The inclusion-driven boardroom

Introduction

Having a diverse board is only valuable to the extent that it is also an inclusive board. An NACD survey of board directors finds that the top benefits diversity can bring to a board include broadened perspectives and expertise, the ability to better identify blind spots, improved board performance, enriched stakeholder relationships, and enhanced oversight of strategy and risk. But these benefits may go unrealized without an inclusive boardroom culture and practices that aim to intentionally draw out these advantages.

What is inclusion?

The diversity and inclusivity parts of “DE&I” are sometimes used interchangeably. Diverse organizations strive to bring an array of lived experiences to the table, but inclusive ones also focus on amplifying the voices who are most unheard. Strategies to support diversity are clearly important but fostering inclusivity can often require a different (if complementary) approach.

Every board should consider defining what inclusion means for its members; a shared understanding of this can serve as a foundation for actions and accountability. For purposes of this toolkit, Deloitte’s definition of “inclusion” is this: the actions taken to understand, embrace, and leverage the unique strengths and facets of identity for all individuals so that all feel welcomed, valued, and supported.

Actions to help drive boardroom inclusivity

Boards that want to be intentional about how they approach inclusion can consider a number of actions. As a start, a board can revisit how it defines and thinks about its diversity. For example, engage in an optional identity trait exercise. This could help a board recognize a broader set of diverse attributes that its directors possess, including those that may not necessarily emerge in the workplace (e.g., member of the LGBTQ+ community, disabled, neurodiverse, parent/caretaker status, religious/spiritual affiliations, languages spoken, ethnicity, first-generation college student, etc.). When this happens, a board can more deeply appreciate “the what and the why” for inclusion and the value of the diverse perspectives in the room. Another starting point could be to formalize a shared definition of “inclusion”, and then determine tangible ways in which that definition can be lived through board behaviors and processes.

Traits of an inclusive board member

Every board member can be an inclusive leader and demonstrate how to speak, act, and think with an inclusive mindset in the boardroom. There are traits rooted at the core of being an inclusive leader that, with understanding and self-awareness, one can learn to incorporate both in and out of the boardroom. Deloitte has identified these six tangible traits reflective of an inclusive leader which can serve as a basis for modeling inclusive board interactions and behaviors.

• Commitment—Commitment to inclusion should align with personal values and believing in the business case.
• Courage—Talking about imperfections involves vulnerability and personal risk-taking.
• Cognizance of bias—Bias can be a leader’s Achilles heel.
• Curiosity—Different ideas and experiences enable growth.
• Cultural intelligence—Not everyone sees the world through the same cultural frame.
• Collaboration—A diversely thinking board is greater than the sum of its parts.