Allyship Well: Recent Episodes
Leila Rao
We see how data shows diverse organizations deliver better products and more significant financial outcomes, so why is it so hard to create diverse and inclusive organizations?Addressing inequity of any kind requires allyship, which is cultivating relationships based on trust and authenticity to empower others. In the workplace, we understand that allyship is essential for reversing generations of bias and inequality.In this initial series of the Allyship podcast, we will explore what allyship could look like through the lens of gender-based inquiry. How can men be allies to women in the workplace?Leila Rao has authentic and impactful conversations with some male allies in her professional life, exploring why they chose to practice allyship and what it looks like in action. Our intent in this podcast series is to provide everyone with an opportunity to experience trust-based conversations and cultivate these relationships for themselves.The future series of the Allyship podcast will focus on additional intersectional facets of allyship, such as intergenerational, neurodivergence, and among women of color.
Today, Leila and Reed Racette discuss neurodivergence as a facet of diversity, and how his experience in this area lead to his allyship in other facets.
They talk about Reed’s experience in building diverse teams and in creating psychological safety for them. They reflect on their shared work over the past two years and unexpected opportunities from this collaboration.
In today’s episode, Leila speaks with Josh Anderson — writer, storyteller, and professor – about the impact of language including how it shapes both our narrative and our nation’s history. Josh’s life trajectory from growing up in North Dakota, working several different jobs, to being a professor of English language in Connecticut provides the backdrop for this conversation. They note that curiosity in questioning what we’ve both told and in exploring other perspectives of our community are essential in deconstructing history and mythology.
In this episode, Leila’s conversation with John Mark Williams highlights both the value of being an ally and what it can mean in terms of investing in people and in their learning curve.
Creating opportunities is just the start; allyship also includes providing feedback and support while people develop new competencies which often comes with making mistakes. How we as individuals and as leaders in an organization react during this process makes the difference in creating an equitable organization.
Leila and Matias Niño explore their shared interests in advancing agility in the federal government, building diverse high-performing teams and organizing meet-ups.
Matias connects his experience of growing up with sisters and with noticing the frequent disproportionate absence of women in many tech teams. He then set out to address this gap by intentionally cultivating relationships and highlighting opportunities for women to become speakers and subject matter experts.
Today, Leila’s discussion with Dr. JW Wiley covers a wide range of topics, as you’d expect with a conversational partner who is a professor of philosophy, a published author with one book made into a movie, and a lifelong DEI activist, educator and trainer.In a lifetime of being a pioneer, Joe shares his pivotal moment that catalyzed his career as an ally as well as what it means to have allies and to be an ally.
In this episode, Leila and Derek W. Wade discuss another facet of allyship: men raising the bar for each other. Derek also explains how allyship was the norm for him from an early understanding of personhood, which then led him to recognize patterns of people, concepts, and systems that try to diminish others’ personhood.
We explore the human ability to create and recognize patterns that can both be an asset in shifting to allyship behavior or can be used to reinforce existing biases. We also talk about the “yes, and” nature of helping others as individuals and systemic allyship. Derek makes the persuasive case for a systemic approach to removing barriers is actually most valuable from a “lazy” ally’s perspective.
This week, Leila and Sanjiv Augustine make the case for why DEI is an effective business strategy as well as a human(e) value proposition. They also discuss instances where collaboration and partnerships can happen through being open to allyship. They also remember Roland Cuellar, a dear friend to Sanjiv and an impactful ally for Leila.
Takeaways from Sanjiv:-An Allyship Action: DEI is an optimal strategy for business success. Pursuing monetary and strategic goals and building a diverse culture are not trade-offs; they go together rather well!
-An Allyship Action: Your business relationships are an opportunity to be an ally. Businesses exist in ecosystems, so look around in yours. All the research indicates that diversity in the creation process results in better products for a diverse customer base. If your customer or target audience is diverse, then try to reflect that diversity in the creation or production process.
-An Allyship Action: Say yes when possible. Be open to partnerships and collaborations within someone you don’t know yet. Invest in a promising idea from someone outside of your typical cohort.
In this week’s episode, Leila and Rob Gorrie discuss the possibilities of allyship in the entertainment industry, among the rather unique variables and dynamics of this complex ecosystem. We discuss what allyship could and should look like for actors and artists, both with each other and with the rest of their team. And Rob explains what has changed with the “Me Too” movement, from his perspective as both a working actor and an educator in a drama school.
Takeaways from Rob:
- An Allyship Action: Share salary and other compensation information.
Very important to actors especially because this is an industry with varied compensation structure and history of marginalizing women and people of color. Women often have informal whisper networks to share salary, as I know from my own experience, which are helpful. And men can create great impact by normalizing this single action. - An Allyship Action: Recognize that addressing historical inequity may mean that you have fewer opportunities. This is not “reverse discrimination”; it is abour fairer distribution of opportunities.
- An Allyship Action: Leverage the power of being a consumer to advocate for inclusivity and diversity. Seek out media that centers the voice and perspectives of people who don’t necessarily share facets of your identity. Outsmart the industry algorithms that show you more of what you already see; seeking out diversity requires intentionality.
In this episode, Leila talks to George Hoffmann about allyship from a leadership perspective.
As both a senior executive leader within information technology and as the sponsor of an impactful DEI initiative within a federal government agency, George shares his experience of how to shape a workplace of inclusion and belonging and why that matters.
They discuss the need for and the sequencing of activities to address inequity before aiming for equality.
Today, Leila Rao and Al Dupree discuss the long and complicated history of allyship in the workplace, including the sometimes push-and-pull of intersectionality.
As the first-black CIO of the Congressional Budget Office and a pioneer in virtually every step of his career, Al shares his insight into what has worked and what hasn’t in his experience.
He shares specific advice for leaders on creating a culture of inclusivity based on his own work and that of his mentors. We also address the always challenging question of “are things changing for the better?”
Takeaways from Al:
- An Allyship Action: Prepare for the change you want to see. Creating a diverse and/or inclusive workplace takes intentionality
- An Allyship Action: Be prepared to invest your political capital as a leader if you want a sustainable cultural outcome in terms of behavior change both individually and organizationally.
- An Allyship Action: Learn about our shared history, and what is and what isn’t covered in the history books. Our current systems often reinforce stereotypes, so prioritize reading, listening and hearing from minority perspectives.
Connect with Leila Rao for more information on the Allyship Project!