How To Be An Inclusive Leader with Jennifer Brown
Jennifer Brown
“One of the top five learnings of the last couple of years is learning when to de-center yourself and instead center others.”
Becoming an inclusive leader is not a final destination. It’s a lifelong learning experience and commitment. When it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion work, many of us are practicing and are bound to make mistakes.
In this episode, Jennifer Brown, award-winning DEI advocate, author, and speaker, joins me for a discussion about DEI work and leadership. She shares how to embrace DEI from a humanistic perspective in both our personal and professional lives, and reinforces that all of us have the power to make a difference.
As the Founder and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting (JBC), a certified woman- and LGBT-owned firm, Jennifer and her team design and execute inclusion strategies that have been implemented by some of the largest companies and nonprofits in the world.
Key takeaways:
How the COVID pandemic and Summer of 2020 shifted the paradigm for DEI initiatives and commitment
Jennifer shares what it is like to be a white woman in the DEI workspace today
We are needed to speak into rooms where there is no one else there to speak the truth, that’s the work
Shifting toward the future means shifting towards the next generation’s understanding and expectations
In order to be an inclusive leader, you have to cultivate your emotional intelligence
Why you must make time for radical self-care in the face of DEI work
Jennifer’s official bio:
Jennifer Brown (she/her) is an award-winning entrepreneur, speaker, author, and diversity and inclusion expert who is deeply passionate about building more inclusive workplaces where more of us can feel welcomed, valued, respected, and heard. As the Founder and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting (JBC), a certified woman- and LGBT-owned firm, Jennifer and her team design and execute inclusion strategies that have been implemented by some of the biggest companies and nonprofits in the world. She is also the bestselling author of the books, Inclusion: Diversity, The New Workplace and The Will to Change (2017) and How To Be An Inclusive Leader: Your Role in Creating Cultures of Belonging Where Everyone Can Thrive (2019), a shortlist winner of the O.W.L. Award, and winner of the 2019 Nautilus Book Awards' Business & Leadership category. She also recently co-authored a groundbreaking book on diversity, equity and inclusion in society with thought leader and fellow bestselling author, Rohit Bhargava. The book, Beyond Diversity: 12 Non-Obvious Ways To Build A More Inclusive World was announced as a Wall Street Journal bestseller and also listed in Inc.’s 22 Books to Read (or Reread) in 2022. Jennifer’s podcast, The Will to Change, is downloaded by nearly 15,000 listeners per month, and she is a sought-after keynote speaker and expert for leading research institutions and business schools. She lives in New York City with her partner of over 20 years, Michelle. You can learn more at www.jenniferbrownspeaks.com.
Links: