Worried about shame and guilt now? In the future, how successful will kids be collaborating across differences? Will they struggle to accept direction from leaders who don’t look or think like them? How ashamed will they feel when confronted with the reality that they are woefully ill-prepared.

Have you ever had good intentions but your biased thoughts deterred you from following through with your “good” intention? Well guess what, you are not alone. Many leaders and people in general, actually do mean well. More often than not, our biased thoughts keep us from acting on our good intentions. Here is a simple solution. Change your habits by embracing your bias thoughts, then make a conscious choice to adjust your actions.

Our physiological need to belong works in the same way. By excluding others I’m more excepted by my “tribe”, which justifies exclusion and makes it feel right. Some of our social circles are defined by the extent to which we think alike and exclude others. We find belonging through exclusion.

Inclusive leaders admit that hiring decisions and the hiring process has proven to be a stumbling block they had to overcome. Many trusted their gut instincts— which is more of an emotional reaction rather than a rational decision.

“It’s hard to admit, Melissa, but I haven’t the foggiest idea what inclusive leaders actually do.” This sentiment is more common than you might imagine. This response came from one of my courageous and brutally honest clients after I asked, “Exactly, how do you plan to be more inclusive?”

The killing of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, by police officers in Minneapolis in May 2020 led to worldwide protests against racism and police brutality. Melissa Majors, CEO of Melissa Majors Consulting, says many companies felt compelled to prove their commitment to diversity and inclusion urgently because of the swift societal shift.