OPINION
that an inclusive and equitable workplace culture enables us to…” (then add in your themes). Once you have clearly articulated the purpose, create a communication plan with your team that is clear, coherent and consistent in its messaging. Moving the needle on DEI efforts In organisations, diversity is about embracing the differences that exist as the sum of the various identities that members bring into the business. Fostering diversity implies creating an environment where differences thrive, rather than expecting employees to conform to pre-established dominant norms. When it comes to DEI in the workplace, we often hear that we need to start somewhere. That usually means beginning with identities within our comfort zone and leads to limited progress. To make these efforts matter, leaders must put in the hard work and enact an intersectional approach to diversity. What research also emphasises is that diversity alone is insufficient; for us to benefit from it, we must create a climate of inclusion. Alongside embracing diversity, it is absolutely crucial to nurture a culture where people feel like they are valued for their uniqueness and experience belonging, being able to be heard, listened to and respected in a psychologically safe workplace.
others would use to describe you and what that demonstrates about our own self‑perception versus how we are perceived by others. Embedding diversity into company strategy Business leaders must ensure that they look at their organisation’s DEI efforts through an intersectional lens. Addressing inequity and inequality for some isn’t enough; until we adopt an intersectional lens and see how we can lift others across intersectional identities, we won’t see progress. One of the most crucial benefits of embracing an intersectional lens is that leaders – and the organisations they lead – stand to benefit from forming teams of competent members who truly cover a wider range of perspectives, skills and expertise. These employees can then contribute to better quality decision making, greater understanding of diverse customer needs, creative ideation and staff wellbeing. To truly put the understanding of diversity, its dimensions and intersectionality into practice, it is vital to embed DEI into the organisation’s strategy. To achieve this, be curious and explore the true purpose of DEI for yourself, your colleagues, your team and your organisation. The following activity can help you to formulate this in a collaborative way, with your leadership team and relevant staff who bring diverse perspectives and experiences. • Step 1: Ask each participant to take a few minutes to write down what they believe is the purpose of DEI for your organisation. How will DEI enable you to reduce entry barriers for underrepresented groups and increase equity? • Step 2: Have each participant share their ideas and group them, identifying the themes. These might include the ‘right thing to do’, employee wellbeing, the importance of attracting and retaining talent and creativity & innovation, as well as a customer-centric approach. • Step 3: Once the themes have been identified, write down the ‘why’, crafting a statement along these lines: “At our company, we believe
Poornima Luthra is a principal lecturer of people, culture & inclusion at Imperial Business School, a globally recognised expert on developing inclusive workplaces, TEDx speaker and award-winning author of four management books, including Can I Say That? Named one of the world’s 30 up-and-coming management thinkers by Thinkers50, she advises organisations such as Lego, Deloitte, KPMG and L’Oréal, delivering up to 90 keynotes and leadership sessions annually to help leaders build inclusive, courageous and high-performing workplaces
Ambition • ISSUE 1 • 2026 45
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