👔 Coaching | 🎙️Podcast | ⏱️ Stopwatch | ⏰Off The Clock | & Guild | 📚 BooksWelcome to the weekly essay! It’s a longer one, but the threads all come together to form an important concept. And please make sure you check out the four helpful pieces at the end — you may find these even more valuable than my essay. In my coaching, I use these very ideas to help companies and teams in flux, whether it’s new leadership, executive teams that just aren’t working together well, or companies buffeted by market shifts. If you know someone who could benefit from this, please send them along.
“With malice toward none; with charity for all” — Abraham Lincoln, 1865 In the shifting sands blown about by the windstorm of perpetual outrage, the labels change but the object remains the same. Call it civil rights, equal opportunity, affirmative action, CRT, or wokeism and DEI (the latest), the highly decorative costumes of this kabuki theater of culture war are ever-changing and always distracting, as opponents use them to stoke fear, angst, and vitriol against “others.” Taking sides with the out-group can immediately make anyone, however well-intentioned, the object of hate and derision. While it is tempting to ascribe this fallout to modern-day keyboard warriors and soundbite-hungry politicians, it’s a timeless story. “A snub is the effort of a person who feels superior to make someone else feel inferior. To do so, he has to find someone who can be made to feel inferior.” — Eleanor Roosevelt, 1935 Facts Are Stubborn ThingsIn 1770 in Boston, eight British soldiers stood accused of killing five colonists in what became known as the Boston Massacre. John Adams, who would later become the second president of the United States, chose to defend the soldiers during the tense and volatile pre-Revolutionary period. At the time, public opinion in Boston was overwhelmingly hostile toward the British, and defending the soldiers risked tarnishing Adams’ reputation and alienating him from his community. However, Adams believed in the principles of a fair trial and the rule of law, arguing that justice should not be swayed by mob mentality, even if it came at great personal cost. In choosing to represent them, Adams treated those foreigners with the dignity and respect any accused individual had a right to receive.
Worthy HumansIn The Extraordinary Power of Leadership Humility, Marilyn Gist writes, “Dignity implies that each person is worthy of honor and respect for who he or she is, regardless of status or accomplishment.” Dignity is a fundamental aspect of what it means to be human. When you disregard or even violate the dignity of others, you make them feel like nonentities. Over the last decade, the corporate adoption of DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) initiatives has been handled awkwardly, communicated poorly, and executed sloppily, leading to what amounts to ethics-washing. DEI programs have been put together in what seems like a trend-hopping, slapdash approach, giving the appearance of a set of values. But when those values were challenged, these Potemkin villages collapsed under the slightest scrutiny. And that’s unfortunate, because there is a place for ensuring that everyone — particularly vulnerable and underrepresented — have a fair shot. It’s what is commonly called meritocracy. The key is to recognize the difference between equality and equity:
We might like to think that equality is fair, and yet this story (via Threads) shows how a guidance counselor supported meritocracy by ensuring someone who deserved and earned their place didn’t miss out on opportunities because of disadvantages outside of their control:
“The first step in the evolution of ethics is a sense of solidarity with other human beings.” – Albert Schweitzer, 1958 Wholesale InclusionOne company in recent weeks that has not bowed to shareholder pressure to reassess its DEI programs is Costco. Shareholders called the DEI programs into question, deeming them as discriminatory, and citing “litigation, reputational and financial risks” to the company as their concern.¹ Costco’s recommendation was to vote against the proposal, explaining:
Its business practices are in line with its values. You can’t make a company divest its values if it actually practices those values. Costco was joined by other companies as well.² Inclusivity as Psychological SafetyA Google workplace study found that the most important dynamic in a successful team was one in which the team was reassured of psychological safety: could the team take risks without feeling insecure or embarrassed.³ Yet, an Ipsos study found that only 47% of teams agree their workplace is psychologically safe.⁴ Having a single way of thinking never drives innovation and growth, and teams that teams that feel safe to speak up are five times more likely to innovate, see 50% higher productivity and 27% lower turnover. UnityWhen we work together on common goals, whether we’re part of an athletic team, a corporation, or a community, we have expectations that we each have something to offer. In my time at Ford, we all had badges that included the famous One Ford plan on the front, and a list of “Expected Behaviors” on the reverse. In the list of behaviors, there were a couple that implied that dignity was at the core of them:
We saw these behaviors exhibited by our leaders and by each other on a regular basis; such actions were a powerful reminder of the importance of dignity and the power each of us held to build a stronger team. I’m fortunate to be able to apply Alan Mulally’s “Working Together”© Leadership & Management System to my clients — a connected and collaborative culture of love by design to create value and growth for all stakeholders and the greater good. Working Together requires unity. And I can’t think of a better lesson on unity than the sermon Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde gave last week. ⁵
Dignity, honesty, and humility bring us closer together. Honor people’s dignity. Include everyone. Seek unity. There’s so much to learn,
“One of the effects of living with electric information is that we live habitually in a state of information overload. There's always more than you can cope with.” — Marshall McLuhan, 1967 A familiar echo of the past week that has reverberated from different corners of my network is this: it’s just too much. Too many news stories that are too intense. I’m not going to be able to go the distance. I completely understand and share the concern. I have some solutions. It starts by treating yourself with dignity and respect
1 Costco Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders, PROPOSAL 4: SHAREHOLDER PROPOSAL REQUESTING REPORT ON THE RISKS OF MAINTAINING DEI EFFORTS 2 Costco’s Anti-DEI Shareholder Proposal, Mr. CorpGov Substack, January 1, 2025 3 The five keys to a successful Google team (Google, 2015) 4 5 ‘Contempt is a dangerous way to lead a country’: here is the sermon that enraged Donald Trump, The Guardian, January 24, 2025 If you upgrade your subscription, you’ll have access to our full archives, plus additional content exclusive to our Ampersand Guild. Because you’re already a subscriber, please accept this discount in appreciation for believing in Timeless values:👔 Coaching | 🎙️Podcast | ⏱️ Stopwatch | ⏰Off The Clock | & Guild | 💡Timeless Reflections | 📚 Books
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Dignity, Inclusivity, and Unity
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