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We Need Leaders Who Boldly Champion Inclusion | June Sarpong | TED

We know diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) boosts creativity and profits, but progress has been slow: today, nearly 90 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs are white males. It’s time for leaders to become “rock stars” of inclusion — and that starts with pushing through discomfort to forge new connections, says veteran broadcaster and diversity leader…

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We know diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) boosts creativity and profits, but progress has been slow: today, nearly 90 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs are white males. It’s time for leaders to become “rock stars” of inclusion — and that starts with pushing through discomfort to forge new connections, says veteran broadcaster and diversity leader June Sarpong. She presents examples of successful, creative DEI efforts and calls for leaders at the top to make the first move. “When it comes to diversity and inclusion, we need bold disruptors who are uncomfortable with the status quo, even if the status quo benefits them,” Sarpong says.

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40 Comments

  1. Elliott

    November 14, 2022 at 3:36 pm

    Competence > Everything

  2. Godbody Hru

    November 14, 2022 at 3:43 pm

    We absolutely do NOT need any more leaders practicing inclusion….WE NEED TO BE SEPARATIST AND PROTECT OUR OWN. I SPEAK FOR BLACK PEOPLE. WE DO NOT WANT YOU USURPING OUR RESOURCES AND OWNERSHIP AND ENERGY AGAIN….BLACK PEOPLE HAVE NO ALLIES

  3. NullReferenceException

    November 14, 2022 at 3:47 pm

    A colleague worked at a place that championed inclusion and they said it was terrible. It was a very political environment where certain groups of people were afraid to voice opinions and other groups of people took advantage of that and became bullies. Productivity was nonexistent as people toiled in the politics. “It’s a paradox” they’d say “it seemed that inclusion leads more to exclusion”.

    • Biological Engine of Love

      November 14, 2022 at 7:14 pm

      Yes, the paradox of tolerance requires being intolerant to the intolerant. It might be a better place to work at now that your colleague is gone.

    • NullReferenceException

      November 14, 2022 at 8:28 pm

      @Biological Engine of Love ~ it is doubtful that the place has improved. The place was bad when they joined and remained bad throughout their time there.

    • Biological Engine of Love

      November 14, 2022 at 8:46 pm

      @NullReferenceException Why was it bad? Which groups of people were afraid to voice opinions, and what were those opinions? Your post is very vague.

  4. B. J.

    November 14, 2022 at 4:15 pm

    Just hone your skills/expertise to the highest level possible and then eventually you’ll see INCLUSION in the upper tax brackets.hahah Getting a position based solely on non-merit criteria does nothing for the team and does nothing for the individual. Wokely inflammatory BS.

  5. theChronicles_by..

    November 14, 2022 at 4:56 pm

    Judging by the comments some people have missed the f_ing point! June most likely didn’t mention ‘competence’ because she knew that’s exactly where small-minded people would jump to first.
    If you have never confidence-shattering exclusion due to a host of reasons but specifically the colour of your skin and MOST IMPORTANTLY if you lack basic compassion, you will have missed the point of this talk. Bravo to you!
    Maybe step aside and let people who have empathy do the work that needs doing.

  6. Luí Floré

    November 14, 2022 at 5:04 pm

    The I feel narrative always gets tossed in a public sense tho it’s gotta make sense in money.

  7. orionyx

    November 14, 2022 at 5:10 pm

    I think y’all didn’t watch/misinterpreted the Ted talk. The truth is there’s tons of competent people from minorities who don’t get a chance to be part of something because someone else who’s a difference race or gender with the equal or even less qualifications is often favoured. This is just looking to make the playing field equal, it’s not saying we should hire random people to jobs they aren’t suited for. People will really take any message and try to make it something it’s not lol

  8. dlanska

    November 14, 2022 at 5:29 pm

    Well she did a fantastic job with this. I was expecting to watch 30 seconds before I got bored, but she had a very compelling, coherent, and charismatic presentation of an important message. Well done..

  9. real Jx3

    November 14, 2022 at 5:52 pm

    She’s very confused, her core values seem to be materialism and social status.
    She confuses business men with innovators and she doesn’t know anything about soccer.
    Her thinking is extremely local and she doesn’t even understand that location.
    Her values are the problem, the root cause for all the problems in the US.

  10. Saul

    November 14, 2022 at 5:53 pm

    Depending on the work environment, diversity and inclusion can be great and beneficial for a company. However, employee competence and ability must trump all else. You must be able to get a diverse work place without forced diversity hiring for inclusion to actually work.

  11. OD

    November 14, 2022 at 5:58 pm

    It’s not bold to champion the restriction of speech. Quite the opposite, actually.

  12. o neat

    November 14, 2022 at 6:14 pm

    inclusion is nefaste to progress.

  13. simple kindness wins

    November 14, 2022 at 6:34 pm

    Positive helpful substance is inarguable so that everyone can think alike therefore everyone included because we understand the right goals to making life country world the best it can be it unites hence united we stand. Positive so we can all coexist. Simple kindness Anything less inferior plus get rid of alcohol drugs cigarettes weapons etc so it’s not so unfathomable and easier to accomplish.

  14. Matthew Porter

    November 14, 2022 at 8:24 pm

    I see this as racism. To “tell, sway, push, nudge, or subtlety suggest” to wealthy, or influential people, of any one specific race, to purposely “give” to another race based on the race of the two….I view as racism.
    Likewise for gender.

