The challenge will always be getting people to see wider and make bold and brave decisions when they don’t feel they have the power to. The challenge to leaders: why don’t people feel they have this agency?

I say this all to say that, way too often, people think they need to dumb down their intelligence. There could be several reasons for this; peer pressure from colleagues, misguided instruction from a manager, or just needing a clearer understanding of your audience. But pause for a second.

While a host of us are reading books on purpose, happiness and inclusion, leaders who emulate Musk are reading books about war, power and dominance. Surely it makes sense to be aware of what such leaders are doing, especially if we want to offer a counter-narrative.

I realised that we, established entrepreneurs and business folk, are often so excited by the prospects for new and young entrepreneurs and are eager to see them get something going that we fail to provide a compass or any guardrails to help them on this (at times treacherous) journey

One of the things I realise is that many people get hyped around the idea of coaching but often don’t understand either what it entails, the difference between coaching and mentoring, the models and approaches to coaching and the kind of investment involved in doing this.

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I am fascinated by climate change - the one affecting our planet and, at a more macro level, the one that impacts how people work in organisations.

I am all for organisations being conscious or conscientious of how and why morality or ethics can play a role in their leadership DNA, but I never assume it’s a given.
Photo source : Gage Skidmore

Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

Coaching as a discipline is largely based on the Socratic method of asking good questions and questioning your answers. We come equipped with amazing tools such as radical enquiry, polarity thinking, the Johari window or the inner boardroom, amongst others. That pretty much covers the logical understanding of leadership. But what about the emotional aspects? How does a coach develop empathy if they’ve never been in the client's shoes?

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So much of how we move forward depends on letting go of what is holding us back.

The UK has a new PM - Liz Truss. Only the third woman (all of whom Conservative) to occupy this position. In addition to the PM, we have a new Chancellor, Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary (making up The Great Offices of State). They, for the first time, are not white, middle-aged men. Add to that a new environment secretary and international trade secretary. The Conservatives have somehow assembled one of the most visibly diverse Cabinets in government history. BAME representation for this Cabinet stands at 30%, compared to a national average of 13.7%.

I am no longer doing any webinars or offsites on race. My coaching on inclusive leadership will include race, but I am past it being the focal point of any broader discussion. I happily work with affected racial groups in private offline communities across sectors about leadership and career development, but I am done talking.

It is important to note here that BRAVE Leadership doesn’t only happen at a senior level. Inclusive leadership can be demonstrated and adopted at any level across an organisation. So It is not about a singular leadership voice but rather the expectations of leadership across an organisation.

My issue with the concept of role modelling is that expectations are too high. These “role models” are as flawed as any of us, and we must remember that. They are put on a pedestal as paragons of virtue and perfect blueprints for others to imitate. But suppose even the smallest crack begins to show in that veneer. In that case, the expectation breaks and very often, leadership or management roles are scrutinised so much that it becomes unrealistic.

And so here we are in 2022, where little to no progress has been made. What was meant to be an awakening, an opportunity, to explore difficult conversations and solutions that impact Black professionals at work and in the wider community has gone back to sleep.

I write this letter now because two years ago, the world was out in full trying to right wrongs that happened to Black professionals for decades. It took many organisations only a few months to move on to the next shiny thing, and all the lovely race action plans and promises to make a difference have been rolled into some BAME souffle, or we have seen the ambitions of many Black lawyers stall. So my simple advice is to take the bits from this you want and talk to other lawyers and professionals. Realise that your colour doesn't determine who you are, but be honest enough to recognise that it can affect your outcomes in the eyes of others.

In my work around inclusive leadership, it is interesting to see how people of mixed heritage are defined as members of affinity groups. Are they Black? Are they Mixed Black? Why would they identify as only Black if they have another rich heritage to display proudly alongside it?

For those who reminded me that I said this would happen, this is not a moment for gloating or claiming to be a futurist. Instead, it is a reminder that the work of undoing racism is systemic and long term. It requires a joined-up effort of self and group awareness and action rather than social media blackout squares and lofty promises.

This is not about shame, blame or guilt. Instead, how can we get the best talent across a broad pool that represents our customers, stakeholders, and communities through carefully thought out processes - tackling assumptions and biases along the way and remaining curious about how to be best in class.

It is essential to have a robust channel of communication with managers throughout the year. However, it is also important to recognise that not all managers have been trained or coached on managing, so sometimes you may have to manage up.

Returning to the office, be it a couple of days or a whole week, is an opportunity to rebuild a sense of trust in the leadership. Not a bribe. Not a guilt trip on the cost of empty offices. Not even the lure of free food and drink. But rather a sense to say, “let’s start this again, from scratch, with new rules and ways of working”