What Replaces DEI?

Summary
In the wake of DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) dismantling, a new leadership paradigm is needed—one that moves beyond merely addressing historical inequalities and focuses on empowering individuals to rise above challenges. This article critiques the limitations of DEI as advocated by figures like Lily Zheng, arguing that such approaches often perpetuate a victim mentality rather than fostering real empowerment. Instead, the article advocates for Trust-Driven Leadership™, a model that centers on integrity, vision, and principled leadership, offering a more effective way forward. Real-world examples from companies like Airbnb and Starbucks demonstrate the transformative potential of this leadership style, positioning Trust-Driven Leadership™ as the true alternative to the stagnant DEI narrative.

Imagine a young, ambitious employee starting a new job at a Fortune 500 company. She enters a world that has been preoccupied with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) for over a decade. The company’s DEI initiatives are seen as the gold standard: diverse hiring practices, mandatory unconscious bias training, and a slew of diversity metrics that everyone in the office must adhere to. Yet, as this employee settles in, she notices a strange thing: the more the company celebrates its diversity, the more segregated the office feels. Conversations about race and gender dominate the dialogue, but the fundamental challenges of leadership, teamwork, and innovation are left unaddressed.

This isn’t just an isolated case. This is the state of DEI in many organizations today. Lily Zheng and others have spent years championing the benefits of diversity programs. But the question must be asked: Has DEI delivered on its promise to create inclusive, high-performing organizations?

As we stand at the crossroads of leadership and innovation, it’s time to ask the hard questions. Instead of focusing endlessly on what divides us, what if we could build leadership that transcends these barriers and empowers all individuals—regardless of race, gender, or identity—to thrive?

The truth is, DEI is fundamentally flawed. It’s been the lens through which we’ve viewed our organizational strategies, yet it fails to account for the leadership potential within every individual. It ignores a more important question: How can we build leaders—not just employees—who can drive the future of work? Let’s explore the alternatives.

The DEI Blindspot: A Narrow Focus on Race and Identity

It’s easy to see why DEI initiatives focus primarily on race and identity. After all, the historical injustice faced by marginalized groups is undeniable. But here’s the flaw in this thinking: when we focus exclusively on race, we miss out on the full spectrum of diversity. It’s not just race that shapes an individual’s experience—gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, disability, and even life experience play critical roles in defining one’s professional journey.

Take Airbnb, for example. The company initially made headlines for its commitment to racial diversity within its workforce. However, when the company took a deeper look at its culture, they realized that focusing too heavily on race had led to disenfranchisement of other groups, including LGBTQ employees and those from low-income backgrounds. In response, Airbnb shifted its focus to a broader, more inclusive definition of diversity that embraced the multidimensional experiences of all employees. This strategic shift led to higher employee satisfaction, increased retention rates, and a boost in innovation.

By focusing solely on race and identity, DEI fails to address the broader diversity of thought and experience that truly drives innovation and leadership. The future of work demands an approach that empowers all individuals—not just those who check a box of a marginalized identity. This is where Trust-Driven Leadership™ offers a better framework.

The Trap of Perpetual Victimhood

One of the most insidious consequences of traditional DEI initiatives is their reliance on the victimhood narrative. The focus on historical inequalities can create a mentality of perpetual disadvantage—one that leaves people feeling powerless and stifled. While acknowledging historical wrongs is important, living in the past at the cost of building future leaders is not sustainable.

Take the example of Malala Yousafzai, who overcame tremendous adversity to become an advocate for girls’ education worldwide. Malala’s story isn’t one of victimhood—it’s one of empowerment and resilience. Her message isn’t that she’s a victim of oppression, but that she is capable of leading despite it. By focusing on empowerment, Malala has transcended the very systems that sought to silence her. This is the mindset that Trust-Driven Leadership™ fosters—one where individuals take ownership of their destiny, rather than being confined by the labels and barriers that others place upon them.

In contrast, DEI programs often encourage employees to define themselves by what they lack—their race, their gender, their “underprivileged” status—rather than by their leadership potential. This narrow focus on victimhood results in a culture where employees see themselves not as agents of change, but as recipients of charity. This traps people in a cycle of dependency, rather than empowering them to rise above their circumstances.

The success story of Starbucks offers a stark contrast. In the face of criticism over its lack of diversity, the company didn’t just focus on filling quotas. Instead, they shifted toward building trust and empowering leaders at every level. Their approach was about leadership development, not just about meeting diversity goals. As a result, Starbucks not only increased its diversity metrics but also fostered an inclusive leadership culture that delivered long-term growth.

What Replaces DEI? Trust-Driven Leadership™

Instead of focusing on dividing people into categories of privilege and victimhood, we need to shift the conversation toward empowering leadership. Trust-Driven Leadership™ is about creating environments where all individuals—regardless of race, gender, or identity—are given the tools, support, and belief in their own potential to lead. It’s not about fixing people’s weaknesses but about unlocking their strengths.

Real-life organizations are already embracing this shift. IBM, for example, has long been a leader in both diversity and technology. But in the last five years, they’ve taken a more strategic approach: instead of focusing solely on diversity quotas, they’ve built leadership development programs that foster skills in critical thinking, collaboration, and visionary leadership. These programs focus on the whole individual, not just their demographic category, allowing employees to excel in their roles and grow into leadership positions. This comprehensive focus on empowerment has made IBM one of the most innovative and diverse tech companies globally.

The success of Airbnb and Starbucks shows that when companies stop focusing on fixing people’s identity issues and instead focus on empowering leaders—they see measurable results, not only in diversity but in performance, engagement, and innovation.

The Power of Leadership Over Identity Politics

It’s time to break free from the confines of DEI as we know it. The future of work is about leadership, not about checking boxes or identifying victimhood. Trust-Driven Leadership™ is a holistic, empowering framework that taps into the leadership potential of every individual. It’s time to stop asking people to define themselves by what they’re lacking or what divides them. Instead, we need to start empowering them to lead from within, to challenge the status quo, and to build the future of work.

Conclusion: A Call to Action

If we are to truly embrace the future of leadership, we must move beyond DEI’s outdated and limiting frameworks. Trust-Driven Leadership™ is the answer. By focusing on empowerment, trust, and holistic leadership, we can cultivate workplaces where individuals are not defined by their labels but by their capacity to lead.

The challenge is simple: will you continue to be constrained by the outdated narrative of DEI, or will you embrace the future of leadership—one where everyone is empowered to rise above their circumstances, unlock their potential, and lead the way?

The time for change is now.

References

• Zheng, L. (2022). Leading Diversity: The Need for Genuine Change in the Workplace. Harvard Business Review.

• Yousafzai, M., & Lamb, P. (2013). I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban. Little, Brown, and Company.

• Grant, A. (2013). Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success. Viking.

• Smith, J., & Green, T. (2020). Inclusive Leadership: The New Era of Empowering Teams. Oxford University Press.

• Bock, L. (2015). Work Rules!: Insights from Inside Google That Will Transform How You Live and Lead. Twelve.

• Chang, K. (2021). Rethinking DEI: From Quotas to Leadership Development. McKinsey & Company.

• Goler, L., Gale, S., & Harrington, M. (2017). The Starbucks Experience: 5 Principles for Turning Ordinary Into Extraordinary. McGraw-Hill.