LEADERSHIP
Building the Team
Diversity in Leadership Teams
Diverse leadership isn’t just fair—it’s strategic. Building inclusive leadership teams unlocks broader perspectives, stronger products, and smarter decisions.
TIME COMMITMENT
Ongoing with every hire and leadership review
Why This Matters
Drives better business outcomes and innovation
Expands market insight and audience empathy
Reduces groupthink and cultural blind spots
Helps attract and retain talent
Builds company credibility with diverse stakeholders
When to Focus On This
Hiring any senior role
Reviewing team makeup or planning a reorg
Aligning with values or investor expectations
How to Complete
Audit current leadership diversity (visible and invisible)
Define diversity goals aligned with values
Widen sourcing pipelines (beyond referrals)
Train hiring teams on bias and inclusion
Create structured, behavior-based interviews
Offer mentorship or advisory roles as entry paths
Build DEI accountability into team rituals
Tools
DEI scorecard templates
Inclusive hiring checklist
Peer-led inclusion feedback form
Deliverables
Inclusive leadership sourcing plan
DEI hiring dashboard
Inclusive interview guide
How to Measure Success
Representation at leadership level
Sourcing pipeline diversity
Offer acceptance rates by candidate group
Inclusion sentiment (via surveys)
Who Owns This
CEO, Head of People, hiring leaders
Get It Right
Focus on inclusion, not just optics
Prioritize underrepresented voices in strategy
Make inclusion part of team norms
Tie diversity goals to performance goals
Lead by example from the top
Don't Make These Mistakes
Token hires without support or authority
Over-indexing on one dimension of diversity
Rushing hires just to meet metrics
Ignoring systemic barriers inside the org
Leaving DEI to HR alone