DEI misconceptions that we all need to overcome to get through 2025

Welcome to Lead With Inclusion! This weekly newsletter is a resource for EVERY professional. Whether you’re a manager ready to be a more inclusive leader, or an employee ready to be a DEI champion in your workplace, inclusive actions lead to inclusive outcomes. Leading with inclusion simply means starting with inclusive actions in everything you do. It means identifying the areas where bias is at work, and shifting mindsets to make change. 

If you’re not sure where to begin, start here.

There are quite a few misconceptions about DEI and all of them have been hurled my way in the last couple of days which made me think about how to reframe this misinformation into concrete action that you can take to get through 2025 without losing your humanity.

One of the misconceptions is that the goal of DEI is to force you to “think like us.” This suggests there is a concerted effort for everyone to think the same without any independent thoughts of their own. That couldn't be further from the truth because what we actually want is more open-mindedness and to have a fuller picture of the world around you. It's why DEI proponents are accused of being woke – being informed, educated and conscious of social justice issues. (So wouldn’t anti-woke make you ignorant? Asking for a friend.)

A second misconception is that DEI is about doing the right thing in the world. While making the world a better place is a lofty goal, there are far easier ways to do that than through corporate training - like solving world hunger or garnering world peace. As we move into 2025, we all can work towards collaborating and being more understanding of the perceptions of people around us. That understanding will not happen when the perceptions of the people around us are based upon misinformation and distorted facts.

Be An Inclusive Leader 

If you truly want to be effective as a leader in 2025, your reaction to the response to the shooting of Brian Thompson, CEO of United Healthcare, is an indicator of how you treat your team. They are experiencing and demonstrating the frustration, the burnout and the lack of empathy that has been shown towards employees at all levels. We bemoan the lack of empathy being shown for the CEO and his family, yet we ignore the lack of empathy being shown towards the thousands of individuals who have been blatantly denied health coverage for one reason or another. And while you might state that policy and procedure need to be followed, think about what policies or procedures you have in your workplace that result in harm. It is past time to review said policies and revise them.

Additionally, the misconception that DEI is about promoting individuals without qualification into roles purely based upon the color of their skin or their gender, while also believing that DEI makes us see prejudice where it doesn't exist is paradoxical. Pick a lane! If jobs are being given out to undeserving people based upon their gender and skin color, then these individuals don't have anything to “complain” about, so which is it. The answer, in case you weren’t sure, is neither! And as a leader, if you aren’t dispelling these misconceptions and instead are feeding into them, you’re going to be asking me why you have a retention problem this time next year.

If you need help distinguishing between these misconceptions and how to handle them, you know where to find me. I’m available to advise you through these minefields.

Lead With Inclusion

The misconception that DEI leads the charge towards cancel culture is one underlying reason for the hate messages I’ve received over the past few days. Men who are uncomfortable when they have to pay attention to their actions and be held accountable for them, are extremely upset with me right now (and thanks to current society sentiment on the issue of DEI, they feel emboldened to let me know about it).

What actually fosters “cancel culture” hinges on an entire generation of people who have decided they are no longer going to support companies who refuse to show care for them. As with companies like Walmart who have disbanded their DEI department, the initial response is to boycott. In some instances, those boycotts are successful and in others, they are not. The difference lies in the planning and organization. Remember that everyone has different circumstances. In the past, boycotts were properly organized and led by teams of people who provided alternatives to the company or situation they were attempting to boycott. So, before you judge someone for not participating in a boycott, for not avoiding a situation or for spending money in places that you may not agree with, ask yourself, have you provided an alternative? And if you haven’t or can’t, perhaps you should refrain from judgment.

And if you’re frustrated that a boycott has been called against your favorite retail store, beverage provider or fast-food chain, ask yourself why that bothers you, how it affects you and whether you agree with the corporate sentiments being boycotted.

All year, I’ve been asking people what side of history they think they will be on when the history books are written about the current time period that we find ourselves in. And so I’ll ask you as well. Are you going to align your policies with your values as Ben & Jerry's and Arizona Iced Tea have done, or are you going to be on the page in the history books with Walmart and Lowe’s?

About Stacey Gordon:

Stacey Gordon is a Bias Disrupter and an unapologetic evangelist for inclusion. As the Founder of Rework Work, she anchors action using change management principles while facilitating mindset shifts. She is a global keynote speaker, Top Voice on LinkedIn and a popular LinkedIn Learning [IN]structor with nearly two million unique learners enjoying her courses.  

Want to work with Stacey live? Consider booking her for your next keynote, leadership development meeting or consulting engagement.