Why our sector needs ethnically diverse leaders

We have an uncomfortable disparity in representation in our sector. When we look at our workforce, it’s broadly representative of the ethnic diversity of our residents, but at leadership level, it’s still a very different story. While 10% of the workforce is Black/African/Caribbean/Black British, these groups are represented by just 3% of executives. The same disparity is clear in Asian/Asian British representation: 5% of the workforce versus 1% of executives. It makes me wonder whether there’s an invisible ceiling preventing our diverse staff from progressing to leadership positions. As leaders, we must reflect on how we’re nurturing future leaders in our sector through our organisations. 

Ethnic diversity in our sector’s leadership is incredibly important. If our residents can’t see decision-makers who look like them, it’s easier to fall into a place of distrust. There are some uncomfortable truths for us to confront as a sector when it comes to race: the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower, the death of Awaab Isaak, and more broadly the data around people of colour being more likely to live in homes with damp problems. We must rebuild trust with our residents, and we must do better. Representation is a key part of this. It allows us to make decisions based on a better understanding of our diverse communities, which enable us to better serve them. However, it's important to stress that simply having Black and Brown leaders does not solve systemic racial inequality.  

What does meaningful representation look like? 

When discussing representation at leadership level, it’s important to avoid assuming that diverse leaders will automatically advocate for diverse communities. We must have nuanced conversations around this and ensure that having a prominent person of colour in an organisation doesn’t lead to complacency around inclusion. Organisations must see equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) as part of their cultures at every level. EDI needs continued nurturing and challenging, and this has to be the responsibility of everyone in the organisation. It would be easy but hugely misjudged to think the job is done because they have a person of colour as their chief executive or on their board. 

When explaining this to people, I often use Barack Obama’s presidency as an example. Even though a Black man sat in the most prominent political position in the US, violence and police brutality against people of colour didn’t go away across the country. The Black Lives Matter movement was created in 2013 and gained momentum in 2014 to protest the murders of three Black men; this all happened during Obama’s presidency. We have witnessed a parallel in our own country with the previous government. The last few years have seen some of the most racially diverse cabinets ever, but the policies they implemented were often actively harmful towards minority ethnic groups. It’s also important to note that it was just after having our first Prime Minister of colour that racist, far-right rioting spread across the UK. 

Representation is a conversation that cannot be oversimplified. We cannot assume that diverse figureheads will adopt inclusive policies or foster inclusive environments. Leaders should be supported by a strong base of organisation-wide policy and culture, and we should uplift future leaders who understand and are passionate about the sector and its residents.

What can we do to encourage diverse leadership? 

We should start by assessing what pathways we can create to encourage those in our existing workforce to progress to leadership positions. The data clearly shows we attract racially diverse workforces, but those colleagues are simply not progressing to senior and executive roles. Do we have certain unconscious biases around the kinds of roles people of colour belong in? Are we more comfortable with people of colour being housing officers than board members? Are these biases ingrained in our organisational culture and structures? We also need to make sure that progression pathways are embedded in our organisations.

I have hugely benefited from mentoring and sponsorship throughout my career. Leaders I’ve worked with have identified succession routes for me and supported me to follow them. Day-to-day engagement between existing leaders and less experienced colleagues can be incredibly empowering and make a huge difference to those hoping to progress in their organisations. You shouldn’t underestimate the value of recognising talented people and building pathways for them. Endorsement from credible leaders creates credible candidates.

My final call to action for the sector is this: don’t leave it to the only person of colour in the room to talk about equality. I’ve been that person too many times and we shouldn’t always have to be the ones speaking out. Speak up and don't underestimate the power of echoing our message.