441: Journey Towards Diversity and Inclusion, with Willie Jackson

Willie Jackson Willie Jackson is a diversity, equity, and inclusion consultant and facilitator with ReadySet, a boutique consulting firm based in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is a frequent writer and speaker on the topics of workplace equity, global diversity, and inclusive leadership. Willie founded an online magazine for black men called Abernathy in 2015, growing the publication from initial concept to over 400 articles and thousands of subscribers. He also served as Technical Lead of Seth Godin’s altMBA program. In this conversation, Willie and I discuss getting started on the journey with diversity and inclusion, what leaders can do to be more mindful, and some of the missteps that I’ve made along the way. Key Points Most of us have good intentions — and intentions alone do not ensure we make the impact we want. We don’t rise to the level of our ambition. We sink to the level of our training. You will make mistakes, regardless of how mindful and intentional you are. Bonus Audio The Language of Inclusivity Resources Scene on Radio podcast White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism* by Robin DiAngelo Fatal Invention: How Science, Politics, and Big Business Re-create Race in the Twenty-first Century* by Dorothy Roberts The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration* by Isabel Wilkersons Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America* by Ibram Kendi How to Be an Antiracist* by Ibram Kendi Related Episodes How to Handle Workplace Bullying, with Jill Morgenthaler (episode 172) How to Tame Workplace Incivility, with Sharone Bar-David (episode 210) How to Make Inclusion Happen, with Deepa Purushothaman (episode 307) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.