In 2020, we witnessed an unprecedented wave of well-intentioned energy aimed at supporting black people at all levels in the workplace. However, in the four years since, it’s fair to say that there have been many cases of the energy either being misdirected or left without a clear focus and eventually fizzling out, resulting in minimal tangible change in the experiences of many black employees and leaders.

Today, black leaders still face the dual challenges of navigating their roles while being expected to serve as role models, all while learning how to develop healthier working habits and maintain personal wellbeing. While these answers by no means suggest that ALL black leaders will face challenges, we recognise the need for systemic review and reform to continue to make progress and create working environments where everyone has the opportunity to be successful.

To share more insights on this topic we spoke to Richard Odufisan co-host of the Tales From The Plantation Podcast & former DEI Lead at Wayve to get his thoughts on how companies can do better at becoming more inclusive and supportive of black leaders.

1. What are some common barriers that black leaders face in corporate environments, and how can organisations actively work to dismantle these obstacles?

Black leaders can encounter a number of barriers to success including systemic racism, unconscious bias, and a lack of access to key networks and sponsorship. And just as these barriers won’t all appear in the same form, there isn’t any single one size fits all solution to address them. If we want to be intentional about dismantling these obstacles though, companies need to think intentionally and specifically about the challenges faced by black people within their spheres of influence and think about practical strategies to address their policies, processes or work culture. This could look like comprehensive inclusive leadership training, that focuses on developing managers’ capability to understand different cultures and backgrounds and create team environments that give ALL team members the opportunities to contribute and thrive, or it could be greater transparency in promotion and pay practices, and intentional succession planning and leadership development courses aimed at delivering diverse representation in leadership. Creating platforms for black leaders to share their experiences and actively listening to their feedback can also drive meaningful change and provide the guidance that says if your efforts are moving you in the right direction.

2. Can you share some successful initiatives or programs that have significantly improved inclusivity for black leaders within organisations?

In the face of tighter budgets for inclusion, success can often come down to return on investment. Thinking specifically about value in the inclusion space, it often comes down to what you can do to create that sense of belonging and engagement among your black employees, and leaders are no different. The weight of leadership can, if not carefully designed, create a degree of isolation that can be multiplied if you are also one of a limited number of leaders who are also black. It’s important to focus on programs or initiatives aimed around building community or strengthening professional networks. We should never underestimate the inherent value of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), and in this instance focus on ones that prioritise the needs of black employees to foster that level-agnostic community. Or look at leadership-focused mentoring or sponsorship programs tailored specifically for black talent. Many companies have launched mentorship schemes that pair black leaders with senior executives, providing guidance and fostering career advancement. 

3. How important is mentorship and sponsorship in the career development of black leaders, and what can organisations do to facilitate these relationships?

Both mentorship and sponsorship are essential for the career development of black leaders, as they offer both guidance and advocacy. I think it’s important to highlight that both are distinct and do slightly different but equally important things for the recipient. Mentorship focuses on guidance and development of skills needed to be successful not just in a current role, but also in deciding and working towards the next career step. Sponsorship, though, is about advocating for those high-potential black leaders in the rooms they aren’t in, when decisions around opportunities are being made. And it’s not just for more senior colleagues, platforms for networking and peer support can also contribute to development opportunities.

4. In what ways can organisations ensure that their diversity and inclusion policies are not just performative but result in real, measurable change?

As the saying goes, “you can’t manage what you don’t measure”. If you want to ensure your policies lead to real change, start by setting clear, measurable goals and regularly tracking progress against these benchmarks. Be critically honest about success, but don’t hide from failures. Those failures will provide as much insight into how to be successful in your objectives as any success. And look at the holistic end-to-end employee experience, collect and analyse data on hiring, promotion, and retention rates of black employees. Look at their engagement and performance management scores. Report on these metrics regularly and actually hold company leaders accountable for meeting targets set. Don’t forget to involve black employees in the development and implementation of these policies to ensure they address their actual needs and challenges.

5. What role does unconscious bias play in the professional advancement of black leaders, and how can organisations address and mitigate this bias?

