Strategic Diversity Leadership: The Role of Senior Leaders in Delivering the Diversity Dividend

Abstract

An organization’s senior leaders, given their positions at the apex of power within the organization, shape its vision, strategies, organizational design, and culture. Yet the research on diversity has not sufficiently held them to account for the dynamics of demographic diversity and inclusion within their organizations and for producing performance benefits from diversity. This paper proposes that a fuller understanding of diversity and inclusion requires a focus on senior leaders’ roles in diversity leadership. Specifically, drawing on strategic leadership theory, it proposes a framework for strategic diversity leadership that focuses on the role of senior leaders in shaping the meaning of diversity in their organizations. It proposes that how senior leaders envision diversity within their organizations and symbolize its value in their communications and actions affects the extent and nature of diversity and inclusion, and through them a range of benefits to organizational performance. It also discusses potential antecedents affecting strategic diversity leadership and calls for the development of a theory of strategic diversity leadership.