The business case for diversity is overwhelmingly positive, and yet companies still don’t know how to leverage this powerful force.
Diversity is not about putting together different people in a room including minorities as provided by law. Rather, it is about understanding that hierarchy and status are social constructs. Diversity is everywhere, even between people that would be usually segmented together –e.g., your friends and family.
Embracing diversity can help you realize that underestimating others, harboring a feeling of superiority or having your big ego believe that you are the best at any certain thing are all fallacies that hinder your learning process. Continuous learning is the only way forward in a VUCA –volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous– world.
The truth is, you can learn from virtually anyone, and you will benefit greatly from building relationships with diverse groups of people. Any one of these relationships can have a life-changing impact. The most unexpected people may hold the keys to achieving your purpose.
We must embrace our limitations and recognize that who we are and what we achieve in our lives are in many ways the result of interactions with a wide diversity of other people and that arise out of the most diverse situations. We haven't truly accomplished anything by ourselves. We rely on the influence, recognition, rejection or approval of others to succeed in any endeavor we may embark upon.