Unconscious bias can significantly impact the career progression of actual and potential black leaders by influencing hiring, promotion, and performance reviews. But it’s not enough to talk about the biases that we are unaware of, organisations need to provide regular training focussed on conscious inclusion. Similar to unconscious bias training, it looks instead to how we can all recognise any biases we may hold, and intentionally take steps to assess, collaborate and lead more inclusively, through reviews of policies, processes and behaviours. Think about how they can implement structured and objective criteria for performance reviews and promotions, and ensure diverse representation, and inclusive processes around hiring and promotion panels. Embed a culture of continuous feedback and open dialogue about biases to avoid it becoming a source of guilt and shame, that either leads to inaction driven by a sense of inevitability or a resistance driven by conviction in our own inherent “goodness”.

6. How can organisations create a more inclusive culture that celebrates and leverages the unique perspectives and experiences of black leaders?

Don’t get caught up in only trying to do the “big” things. Remember that your culture is in the everyday, the things that just feel normal. Sometimes creating a more inclusive culture looks like actively celebrating the achievements and contributions of black leaders as much as you do for others, and promoting diverse voices in decision-making processes. Make diversity and inclusion events about different cultures and backgrounds move from being “special events” to just another part of who you are, create platforms for black leaders to share their experiences, and encourage cross-cultural understanding and collaboration among all employees. If you really want to push the boat out, go as far as adding inclusive behaviour objectives into your performance review and reward strategies to provide the incentive for a more supportive environment.

7. What strategies can organisations employ to ensure that black leaders are represented at all levels of management and decision-making?

Representation at a management level isn’t a one-day task, and sustainable success in representation doesn’t happen by accident. If you want to be intentional about getting representation at all levels (including pre-management), you need to plan for it along three clear paths. Most people start by looking at recruitment, but I actually believe you need to start with the talent you already have. Create clear and accessible pathways for career advancement (both vertically and laterally, and actively support the professional development of black employees.  Then you need to think about how you use targeted recruitment strategies to bring in new talent in the short term, and look at how you can work with industry peers to change the future talent pool through education and development of entry paths at an industry level for longer-term impact. Finally retention and succession planning should both include a focus on diversity, and policies and practices should be regularly reviewed and adjusted to eliminate barriers to progression.

8. Can you discuss the importance of having black representation on corporate boards and in executive roles, and how this impacts overall organisational success?

Let’s start with the main driver for many businesses in our economic system: multiple studies have shown that diverse leadership teams have a high correlation with higher profitability and better performance outcomes. But the how is important. Black representation on corporate boards and in executive roles can help to drive diversity and inclusion throughout the organisation as people are able to envision themselves also achieving that success at that company, and end up being more engaged and invested in contributing to the success of the company. It also visibly demonstrates the organisation's commitment to diversity, which is great from a brand and reputation perspective and helps with attracting top talent. That diversity in the workforce then provides diverse perspectives in decision-making processes and solution design, leading to more innovation in the solutions and products offered, and better business outcomes.

9. What are some effective ways to hold leadership accountable for achieving diversity and inclusion goals within their teams and the wider organisation?

As we said before, start by being specific on the diversity and inclusion targets, and link these goals to performance reviews and reward. Let there be an actual benefit to being inclusive, and regularly review progress against those targets so you can make adjustments where necessary. You could also look to set up a diversity council or task force made up of people at different levels that reports directly to the CEO or board to ensure accountability. I’d also recommend publicly sharing both progress and challenges around the diversity goals to create transparency and drive commitment from all levels of the organisation.

10. How can organisations measure the success of their efforts to support black leaders, and what metrics should be used to track progress?

Organisations can use metrics like the representation of black employees at different levels, promotion and retention rates, employee satisfaction and engagement scores, and the effectiveness of mentorship and sponsorship programs in line with promotion outcomes. Regular surveys and focus groups with employees with an ability to filter by demographic groups will also provide valuable insights into not only their experiences but also gaps from the general which will help identify areas for improvement. Creating benchmarks for representation against industry standards and best practices can also help ensure that any ongoing efforts to support black leaders are moving in the right direction.