Strategic Fund Development: Building Profitable Relationships That Last, Third Edition

Leadership and Diversity

Call it diversity or pluralism—leadership sure is about multiplicity and inclusiveness. People experience life differently, and that experience produces different perspectives, conflicting opinions, and opposing beliefs.

Diversity is more than race/ethnicity, generation, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and faith. But each of these certainly affects how people experience life. Diversity makes for a rich and complex world. Pluralism builds stronger communities and organizations.

As Pottruck and Pearce note, diversity is more than affirmative action, and its rationale is more than moral fairness. Diversity is “the practical ground of good business.”10 Significant diversity in the people of your organization brings significant diversity in the perspectives offered within your organization.

“Significant” is what is important. Effective organizations bring together people who may disagree on matters of substance. That’s what adds value to the organization: enough diversity to ask questions, question assumptions, and question answers; sufficient diversity to stimulate breakthroughs and encourage change, to facilitate learning and reaffirm values.

Leaders know that their organizations must be innovative and cutting-edge to respond to this rich and complex world. For this reason, leaders encourage diversity. Leaders figure out “what it will take to make sustainable, long-term progress in gaining and keeping a diverse group of people.”11

When Dee ...