Leading as “the Other”

People of color and women remain woefully underrepresented in top leadership positions across industries. Yet the doors to power and authority in organizations are slowly opening in large part due to the more aggressive promotion of the “value-added” nature of diversity to organizational effectiveness. Inclusive organizations benefit from the diversity of perspectives and backgrounds that women and people of color offer to organizational decision making, innovation, and growth. However, not much is understood about their unique experiences. This commentary focuses on the Outsider Within experiences of underrepresented leaders, workers who find themselves as both the “Other” and as a leader in their workplace