JUSTICE. EQUITY. DIVERSITY. INCLUSION.
congruency.
make the inside match the outside.
in 2020, we saw several brands and titans of industry jump into the fray by lending their voices to the grand discussion of racial justice and equity in america. this was important. their actions helped amplify a necessary conversation. their awakening awoke others.
for many a brand and titan alike, their actions also exposed a soft underbelly.
it quickly became abundantly clear their own houses were not in order.
here’s why.
brands often show up in the world, embodying the absolute best of humanity.
consider apple. its purpose is to empower creative exploration and self-expression.
or disney. the greatest place on earth.
take nike.
because of them, we believe that anything is possible through sport.
the brand represents limitlessness — as long as you have a body, you are an athlete.
it doesn’t matter what corner of the world we come from, our skin color, or which side of the tracks we’re from.
within us lies the potential to be the next lebron. the next serena. the next cristiano.
at least that’s what it looks like from the outside looking in.
yet, here’s where the water gets muddy.
what is it like on the inside?
what is it like to work at nike?
what is like to be black at nike?
what is like to be an aging woman at nike?
what is the experience of someone who isn’t into sport at nike?
look, this isn’t a drag nike moment. the brand is being used to illustrate a point.
every company has the responsibility to create congruency between how it shows up in the world and the way it shows up for its employees.
brands cannot amplify their consumers' dreams, yet make it toxic and excruciatingly difficult for their employees to feel seen, respected, valued, and — most importantly — safe.
this isn’t simply about doing the right thing — being good humans.
it’s also about better business.
consumers are savvy.
the fight for their attention is more crowded than ever.
their itch for brands that reflect their values and that walk-the-walk continues to heighten.
in this time of late-stage capitalism — where individuals feel more othered and marginalized than ever — folks are grasping for some semblance of control.
they are craving a direct line between their actions and tangible impact.
voting with their purses carries as much weight, if not more, as voting at the ballot box.
organized currency has the power to topple the greatest of brands and pull a niche player out of obscurity, thrusting them onto the global stage.
as consumers increasingly scrutinize the platform a brand sits on—the ways in which the brand wields its power or sits in silence—the grand wall erected to separate the inside from the outside will crumble.
companies would do well to advance societal trust.
keep in mind, consumers are also investors, shareholders, regulators, and employees — they are the judge and the jury.
therefore, while representation matters, it matters more that diversity has share of voice, share of influence, and, ultimately, share of power.
so, how does a company find balance between its external expression and its internal actions?
companies must harness creativity and innovation with the same fervor when solving for equity, inclusion, and diversity as they do when advancing pathways in the marketplace.
they must reimagine traditional approaches to talent—intentionally mitigating bias and actively dismantling inequity.
shifts found through mentorship programs that not only support all employees but also ensure the most marginalized are engaged and uplifted.
pairing executives with a mentor who is their junior and represents a community other than the ones the leader identifies with.
climate checks that audit for equity and inclusion gaps, culminating in accountability — tangible, public, and time-bound, commitments to systemic change.
transparent advancement and succession programs that correct for subjectivity and mitigate bias.
accelerator programs that advance talent and provide visibility to otherwise inaccessible leadership—ensuring it’s not always the same folks getting tapped for stretch opportunities.
it also includes regular scrutiny of compensation philosophies to ensure equity and — where possible — transparency enterprise-wide.
this by no means is comprehensive. it’s simply a list to get the juices flowing.
if companies over-index on getting talent in the door but have done none of the hard work to explore and dismantle systemic internal barriers, then they’ve built a house of cards.
it’s time for companies to get their houses in order.
if they are unwilling to do it themselves, it won’t be too long before, with the flick of a finger, folks will bring those houses tumbling down.
