DEI STRATEGIES
group”. Meanwhile, allyship describes the “extent to which an ally cultivates relationships with others who look different, think different and/or have different backgrounds and life experiences from them with the conscious intention of nurturing inclusion”. Allyship is often described as an ongoing, consistent and lifelong process. It is a journey that involves the three main stages of allyship: denial, passive and active. Denial: Someone in the denial stage does not see the need for diversity; they do not believe that discrimination is an issue that needs to be addressed. They prefer to stay in their comfort zone and interact with those who look and think in similar ways to them, or with whom they share life experiences and backgrounds; moreover, they are often uncomfortable around those who are different from them. Passive: Someone in the passive stage understands the need for (and benefits of) diversity; they acknowledge that lack of inclusion is a problem
to be addressed and they mingle in environments where they interact with people who look and think differently from themselves. They can also identify biases around them, but they do not make any concrete effort to nurture an inclusive environment. Active: Someone in the active stage keeps themselves well-informed about the latest happenings in the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion, as they believe that being inclusive is the right thing to do. They are certain of the value that diversity brings, are very aware of their own biases and make concrete, frequent and consistent efforts to nurture an inclusive environment. While there will be a certain percentage of people in our institutions who are in the denial stage, the vast majority of us are passive. We simply don’t know how to be an active ally. When we don’t know how to do or be something, we often do nothing. An active ally constantly asks: “Who is missing from the table? Who isn’t in the room who should be there because they bring a perspective and experience that adds value?” An active ally understands their responsibility to make workplaces inclusive for all. An inclusive leader is one who plays an active part in developing a culture where all individuals are treated fairly, respectfully and have equal access to opportunity and resources. Two fundamental ingredients that inclusive leadership depends on are the extent to which the leader values diversity and the extent to which the leader is an active ally. Valuing diversity is recognising that diversity has the power to make your institution and team even more effective, successful and profitable. However, valuing diversity is not enough; inclusive leaders need to walk the talk. It is the culture of inclusion that is crucial to harnessing the value of diversity, which leaders can cultivate by practising the seven active allyship behaviours detailed below. Deep curiosity Being an active ally begins with a deep curiosity both to question the status quo and to gain a deeper understanding of the issues surrounding DEI. Leaders can start by learning about the different dimensions of diversity. Physical and physiological: These include gender, sexual orientation, age, physical abilities and health, and appearance/race
Business Impact • ISSUE 3 • 2026
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