The video emphasizes the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace, arguing that despite its potential to propel organizations forward, many companies have stalled their efforts post-2020. Sheryl Sandberg discusses how initial optimism following major societal moments like George Floyd's murder led to promises of inclusive practices but now sees many corporations retracting from DEI commitments. These practices are essential not just for optics but to mirror consumer diversity and ensure business success.

Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase is used as a positive example of consistent DEI advocacy, illustrating that effective DEI strategies require more than superficial pledges. The video delves into ingrained societal biases, such as the likeability penalty faced by women in leadership roles and affinity bias, which favors similarity over true merit. To overcome these, the video suggests encouraging open and honest discussions about personal experiences within diverse teams to foster genuine understanding and dismantle biases.

Main takeaways from the video:

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Key Vocabularies and Common Phrases:

1. charged [tʃɑːrdʒd] - (adjective) - Filled with excitement, tension, or emotion. - Synonyms: (intense, loaded, emotional)

Sometimes talking about DEI, diversity, equity and inclusion is more charged than talking about sex.

2. imperative [ɪmˈpɛrətɪv] - (noun, adjective) - An essential or urgent thing; expressing a command or highly important. - Synonyms: (essential, necessary, vital)

DEI is a business imperative.

3. optics [ˈɒptɪks] - (noun) - The way in which a course of action is perceived by the public; public relations. - Synonyms: (perception, appearance, impression)

Progress stalled because many companies rushed the optics and the substance was lost.

4. unconscious bias [ʌnˈkɒnʃəs ˈbaɪəs] - (noun) - Prejudices we are unaware of, affecting decisions in our daily processes. - Synonyms: (implicit bias, prejudgment, unintentional bias)

Second, unconscious bias needs to be understood.

5. affinity bias [əˈfɪnɪti ˈbaɪəs] - (noun) - A tendency to favor people who share similar traits or backgrounds. - Synonyms: (similarity bias, association bias, connection bias)

It's called the affinity bias.

6. meritocracy [ˌmɛrɪˈtɒkrəsi] - (noun) - A system in which advancement is based on individual ability or achievement. - Synonyms: (system of merit, performance-based promotion, competence-based advancement)

Scholar and activist Peggy McIntosh frames it like people believe there's a meritocracy and there simply isn't.

7. dismantling [dɪsˈmæntlɪŋ] - (verb) - Taking apart or undoing structures or systems. - Synonyms: (disassembling, breaking down, deconstructing)

It will be achieved from behind the scenes work, dismantling barriers and all of the biases.

8. cultural shift [ˈkʌltʃərəl ʃɪft] - (noun) - A significant change in the way a society or organization operates. - Synonyms: (societal change, cultural transformation, community evolution)

Jamie knows this is a long term cultural shift, not a quick fix.

9. hostile [ˈhɒstaɪl] - (adjective) - Unfriendly, antagonistic, or opposed. - Synonyms: (unfriendly, aggressive, antagonistic)

Other CEO's have gone silent or have become hostile towards DEI programs.

10. visibility [ˌvɪzəˈbɪlɪti] - (noun) - The state of being seen or noticeable. - Synonyms: (notoriety, exposure, recognition)

True diversity will never be achieved by grand gestures or public statements.

When DEI Becomes Taboo - What It Means for Us - Debi Hemmeter - TEDxWrigleyville

Sometimes talking about DEI, diversity, equity, and inclusion is more charged than talking about sex. Religion and politics combine. A lot of really good people are misinformed, as the original co-founder of the lean-in movement was. Sheryl Sandberg, former COO of Facebook, I have been leaning in for a decade, helping women reach their career ambitions and helping to create a more equal world. My greatest joy and proudest moments have been hearing stories of women around the world, including my two daughters, of when they find their self-confidence and when they surprise themselves with all they can achieve.

I had my second moment of optimism when America's CEOs vowed to embrace inclusive hiring, promote underrepresented individuals, and narrow the gender pay gap in the wake of George Floyd's murder in 2020. But here we are. Not only have companies taken their foot off the gas pedal, they've slammed on their brakes to DEI. In fact, that acronym DEI has hit its all-time low on corporate earnings calls since 2012. It's like throwing a rock through a window. In some cases, people are using DEI as a personal or political weapon. At lean-in, we ask people, what would you do if you weren't afraid? Today I ask you to reimagine inclusion to be beneficial to everybody everywhere, to understand why it's stalled and why it's failed in some cases, and to imagine all of us working together to take what was a moment and turn it into a movement. But this time, let's do it right.

First, DEI is a business imperative. McKinsey has been studying this for almost a decade. Their recent study in 2023, involving over 1,200 companies worldwide, showed that when companies had gender and racial representation in the top 25%, they outperformed by 39%. So ask yourself, are your executive teams reflective of the consumers you sell to today and in the future? And if not, what should it look like? And are you interested in attracting top talent and reducing expensive employee turnover costs and increasing employee motivation? Because Ernst and Young did a 2023 study that shows that Gen Z workers, three-quarters of them, want DEI to be a top priority.

