The issue of how organizations benefit from embracing diversity and inclusion has come up in multiple ways this past week, including in an interesting article from a back issue of Scientific American that you can find here: http://bit.ly/1qLZR2E

We talked about this issue in my company today as we discussed goals and objectives for 2015.  This topic sparks worry from some people and often necessitates the (in my opinion) tiresome reminder that just because we value diversity doesn’t mean we are lowering our hiring standards or promoting people without qualifications (as if only heterosexual white males can be assumed to be fully qualified for leadership roles in corporate America).  But it is encouraging to see more people accept diversity as a positive pursuit.  Given the ways that leaders shape the culture and character of their companies it is especially heartening when leaders both articulate the value of diversity and actively seek inclusion of diverse backgrounds and viewpoints within the leadership team.

We still have a long way to go toward the full inclusion of diverse perspectives.  Talking about these things more openly, pursuing them more consciously, and affirming their value are all steps in the right direction, but of course in truth it’s not that simple.