and mindset required to make the transition. Lastly, I couldn’t “fish for them” but had to empower them to embrace the new strategy and make it happen themselves.

Ok, thank you for all that. Now let’s move to the main focus of our interview. The United States is currently facing a very important self-reckoning about race, diversity, equality and inclusion. This is of course a huge topic. But briefly, can you share your view on how this crisis inexorably evolved to the boiling point that it’s at now?

• The Mis-education of America: We were mis-educated as kids about the true history of this country.
• As a result, we have created an incomplete and false narrative as it pertains to race relations.
• Since power concedes nothing without a demand, those in power fight like hell when they fear losing their advantages or have to share power with those who have historically been denied access to those advantages or power.
• With the U.S. demographics shifting to a more “majority minority” country as early as 2035–2040, many in the majority, in particular those of lower socio-economic status, feel as if other races and ethnicities are gaining…at their expense.
• With many in the majority feeling emboldened over the past four years by the rhetoric of certain leaders, coupled with the frustrations of those who have been historically disadvantaged…has brought us here.

Can you tell our readers a bit about your experience working with initiatives to promote Diversity and Inclusion? Can you share a story with us?

After my book “Good Is Not Enough: And Other Unwritten Rules for Minority Professionals” was released by Portfolio in 2008, I was contacted by dozens of Fortune 500 companies wanting my help in driving D&I initiatives. At the time these companies weren’t focused on recruiting diverse talent, but rather how to “retain” diverse talent. One client, located in the Twin Cities, wanted to understand why they were experiencing such high turnover of their LatinX and Black talent. After hosting focus groups and Exit Interviews with their diverse workers it became apparent that these individuals were struggling not feeling culturally inclusive in the Twin Cities. They struggled to find places of worship, to find beauty salons and barbershops that catered to them, grocery stores that sold the food and beauty products they wanted. To help with this, this client engaged local diverse professional organizations to host prospective hires on a “Welcome to the Twin Cities” during the recruiting process. This effort was effective in both the recruitment and retention of diverse professionals, as it helped to create a since of “belonging” in a city where cultural diversity was not obvious.

This may be obvious to you, but it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you articulate to our readers a few reasons why it is so important for a business or organization to have a diverse executive team?

The data is now overwhelming that diverse and inclusive organizations outperform those who lack diversity and inclusion. If you notice I added “inclusion” to your question, because diversity by itself doesn’t automatically add value. It’s when these companies also embrace an inclusive culture where “everyone” has a voice, are valued, respected and made to feel welcomed do companies reap the benefits of diversity. These organizations prove to be more innovative, more customer focused, more attractive to potential employees, and ultimately more profitable.

Ok. Here is the main question of our discussion. You are an influential business leader. Can you please share your “5 Steps We Must Take To Truly Create An Inclusive, Representative, and Equitable Society”. Kindly share a story or example for each.

1. Education and “Truth-telling”: In my experience, once people take the time to educate themselves on the facts as to how we got to this point, it creates empathy, and that empathy leads to action. The reality is, the history of this country most Americans were taught in school was inaccurate. This leads many to view diverse groups as victims of their own doing, rather than groups who have historically been marginalized, devalued and discriminated against. Many organizations have brought in organizations like the Racial Equity Institute to educate their leaders on America’s true history.
2. Acknowledge the contributions of various diverse groups: In order for any group of people to be valued and respected, it’s important that their contributions to society be recognized. Too often, the accomplishments of certain groups are either ignored, co-opted, or minimalized. By taking time to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of all groups, it helps in creating a healthy respect of a people and the value they’ve added.
3. Get input from those you are trying to include…and make them a part of the solution: I’ve seen over and over again how well-intentioned leaders really want to improve representation, provide equitable opportunities and drive inclusion…without EVER engaging the very people they are looking to uplift and support. I call this doing something “to” a group of people instead of “with” them. Leaders should make every effort to meet with, speak with and above all listen to those whom they desire to include. Depending on the nature and topic of the discussion this could be blind surveys that provide anonymity, to Town Hall style meetings where people can voice themselves publicly.
4. Focus more on Inclusion and Equity, not just Diversity: Too often, most DEI efforts lean in on the hiring of diverse workers. While this is a major part of the equation, having a “diverse” employee population in no way guarantees an inclusive, representative and equitable society. Leaders have to be both intentional and deliberate in creating an inclusive culture where everyone feels valued, appreciated, heard and made to feel welcomed. From there, everyone needs to have equitable access to the resources required for advancement. I liken Diversity to being “invited to the party”, inclusion to being “offered a welcomed seat at the table”, and equity as making sure everyone has the same “menu of opportunities” to develop, grow and advance. For while diversity may get you invited to the party, without inclusion and equity, you’ll come to the party hungry and leave hungrier.
5. Accountability: Once well-crafted DEI plans are put in place that are inclusive and equitable, there must be a level of accountability that leaders demand. In the corporate world anything that is valued is not only discussed, but have targets or goals put in place, has it’s progress reviewed on a regular basis, and is rewarded, recognized and highlighted. In other words, people are held accountable! Historically, leaders have not been eager to have the same level of accountability for DEI initiatives as they do their revenue or sales targets. In many cases, there’s no penalty for bad behaviors or bad actors who refuse to embrace an inclusive, equitable and diverse culture. The same leader who gets called out for missing a revenue or sales target is neither called out or held accountable for not embracing DEI.

We are going through a rough period now. Are you optimistic that this issue can eventually be resolved? Can you explain?

I’m optimistic because from my perspective the George Floyd murder (and others) has painfully and tragically forced those willing to see, that we still have unresolved racial issues. We are not in a post-racial period, we are not a colorblind society, and we can no longer hide America’s history of systemic racism. Similar to the civil rights movement, now that rational, honest people from all backgrounds realize the problem, I am hopeful that their allyship leads to lasting change.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

I would like to take Oprah Winfrey to lunch. Ideally, I’d like to get her take on the state of race relations in our country and share a copy of my book with her to get her thoughts.

How can our readers follow you online?

Please follow me on LinkedIn or on Twitter at @keithwyche or visit my website www.keithwyche.com

This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!