    To nudge to sway a human based on merit, however…we all know that this is just proper. We all also know that this, sadly, isn’t nearly common enough. Currently the facts seem to be, that people promote whom they like the most, of the people nearest to themselves. Typically their own family members 1st, then friends, then bussiness. Not always because of merit, but because no matter a man’s race, if his son, wife, or best friend is stronger, he too is.
    To be angry at people for doing this, was something I did in my youth. I think we all do. To accept this, and understand that the only person that claims me to be valuable is my God, and the few people that I gain skills that benefit them…has brought me some peace. To think that I should tell my Chinese, Japanese, Indian, African, English, American, German boss that they should hire/promote me because I’m “this race”, and it worked out for this guy that did it….not only calls the “guy who did it” a racist (because probably he didn’t. It’s much more likely that he worked hard at pursuing talent, hired said talented individuals, and won for it.)
    But it would immediately paint me myself to be a racist.
    Why….because my focus is on race.
    Mine.
    Theirs.
    Colors.
    Race.
    Racism.

    Hence, I feel as if this video were racewar-bait.

    Not only for this, but also because “the western world” is referenced. And so sadly, there is an epidemic of material recently, very similar to this, in the news, and politics in the US. And it is the US government putting it out to the people, in an attempt to divide the American people.

    It is not ok to hate, based solely on race, or nationality.
    It is natural to promote that which promotes one’s self….tho it isn’t always the most gracious choice every single time.

    I hope this makes sense.

    Godspeed to all nations, creeds, colors, and kind 🙏

  15. No Way

    November 14, 2022 at 8:24 pm

    I see this as racism. To “tell, sway, push, nudge, or subtlety suggest” to wealthy, or influential people, of any one specific race, to purposely “give” to another race based on the race of the two….I view as racism.
    Likewise for gender.

    To nudge to sway a human based on merit, however…we all know that this is just proper. We all also know that this, sadly, isn’t nearly common enough. Currently the facts seem to be, that people promote whom they like the most, of the people nearest to themselves. Typically their own family members 1st, then friends, then bussiness. Not always because of merit, but because no matter a man’s race, if his son, wife, or best friend is stronger, he too is.
    To be angry at people for doing this, was something I did in my youth. I think we all do. To accept this, and understand that the only person that claims me to be valuable is my God, and the few people that I gain skills that benefit them…has brought me some peace. To think that I should tell my Chinese, Japanese, Indian, African, English, American, German boss that they should hire/promote me because I’m “this race”, and it worked out for this guy that did it….not only calls the “guy who did it” a racist (because probably he didn’t. It’s much more likely that he worked hard at pursuing talent, hired said talented individuals, and won for it.)
    But it would immediately paint me myself to be a racist.
    Why….because my focus is on race.
    Mine.
    Theirs.
    Colors.
    Race.
    Racism.

    Hence, I feel as if this video were racewar-bait.

    Not only for this, but also because “the western world” is referenced. And so sadly, there is an epidemic of material recently, very similar to this, in the news, and politics in the US. And it is the US government putting it out to the people, in an attempt to divide the American people.

    It is not ok to hate, based solely on race, or nationality.
    It is natural to promote that which promotes one’s self….tho it isn’t always the most gracious choice every single time.

    I hope this makes sense.

    Godspeed to all nations, creeds, colors, and kind 🙏

  16. Anupam Verma

    November 15, 2022 at 12:11 am

    Great Gandhian values that the world is learning now

  17. Qodirxojaev Izzatxoja

    November 15, 2022 at 2:41 am

    1.coropate

  18. Retro Crypt

    November 15, 2022 at 3:30 am

    Well, seems like the majority disagree

  19. Rafael

    November 15, 2022 at 4:24 am

    every company that try the “inclusion” ends bad
    the inclusion create privileged groups, and the privileged rarely work hard

  20. cybersekkin

    November 15, 2022 at 5:16 am

    It is called inclusion as too many people poitned out diversity is from the same base as divide. We are supposed to work together not squable over scraps.

  21. Ugonne Monemeh

    November 15, 2022 at 6:59 am

    She speaks so eloquently. I like her composure.

  22. Hosoi Archives

    November 15, 2022 at 9:08 am

    We don’t need leaders. I don’t anyway

  23. Jason Rodriguez

    November 15, 2022 at 8:48 pm

    ✝️
    *For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”*
    John 3:16‭-‬21 ✝️

  24. Sam

    November 15, 2022 at 11:32 pm

    I don’t see how “championing inclusion” is bold. I would say it was more upholding the status quo and towing the corporate line at this point. It seems to me that a bolder move would be “challenging inclusion” and asking whether hires could or should instead be made based on a person’s individual merit rather than their gender, sexuality or skin colour.

  25. LilAudiOlympian

    November 16, 2022 at 12:27 pm

    How tf you come from another country trying to tell America about America

  26. LilAudiOlympian

    November 16, 2022 at 12:30 pm

    I wonder who this person voted for president

  27. terry armah

    November 16, 2022 at 6:28 pm

    🇬🇭🇬🇭🇬🇭

  28. Building Profitable Products

    November 17, 2022 at 10:34 pm

    great talk!

  29. The Big Dawg

    November 17, 2022 at 10:43 pm

    *reads title*
    No.
    *watches video*
    You not only cemented my beliefs, you’ve now made me explicitly exclusionary wherever legal to do so.

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