This is not a one-time initiative. This is a long-term process. Progress stalled because many companies rushed the optics and the substance was lost. A great example of a leader committed to diversity and inclusion is Jamie Dimon. You probably have heard of him, chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase. I had the opportunity to meet Jamie at his New York headquarters on a snowy March day because we launched lean-in there at his annual CEO summit. Jamie was one of the first CEOs to publicly pledge that his company was leaning into gender equality. His company was leaning into gender equality, not just its women. In his most recent shareholder letter, Jamie outlined 18 diversity and inclusion initiatives that he continues to measure the success Jamie knows this is a long-term cultural shift, not a quick fix, and his voice stands out when other CEO's have gone silent or have become hostile towards DEI programs.

Second, unconscious bias needs to be understood. Let's start with success and likeability penalty. The more successful a man gets, the better liked he is. The more successful a woman gets, the less liked she is by both men and women. People expect men to be assertive, so when they take the lead, it feels perfectly natural. People expect women to be kind and nurturing, so when they take the lead they're often called aggressive. Extensive research has been done around this observation, from the notable Heidi and Howard Rosen case study that was done over two decades ago to the more recent 2023 study by catalyst which found the exact same results. This holds women back in the workplace. Women have to be qualified and liked. Men just have to be qualified. And likability is a bonus for men.

I challenge you to listen daily for the likeability penalty language. When you hear a woman called aggressive or not well-liked or out for herself, ask yourself, if a man was described in the same way, would you feel that way? So this likeability penalty starts very young. It starts on the playground when boys and girls are exhibited doing the exact same behaviors. Boys are called leaders and girls are called bossy. A good friend of mine called me, bit of a panic about her daughter Cami, who just got her dance class placements. She said, Debbie, I haven't told Cammie yet, but she got placed in all higher classes than her friends. Her friends are going to be so mad. And should I call the director and ask if it was a mistake? Oh my gosh, my phone is blowing up. All the moms are asking me, what class is Kami in? They are going to be so upset. What should I do?

And I said, so, Lori, you got a son that's about to start high school and he wants to go out for football. And what if Kai, as a freshman makes the varsity football team? Are you not going to tell him because his friends might not like it? Are you going to call the coach and ask him if it's a mistake? Of course not. You're going to celebrate, broadly, that your son is a freshman, made the varsity football team. Why is it different for girls? We should be celebrating their success at a very young age. We need to tell girls it's ok, to be ambitious.

Third, and maybe the most important, we have to acknowledge that not everyone is in agreement with DEI. We have to acknowledge resistance. Invisible privilege exists. Scholar and activist Peggy McIntosh, who I've had the pleasure of meeting, frames it like people believe there's a meritocracy and there simply isn't. For example, we don't hire the best candidates. We hire people we like. We hire people that are like us. There's a name for this. It's called the affinity bias. We gravitate towards people that have the same, similar appearance to us, the same beliefs, the same background. But there are other names for it, too. Nepotism, the good old boys network, or outright discrimination. This invisible privilege can exist in other ways, such as class, gender, educational attainment.

DEI has never been about lowering the standards. DEI is about fixing an imbalance. So how do we fix this? We create safe places to have real conversations with people with different backgrounds and beliefs than ourselves, to create authentic understanding. A good friend of mine told me this story. Well-respected 25-year veteran with a Fortune 50 company, he held a staff meeting focused on company objectives as usual during the Black Lives Matter unrest. Following the meeting, his team members came to him one by one, wanting to speak with him privately. But they all had the same thing to say. They said, why did you say nothing about what is happening in our streets with all the protests, especially because you're black and not allow us to have a conversation?

My friend quickly knew what he needed to do. He called an impromptu meeting, and he apologized for intentionally avoiding the elephant in the room. His team was mostly white and equal split of gender. He told me it was the first time in 25 years he ever brought his whole self to the office. He led with a story of his family heritage, and he told his team what it was like for him being black, growing up in an almost all-white neighborhood, and taught to blend in and not draw attention to his skin color and not share beliefs or music that might be different from others. He told me that he got emotional and he got embarrassed because he didn't want to show weakness in front of his team. Yet, he said it was that moment of vulnerability that cracked open the entire dynamic of the team, and everybody began to share. He told me with great pride that his team has never had higher productivity or greater loyalty to the company or to each other.

True diversity will never be achieved by grand gestures or public statements. It will be achieved from behind the scenes work, dismantling barriers and all of the biases. Our responsibility as executives, mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, and partners is to lean into this belief and to champion this vision. Sheryl Sandberg shared this phrase with me, which has become my favorite quote today. In the future, there will be no female leaders, just leaders. So let's not be afraid. Let's work together and become the best version of ourselves and be inclusive of each other.

Dei, Leadership, Inspiration, Technology, Diversity, Inclusion, Tedx Talks