Showing up as an ally
A couple of months ago I got into a debate with a big 'influencer' on LinkedIn.
They'd posted recommendations for five creators they were loving at that moment. I'd looked at the list hoping it would widen and bring some difference into my own network. What I saw was an echo chamber, it was this guy mirrored x5.
I commented and shared my hopes that it would have been a bit more diverse. His reply was asking me why I thought it wasn't diverse, wouldn't it have been just as bad (and disingenuous) if he had posted a list of five female creators and who would I have added to the list.
After taking a moment to let the anger dissipate, I politely pointed out that as a leader in his field he has a responsibility to be an ally for others and to help share different voices to his large following.
I didn't have to make a point about diversity being more than just gender because many others did that for me.
It was a conversation that has stuck with me. The notion of allyship and what it really means when you are in a leadership position.
I've been thinking about it as I consider how individuals and organisations respond to national awareness campaigns, like Black History Month. How will leaders and organisations respond? Will there be a token gesture and then it's forgotten about for the rest of the year, or a continuation of actual and lasting change.
We know there's a lot of work organisations need to do to be truly inclusive. It's not enough to dump this with one person in the business or tick all the boxes and think you've done your bit.
Over the summer we saw issues of institutional racism with Cricket Scotland, NHS Blood and Transplant and The Wellcome Trust (whose response is a great example of an organisation and leadership accepting accountability and demonstrating ongoing action).
A recent Women Count 2022 report showed that 96% of FTSE350 CEOs are male, and 70% of companies had no female executive directors on their boards.
And this is just scratching the surface of the problems that people are experiencing in the workplace.
Or should I say scratching the surface of opportunities for leaders to step up and show allyship?
When you're in a leadership position it can be hard to figure out what you should do or say, for fear of getting it wrong. No-one is expecting you to be an expert, but showing you're learning and trying to take action is powerful.
Here are five ways you can start to show up as an ally:
Understand your own bias and privileges and how this might show up in the decisions and actions you take, how you communicate, who you engage with. The recent fallout from the government's budget announcement and their response to it clearly shows privilege and a lack of awareness and empathy for those impacted.
Don't rely on others to educate you. Put the work in. There are a lot of books and resources out there, just by googling you can find answers to a lot of questions. But more than that you need to get out, speak to people with their permission and seek to understand. Then do something about it.
Make sure you're not in an echo chamber. Who you surround yourself with, who is in your support network, who you have in your team. If they are all like you then you won't be inviting diverse thinking or approaches, nor promoting it. Don't be like the LinkedIn guy.
Give support in the moment. When you notice something is wrong speak up and take action right away. And do it consistently. Don't wait for the moment to pass, offer support privately or try to make excuses for the other person. Being passive or silent is acceptance.
Seek to change the systems that oppress. As a leader you're in such a powerful position to make change happen. It might be giving way to someone else if you notice a lack of diversity (at an event or interview panel for example), demonstrating situational awareness of people's differing needs and adapting to that, sponsoring someone to give them more opportunities, or ensuring you're doing what you say you will when giving statements about diversity and inclusion issues.
This isn't an exhaustive list by any means. If you want to do some further thinking (and action taking!) here are some resources:
Listen to: How to be a better ally. Carrie-Ann and I explored this topic in series one of How to Take the Lead
Sign up to: the Better Allies newsletter. Every week you'll receive five simple actions to help you create a more inclusive workplace
Watch: 3 ways to be a better ally in the workplace. Melinda Briana Epler's Ted Talk on supporting the underrepresented.
Read: Natives by Akala. A first-person exploration of race and class in Britain.
Reflection
Spend some time thinking through how you're currently showing up as an ally. Use the five areas listed above to get you started.
What does it throw up for you?
What's your next step?