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Allyship Starts at the Top

Spring Inclusion in Action Newsletter, Industry Insights

Fostering and maintaining a truly inclusive culture requires an allyship mindset that welcomes the unique perspectives, experiences, and insights of individuals from all backgrounds. This mindset, when genuine and engrained throughout an organization, fosters a culture that promotes inclusion and drives superior business results. Acceptance and engagement start at the top, with leadership weaving allyship into the overall strategy for the company.

Allyship supports a workplace environment where employees can bring their full authentic selves to work, and it drives innovation and productivity as well. Allies in leadership roles are in a position to advocate for people from historically marginalized groups. The State of Allyship Report: The Key to Workplace Inclusion found 92% of people feel allies have helped them build their careers. For example, leaders who proactively and visibly support people outside their own groups show others that having a different perspective is encouraged. And leaders who share and seek diverse perspectives build cultures of trust and belonging.

Leaders who advance inclusion, diversity and equity (IDE) throughout an organization understand that a cultural shift is achieved through a learning process that occurs over time. Businesses can facilitate this learning process with interactive workshops, crucial conversations, mentorship programming and IDE-focused training programs that promote a culture of empathetic leadership and belonging. These kinds of programs support personal growth and the realization of business goals. In fact, a LinkedIn poll found 84% of respondents believed IDE training should be mandatory.

When leadership embraces, advocates for, and provides psychological safety in the workplace, it encourages all employees with different traditions, backgrounds, abilities and cultures to be their authentic selves. When leaders are strong allies, the positive difference will be felt throughout an entire organization.