Ep 173. Stefanie Johnson: Inclusify — The Power of Uniqueness and Belonging
“Can you recall a time when you felt like you couldn’t be yourself?”
Stefanie Johnson
Stefanie Johnson is an associate professor at the University of Colorado Boulder’s Leeds School of Business and her new book is Inclusify: The Power of Uniqueness and Belonging to Build Innovative Teams. Professor Johnson studies the intersection of leadership and diversity, focusing on how unconscious bias affects the evaluation of leaders and on strategies that leaders can use to mitigate bias. She draws on her own experience as a Latina who grew up poor to inform her research. She is a member of the MG 100 Coaches, was selected for the 2020 Thinkers50 Radar List, and has presented her work at over 170 meetings around the world, including at the White House for a 2016 summit on diversity in corporate America on National Equal Pay Day.
In this episode, Stew and Stefanie talk about how she has evolved in her thoughts and feelings about what it takes to create cultures that both celebrate individual differences and build a sense of belonging among members. Stefanie draws an important distinction between “diversity” and “inclusion” and she describes the various styles of leadership as they relate to the challenge of leading diverse, inclusive organizations. Based on her extensive research, Stefanie offers suggestions for what leaders at all levels can do to overcome the hurdles that stand in the way of inclusifying work organizations.
Here then is an invitation, a challenge, for you, once you’ve listened to the conversation. Take the inclusify quiz here and find out which one of the leadership types suits you best. Then, try one of the recommended actions. What do you discover? Write to Stew Friedman to let him know, at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu, or connect with him on LinkedIn. While you’re at it, share your thoughts with Stew on this episode and your ideas for people you’d like to hear on future shows.
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