Our Blog
A resource on diversity and inclusion highlighting education, experience, and best practices for elevating your leadership, your business, and your teams.
First Minute of a New Day
January 19, 2021
The pandemic shifted nearly every part of our lives — including workplace dynamics. Some workers feel empowered by the changes, such as with the rise of hybrid working arrangements; others left their jobs or transitioned to new careers as part of what’s been dubbed the Great Resignation. Meanwhile, the recent discussion around “quiet quitting” has sparked conversations about its inverse: “quiet firing.”
Beyond Inclusion: Looking in the D&I Crystal Ball
February 28, 2021
As we close out Black History Month for 2021, it’s worth noting that the scope of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has expanded and evolved over the years alongside changes in how companies function, how teams are managed, how employees set their expectations for work. Every year we anticipate trends that we expect within the field of DEI. However, I don’t believe anyone could have pictured a year like 2020. DEI professionals must focus their attention on people management to continue providing engaging and exceptional work experiences for their people.
Crystal Ball: Looking Ahead to the Future of Work, Workers, and the Workplace
January 24, 2021
Following the pandemic, social unrest, the presidential election, the most important and complex workplace challenge facing CEOs and CHROs in the future of work, workers, and the workplace. Company leaders are losing sleep at night because they must wrestle with exactly what it means and how to best prepare their organizations for a future that is increasingly hard to predict.
First Minute of a New Day
January 19, 2021
As a long-time resident of Atlanta, where Martin Luther King Jr., Maynard Ferguson, and C.T. Vivian. and the Rev Joseph Lowery once lived, I see first-hand the legacy they left behind every day for all of us. Their teaching is precisely what companies, communities, and the country need to begin the painful process of unification and reconciliation.
People First: The Business Case for Measuring Workforce Diversity
October 15, 2020
I often tell my clients that "that you need to get comfortable being uncomfortable if you're going to want to advance and accelerate your diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. I know this might be an over-used phrase, but it's the absolute truth! The thing that makes companies the most uncomfortable when it comes to DEI is sharing workforce planning data such as workforce diversity. It's an inconvenient and uncomfortable truth − any serious DEI strategy must count people.
People First: Emphasizing Culture over Counting
September 29, 2020
In many organizations, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) decisions are made and evaluated on numbers and ratios. Companies only count bodies! Diversity We have this many women on staff, that many African-Americans in leadership, this many people identifying as LGBTQ employees or managers.
Courageous Conversations: Moving From Awareness to Action
July 12, 2020
It’s no secret that this year has been full of tremendous news stories. From the impact of the #Black Lives Matter movement and the controversy over the Confederate monuments to the Supreme Court’s decision on DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) to the seemingly eternal 2020 presidential election campaign, there has been a ton to talk about.
Authentic Leadership: Increasing Trust by Reducing Bias
July 1, 2020
I remember when I was being recruited for a job, I refused to talk to a persistent executive recruiter - until the recruiter told me she was an alum of the University of Alabama. I immediately said, "Roll Tide!" And the next thing I know, I said: "of course, I'll talk to you about the position." All my rational reasons for not wanting to talk to her went out the window because we attended the same college where people are passionate about the football team.
Moving From Nice Statements to Sustainable Actions
June 22, 2020
The death of George Floyd and the ensuing protests and violence have uncovered yet again the underlying, structural racism that persists in the US. It is easy for most of us (myself included) to go about our lives and forget the racism experienced every day by people of color. Sadly, it requires an event like this to bring it again to the forefront.
Call to Action for Allies
June 5, 2020
Icarus Consulting joins with the entire DEI community and the families of the martyrs in calling for national legislation aimed at ending racial violence and increasing police accountability. We look forward to partnering with other DEI thought leaders to create forums and programs focused on anti-racism awareness, promoting diversity and inclusion, and fostering equal opportunity. We call on our business and academic partners, civic, faith and philanthropic leaders, as well as other organizations and people of goodwill to join with us in committing to the difficult, long-term work of improving racial equity and ensuring greater accountability for equity and justice.
Diversity Apocolypse
April 15, 2020
At a recent national diversity and inclusion conference, I addressed a gathering of more than 1,000 human resource and diversity professionals from organizations throughout the country. For decades, these professionals have talked about and demonstrated how differing perspectives in the workplace could improve innovation and problem-solving. But today, some of those differences are setting up opposing camps. Diversity, in the form of differences in thoughts, opinions, and beliefs, is now being used by some to divide.
Even Authentic Leaders Have Their Kryptonite
April 1, 2020
When I think about leadership, I am reminded of the credit card company famous for the slogan "membership has its privileges." It's a slogan those of us lucky enough to be in a leadership position should remember – being a leader is, in fact, a "privilege." Being a good leader is hard work, and all leaders screw up. But that means that we're human, that sometimes we are flying by the seat of our pants, and that we don't have always have all the right answers.
Executive Presence: The New Superpower?
March 8, 2020
What exactly is executive presence?
In its simplest terms, executive presence is about your ability to inspire confidence-inspiring confidence in your subordinates that you’re the leader they want to follow, inspiring confidence among peers that you’re capable and reliable and, most importantly, inspiring confidence among senior leaders that you have the potential for significant achievements.
Bridging the Gap Between Equity and Equality
February 13, 2020
Earlier this year, I published my third book, Crisis as a Platform for Social Change from Strawberry Mansion to Silicon Valley . In my book, I discuss bias, and since that time, I have noticed an awareness and openness to talk about what bias is, who has it, and how it is used. In January, I spoke on the issue at a Diversity and Inclusion Conference, and the room was full – some individuals were strongly interested.
Creating an Inclusive Culture by Addressing Micro-Inequities
February 22, 2020
Once you have made the final decision to address the offense, indeed, be assertive, this does not mean be rude or show how upset their comment made you feel with a shot and a stomp. Being assertive in this interaction is to assist in letting the person know how you were affected by their comment or actions. You don’t want to jokingly tell someone that they offended you because, more than likely, it won’t be taken seriously.
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Authenticity - The Key to Being an Inclusive Leader
January 2, 2020
Members of inclusive teams demonstrate transparency and authenticity. This level of teamwork requires team members to make themselves vulnerable to one another without fear that their vulnerabilities (weaknesses, skill deficiencies, mistakes, requests for help) will be used against them. To cultivate an inclusive team, the leader must him/herself demonstrate authenticity and transparency and create an environment that does not retaliate against vulnerability.
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Discover how ICARUS can help organizations pivot from command-and-control leadership styles and create “people first” organizational cultures. With the latest thought leadership around diversity and inclusion using best and next-generation practices to help organizations create sustainable change that will propel them forward.