How do you describe yourself? The result is not what you think!

We are on a mission! We wish to debunk some of the traditional thinking around diversity & inclusion by getting to the heart of the matter; we’re getting back to the humans that are Diversity Alive. We’ve conducted a series of interviews with individuals who get it, those folks who live the journey every day seamlessly, and the results have been incredibly eye-opening.

Diversity and inclusion are no longer just topics that can be side stories for corporate strategies — they are leadership concepts that modern organizations need to grasp and embrace fully to ensure the sustainability of the corporate culture and business as a whole. Our goal is that this research can be a catalyst for conversations and action in teams and organizations. We aim to provide a unique and fresh perspective on the concepts of Diversity and Inclusion and how leaders can maximize its impact without it feeling like a compliance buzzword or checklist.

By sharing individual stories and perspectives, we aim to engage, enlighten, stir empathy, create curiosity and give this imperative the attention it deserves, both as the business case and the authentic humanity (The Human Case) of the diversity and inclusion conversation. The research shines a brighter spotlight on the superpower within individuals. It gives insight into the discussions and practices that can bring us to the most meaningful conversations — those that allow more vulnerability and more authenticity.

We believe in a leadership style where all voices have a place, and individuals feel the freedom to thrive. A world where being heard, where being seen, is as commonplace as recognizing business achievement.

The interviewees ranged from business people to entrepreneurs, singers to authors, each with a desire to live and breathe the concepts of diversity and inclusion every day. Those individuals where “The force is strong”! They are diversity brought to life.

In this series of blogs, we explore the insightful and inspiring answers they’ve given us, and we’ll share some stories that we hope will inspire you on the journey too. The first series is a simple exploration of the questions & answers and the second series gets into the stories and themes we encountered on this fantastic journey.

Research Question 1: How do you describe yourself? What is your version of who you are in all that it means?

Human.

Unsurprisingly, in describing who “I am,” few looked to the physical appearance or their job description. Most looked to shared humanity. “I am just a loving, vulnerable human that has set herself the task of being kind.”

Even though many had lived experiences of inhumane or completely dehumanizing experiences resulting from both legalized inequality and deeply ingrained cultural inequality, they still hold their humanity high. They are champions for the things they believe in, and the core to that is their unswerving belief in people and “people’s ability to succeed in their divine pursuit no matter what circumstances.”

This belief balances a sense of “luck” with a generosity of spirit. It has created a similar desire to give back to the world differently from what many had received, hoping to create a more abundant world than the one they first experienced.

World-changing.

The quest to change the world is inherent. “I go through life trying to leave things better, knowing that even that definition is limited and biased.” Markedly it is not simply a desire to change the world; it’s a core and fundamental driver of their lives. They have a profoundly ingrained purpose-driven desire that peppers the conversations continually.

These leaders look for meaning and spaces to add value; they seek opportunities to leave the world better. It’s more than recognizing opportunities as they arise — it’s a deliberate and active seeking for improvement. We felt a real sense of this “mission” in each profoundly personal conversation.

Cellular.

How they defined themselves is not just the result of the life they’ve carved, but their roots significantly influence them. Whether it was being “born into political exile in the bosom of the freedom struggle,” “cut from a cloth woven on slavery,” or “the child of a right-wing Christian household,” history lives deeply in the individual definition of self.

That cellular influence is so powerful that it becomes tangible and so deeply ingrained in the subconscious that one “can feel it when people touch on my lineage.” That cellular understanding comes from personal history and experience, some versions etched with pain, but all had an inherent ability to articulate it.

Balanced.

Rather than descriptions, we heard deeply moving and intricate stories. Memories and histories that molded and shaped the definition of “who.” We will share a series of turning points, lessons, and events that led to the rich, delicious, individual stories over the next weeks and months.

Most had experienced discrimination at a blatant and excruciating level yet recognize that the experience is not the same for any of us. “This is the experience of discrimination. Unless you have experienced it, you know that your soul connection to what discrimination means is not the same as his”.

They drew boundaries between the story of what came before and the decision to be different. A very deliberate ability to balance “not make those conditions and discrimination define your future” with remaining conscious of the impact of “roots that take you back to humility and what not to do” and to change destiny. There is a richly profound consciousness in this, a clarity to live with intention, and a belief in the process of creating one’s reality, remembering the past but redefining a future.

And through the conversations, a deep empathy to that understanding and using it as a voice for others. “When you are a victim, and you hear another victim cry out, you feel your pain, and you can articulate it.”

Acceptance.

Acceptance of “difference” is foundational to this self-definition. These leaders lack a need to “follow the herd” and are happy being “different rather than feeling weird.” They celebrate who they are and are comfortable not fitting into boxes. All had an acute sense of ‘this is who I am, and this is who I will always be.’ It’s in this self-acceptance that acceptance of others appears to emerge.

By far, the standout definition of self that these leaders articulate is a deep send of positivity, of the joy of self — beautiful inner happiness.

So how do you describe yourself? What is your version of who you are in all that it means?

The question tested us as researchers and pushed us to dig deeper for that clarity. Because it is in this clarity, we can find the curiosity to learn more about our humanity, our place within it, and begin the journey to becoming the change we wish to see.