LEADING DIVERSITY FOR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

Linkow delivers a comprehensive strategy manual for increasing diversity in the workplace.

In his nonfiction debut, the author aims his dissection of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace at “boards of directors; the C-suite; strategic business unit and function leaders; top diversity, human resources, human capital, and talent leaders; and those emerging leaders who wish to leave a diversity legacy engraved in the stories of their lives.” Linkow, the founder of a DEI consulting firm, views this top-down approach as essential, as he believes that successful DEI initiatives are the product of leadership commitment. Linkow comments that “diversity strategy in many organizations is more an agglomeration of bright, shiny best practices than a cogent, integrated strategy,” and here he breaks down his subject to provide readers with just such a strategy, built around 12 core “competencies”; notable highlights among these include how to institute inclusion and diversity in your workplace, how to exemplify it through your own leadership, and how to build policies designed to measure your own follow-through and competency. As he points out, considering the changing demographics of the modern workforce, a greater focus on DEI shouldn't be surprising, from corporate policies to language (“If we are going to engage in dialogue that transcends and builds bridges across differences,” he writes, “then we need an arbiter of what language is appropriate and what is inappropriate”). Linkow’s long experience in the field is evident on every page, and his extensive use of graphs and charts is effective, making his big book a surprisingly easy read.

A sweeping and urgent guide to corporate DEI advancements.