Headlines are rife with DEI’s downfall. That’s not the whole story

The Washington Post recently reported, “The movement to diversify Silicon Valley is crumbling amid attacks on DEI.” Fortune , Business Insider and other news outlets have been reporting on how a wide range of companies, including Harley-Davidson Motor Company and John Deere are stepping back from DEI. And Axios published a piece on how state legislatures are pushing increasing numbers of college DEI offices to close. While the news may reflect the latest corporate shift, the need for diversity remains urgent. We are nowhere near gender equity or true inclusion in the boardroom or the C-Suite. 

“We need more diversity in leadership and more on boards,” my friend Bracken Darrell , CEO of VF Corporation , recently said to me. “There is so much upside to having a range of perspectives in business leadership. It’s unfortunate that the conversation has suddenly started shifting. Our focus should not be on the few instances of over-investment in DEI, it should be on what we need to do to close the gap.”

Last year, I bumped into Bracken at a Black Women On Boards conference, where I was speaking. As he appeared to be the only white guy in the room, I wanted to find out what motivated him to attend. The following are excerpts from our conversation, edited for clarity.

JF: What brought you to this conference? 

BD: I try to live my values. I believe there should be equal access for everyone. We are nowhere near where we want to be and we can’t sit back and think diversity and access are going to take care of themselves. As a leader of a publicly traded company, it’s crucial that I lead by example. If I believe in something, and I do believe in diversity, I have to do something about it.   

JF: Why do you think there has been a backlash against DEI initiatives?

BD: I have lived through enough eras to know that there is always a swing in the pendulum. So, yes, the hype curve of DEI has peaked. But the reality is that we need to keep marching toward a fair and equitable world.

JF: When did you start thinking about diversity as a priority?

BD: I always thought I was the guy who got it. I grew up with parents who got it. I thought I was really knowledgeable. I was on the diversity council for GE when I was there. Then George Floyd was murdered. It made me rethink a lot—I thought about the fall of Apartheid, the beating of Rodney King. I wondered ‘How are we still here?’ At the beginning, no one was speaking out. I felt, as a leader, I needed to say something.  

JF: How do you walk the line between your personal feelings and your position as CEO?

BD: You owe it to yourself and to the people you’re trying to help to understand all sides of the issue. If you don’t do that, you won’t make an impact. And as a CEO, I always need to have critical conversations with my board about key issues and what is fair game to talk about. I know my job is to run the company. That doesn’t give me the right to say or do whatever I want. I need to be responsible. I need to have the conversations and to get the feedback. 

JF: What are the key ways you build a culture of diversity within your company? 

BD: In terms of leadership, the most important thing is seeing diverse slates of candidates. If a recruiter comes to us without a list of diverse candidates, we won’t work with them. It’s easy to lean on your network, which most likely looks like you. If you don’t force yourself out of it, you stay in a bubble. It’s also critical to listen to other people's opinions when it comes to diversity—especially when you’re an average white guy like me.

And the last thing is that we can’t be fooled by a candidate’s confidence level. The reality is that many people have what it takes to succeed in leadership. But not everyone has had a cheering squad behind them their whole life. Some candidates may come across as a bit reserved. That doesn’t mean they won’t do a great job in the role. It just means we need to help them persist with our trust and encouragement.

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