Embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace carries significant leadership implications that extend beyond representation to fostering belonging, justice, and innovation.  Northouse (2022) posits that inclusion is formed through belonging and the freedom to express individuality, creating an environment where employees feel valued and safe to contribute. Valuing individuality while creating communal acceptance establishes psychological safety and a shared sense of purpose. Ahmed et al. (2021) found that inclusive leadership behaviors—such as intentional listening and equitable engagement—enhance psychological well-being and team cooperation. Moreover, scholarly positions assert that diverse teams enhance creativity, problem-solving, and decision quality by incorporating varied perspectives (Hinton & Lambert, 2022; Northouse, 2022). Therefore, effective leadership must move beyond passive awareness toward an active commitment to creating inclusive cultures that advance both human well-being and organizational performance. As a result, DEI becomes transformative, turning organizational diversity into a source of collective intelligence, productivity, and equitable justice.

Equity as Action and Accountability

True equity demands intentional action rather than symbolic awareness. Equity conceptualizes institutional accountability where leaders must resolve systemic barriers and redistribute opportunities (Faucett et al., 2022; Wang et al., 2023). Such an approach requires leaders to recognize that organizational cultures replicate harm unless intentionally restructured to ensure access, recognition, and fairness for all members. Establishing systems for evaluating DEI initiatives through evidence-based metrics (Hinton & Lambert, 2022), leaders can reinforce credibility and demonstrate that commitment to DEI aligns with institutional excellence and ethics. 

In addition, leadership implication lies in the equitable distribution of labor in DEI efforts. Trejo (2020) conceptualizes the term “minority tax” as the disproportionate expectation placed upon people of color to lead or support DEI work without proper recognition or compensation. Faucett et al. (2022) expand upon this by offering a roadmap for redistributing DEI responsibilities and reforming institutional systems to promote accountability and fairness. These studies emphasize that equity is inseparable from justice; leaders must create policies that address systemic barriers while redistributing workload and resources equitably. Wang et al. (2023) further note that DEI training alone is insufficient unless paired with accountability mechanisms and long-term structural reform. Leaders who adopt an action-based approach to equity thereby transform DEI from a performative initiative to a sustainable cultural practice. This integration of justice and healing addresses the relational and structural wounds produced by historical exclusion and enhances equity in the workplace (Wang et al., 2023)

The Scholar-Practitioner-Leader Approach to DEI Leadership

Establishing leadership in DEI through the Scholar–Practitioner–Leader (SPL) model (University of Phoenix, n.d.), which combines rigorous research, intentional practice, and relational modeling, requires an effective DEI leader to ground their approach in critical scholarship and apply empirical research to guide strategy, evaluation, and program design (Hinton & Lambert, 2022). As a scholar, this writer engages with theoretical models of inclusive leadership (Hinton & Lambert, 2022; Faucett et al., 2022; Northouse, 2022; Miralles et al., 2024) and equity frameworks to ensure that decisions are evidence-based and contextually responsive. Being a practitioner, they operationalize this knowledge through initiatives that create psychological safety, belonging, and equitable access to opportunity—efforts exemplified through the creation and coordination of affinity groups, inclusive pedagogical training, and policies that address systemic inequities. Lastly, acting as a leader, this writer further embodies the principles they advocate, integrating empathy, curiosity, and collaboration, drawing on personal and professional experiences—including those shaped by intersecting marginalized identities—to build relational trust and bridge differences. For leaders who identify as women of color, this model takes on deeper resonance, transforming the “minority tax” (Trejo, 2020) into a site of purposeful agency and systemic reform. This synthesis of scholarship, practice, and leadership enables DEI efforts to move beyond obligation toward purposeful, sustainable change, ultimately modeling what an equitable and connected future can look like.

In summation, embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in leadership requires both structural reform and relational transformation grounded in psychological safety, justice, and belonging. Through the Scholar-Practitioner-Leader (SPL) model, leaders integrate evidence-based research, applied practice, and compassionate modeling to sustain equity-driven change. This synthesis transforms DEI from a theoretical commitment into a lived, restorative process that reshapes systems and cultivates inclusive, flourishing organizational cultures.

 

References

Ahmed, F., Zhao, F., Faraz, N. A., & Qin, Y. J. (2021). How inclusive leadership paves way for psychological well-being of employees during trauma and crisis: A three-wave longitudinal mediation study. Journal of advanced nursing, 77(2), 819–831. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.14637

Faucett, E.A., Brenner, M.J., Thompson, D.M., Flanary, V.A. (2022). Tackling the minority tax: A roadmap to redistributing engagement in diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, 166(6), 1174-1181. https://doi:10.1177/01945998221091696

Hinton, A., Jr, & Lambert, W. M. (2022). Moving diversity, equity, and inclusion from opinion to evidence. Cell reports. Medicine, 3(4), 100619. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100619

Miralles, S., Pessi, A. B., Pozo-Hidalgo, M., & Rodríguez-Sánchez, A. (2024). Leading matters! Linking compassion and mindfulness in organizations through servant leadership. Frontiers in Psychology, 15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1346751 

Northouse, P. G. (2022). Leadership: Theory and practice (9th ed.). Sage Publications.

OpenAI. (2025, November 15th). ChatGPT [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/

Trejo, J. (2020). The burden of service for faculty of color to achieve diversity and inclusion: the minority tax. Molecular Biology of the Cell, 31(19), 2031–2033. https://doi.org/10.1091/mbc.E20-08-0567

University of Phoenix. (n.d.). Scholar-Practitioner-Leader (SPL) model. [Learning resource, College of Doctoral Studies]. University of Phoenix.

Wang, M. L., Gomes, A., Rosa, M., Copeland, P., & Santana, V. J. (2023). A systematic review of Diversity, equity, and inclusion and antiracism training studies: Findings and future directions. Translational Behavioral Medicine, 14(3), 156–171. https://doi.org/10.1093/tbm/ibad061