DEIB Leaders' Toolkit
DEIB Leaders' Toolkit
Toolkit collated by Hannah Wilson
What Is a DEIB Leader?
DEIB leaders are champions for marginalised groups, actively seeking their voices and experiences. They leverage these diverse perspectives to drive innovation, a win-win for creativity, belonging and business growth.
What Does a DEIB Leader Do?
A DEIB Leader works in collaboration with multiple stakeholders and oversees diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging activities at all levels from the Governance and Executive Leadership through to Employee Network Groups. They are an expert advocate who can equip and educate the team to create the most inclusive experience for all employees.
What Are the Skills that a DEIB Leader Needs?
DEIB leaders excel at active listening, creating spaces where employees from all backgrounds feel comfortable sharing their ideas and concerns. A DEIB Leader authentically commits to diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging. They seek to understand other cultures, challenge the status quo, and be an advocate of equity for all. They can navigate difficult conversations about bias and microaggressions with empathy and respect.
Find out more via this article about the qualities of a successful DEIB Leader.
How Do You Get a Job as a DEIB Leader?
The path to becoming a diversity and inclusion manager usually involves obtaining a degree in a field such as human resources, sociology or business studies, gaining relevant work experience and pursuing professional certifications or postgraduate qualifications.
You can often gain relevant experience at university, through equality and diversity committees or related societies. Alternatively, voluntary work in the community can be helpful. You could seek work experience in a relevant position, either in an equality and diversity role or in something related, such as HR.
What Are the Key Responsibilities of a DEIB Leader?
- To create and implement a diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging strategy for the organisation, building a framework that aligns with goals and priorities.
- To work closely with key stakeholders, including HR, talent, finance, procurement, marketing and environmental, social and governance functions.
- To ensure that the needs of all people and communities are met in a responsive and respectful way.
- To be aware of their own behaviours and cultural values and understand implications of these for making respectful, reflective and reasoned choices.
- To understand the impact of organisational systems, processes and cultures.
The Diverse Educators’ DEIB Leaders’ Toolkit
- Why do you want to be/ become a DEIB Leader?
- How have you committed to championing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging in your workplace?
- What leadership skills and experience can you bring to the role of the DEIB Leader?
- What impact have you had in creating a more inclusive approach to leadership?
- What lived experiences do you bring to the role of DEIB Leader to shape your understanding of marginalised identities?
- What training have you engaged in to develop your consciousness, confidence and competence as a DEIB Leader?