Be a J.E.D.I. Leader, Not a Boss: Leadership in the Era of Corporate Social Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion by Omar L. Harris

Be a J.E.D.I. Leader, Not a Boss: Leadership in the Era of Corporate Social Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

From the Bestselling Author of The Servant Leader’s Manifesto with 20+ years of global pharmaceutical executive experience comes the most crucial and compelling business book of the year. Business Must Be More… There are dark forces at work breeding separation, disunity, disengagement, and denying their role in maintaining a status quo rife with injustices and inequities that keep them in power and everyone else subjugated. But there is an equally and opposite force for good pushing back. Leaders who understand that business must be more by creating culture where injustices are mitigated, inequities are eradicated, diversity is highly prized, and inclusion is the norm. These leaders wield the principles of Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (J.E.D.I.) in order to achieve the true purpose of corporations – increased value for employees, customers, communities, the environment and shareholders. Read this book: If you believe business leaders should strive for more than profits, but don’t know how to get there. If you are a leader looking to embrace the causes of social justice, equity, diversity and inclusion, and want a proven blueprint. If you are joining a company and want your leaders to be aligned with cutting edge leadership. If you are a DEI or HR professional looking for inspiration, reinforcement and new ideas. If you are a business student or professor looking for DEI insights from someone who’s led global enterprise teams. If you are a corporate leader who wants to learn how to go from shareholder to stakeholder capitalism using J.E.D.I. Leadership principles. Welcome to the Resistance!

Reviews

In this thought-provoking leadership guide, Harris (The Servant Leader’s Manifesto) challenges CEOs and business leaders to stand up to “the dark force”—or colonialism, imperialism, and toxic bias—to “create a world that values self-actualization” and change the status quo to one that benefits all. Harris warns that, due to recent historical events like the global pandemic, the Black Lives Matter movement, and record-breaking hurricane seasons and wildfires brought upon by climate change, the bar for effective leadership is higher than ever before. To combat the dark force and these escalating crises, Harris asserts that a new class of leader is required–J.E.D.I. leaders concerned with justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Harris’s purpose is clear: to encourage readers to adopt a new approach that deepens understanding of injustice and inequality—and fosters a commitment to eradicating them. Coined the “6As of J.E.D.I action”, this new framework urges business leaders to first question their leadership motives and eliminate their ego before attempting to respond to issues of race, acceptance, allyship, and sexism. He lays bare how many toxic leadership practices are rooted in systematic racism, inequality, and the disenfranchisement of marginalized communities and makes the case that contemporary leadership demands facing this truth and these issues with clear purpose and without fear.

“We have experienced enough of selfish and self-centered leadership,” Harris writes, and he’s direct in his criticisms of hierarchical power structures within corporations. Drawing compelling examples from Apple, Wells Fargo, and other Fortune 500 companies, Harris highlights the differences between traditional toxic leadership styles and the J.E.D.I. approach, which prioritizes an atmosphere of inclusion, humility, and collective purpose. This forward-thinking leadership guide offers clear steps to help leaders rise to the occasion of defeating toxic practices and work environments to ensure a better future for us all.

Takeaway: This impassioned guide challenges business leaders to dismantle toxic and racist leadership practices by promoting allyship, humility, and diversity.

Great for fans of: Jennifer Brown’s How to Be an Inclusive Leader: Your Role in Creating Cultures of Belonging Where Everyone Can Thrive, Jason Isaacs and Jeremy Isaacs’s Toxic Soul.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: B
Illustrations: A-
Editing: A
Marketing copy: B+

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