Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Statement

Recent actions, developments and events point to the need for not only dialogue, but decisive action. BLACK LIVES MATTER. Executive leaders must heed the current call to action as permanent and do everything they can to support it.

In 2018, when we released the book, The Hero Factor, we clearly took a stand, made a call to action and asked companies to promote diversity and inclusion within their walls. The more diverse and inclusive a company is, the better for all.

The C-Suite Network community believes ‘hero’ business leaders and companies uphold and live their values in their businesses and in everything they do. Diversity and Inclusion are a definitive part of those values. And let us be clear, now is the time for companies to take action. We must be proactive. Not to placate or pacify or educate but to move forward programs of meaningful change that drive equal opportunity and representation.

Companies must do more than appoint a Chief Diversity Officer. One person or a department is not the whole solution. Business organizations, particularly in larger companies, can build community groups to better understand and propagate change, but it is incumbent, especially today, that our executive leaders MAKE decisions that are actionable and drive results. The recent unrest, along with COVID-19 and the economic downturn, have demonstrated that business-as-usual is no longer acceptable. Especially when it comes to the ill-treatment, bigotry and bias toward fellow humans. It must be confronted, stopped and never tolerated again.

The C-Suite Network Community encourages our executive leaders in their companies to take action with the following:

• Establish diversity, inclusion and belonging (DIBs) councils and teams, peer groups of leadership and team members and empower them to educate, recommend and implement change.
• Publish diversity, inclusion and belonging metrics. The numbers are the numbers, so disclose them and work on driving equality.
• Adopt, donate and support national and local community groups to drive lasting change in the communities we serve.
• Locate Black and minority-owned startups and enterprises to fund or do business with, in order to diversify and accelerate economic partnerships.
• Expand your own personal and business network of people of color to better engage and understand.

We acknowledge SOME people and companies are trying to do the right thing, but we must go from SOME to ALL.

The C-Suite Network has and continues to facilitate open discussions regarding diversity, inclusion and belonging, but these discussions are just a start to moving us forward together.

We stand behind every community to ensure that these goals are implemented in the mainstream and put into action. It’s time to take a stand for what is right.  As hero executive leaders, our pledge and our promise are to help one another and others in our communities to engage, educate, evangelize and emerge – stronger, faster and better than before.