Martin Luther King Jr. famously said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Today, it is no longer just a dream.  There is a science based and practical approach to enable the paradigm shift we desperately need that would allow us to elevate character alongside competence in education and organizations as a fundamental means to address systemic inequality and embrace diversity and inclusion. We offer a roadmap to integrate character into diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

Understand Root Causes

Individuals, organizations and society more generally have struggled with making the paradigm shift that King imagined, in spite of the immense effort to do so. Many people have experienced some form of DEI training. While laudable, these programs often miss the underlying root cause that continues to cripple efforts — understanding our own character and that of another in ways that help us to address and redress systemic bias.

This is not a one-time “fix” that arises from an article, book or workshop that increases awareness, but rather a commitment to the daily exercise of character that shifts the root system that enables DEI to flourish. And research has revealed a lot of unintended negative consequences of DEI programs, such as decreased representation of the marginalized group, decreased engagement, and efforts directed at reclassification as a box-ticking exercise. The first step is recognizing new approaches are needed to realize the imagined benefits of DEI and avoid the unintended consequences.

Build on a Solid Foundation

King’s dream can only be realized if we have a solid foundation to assess and develop character and to employ that character to tackle the overhaul of the systems that undermine both equity and character. There has been extensive research and practical tools to equip organizations with evidence-based approaches to guide the needed paradigm shift. Without that solid foundation, it is simply one person’s opinion over another about what it means to have strong character. And research reveals that there have been many misconceptions about character, which have led to the very problems we face: over-weighting some dimensions of character and under-weighting others.

Building on the shoulders of giants such as Confucius, Aristotle and Plato, and modern-day researchers around the world who have sought to understand the essence of strong character, several key insights emerge.

First, the very misconceptions about what character is have led to a lot of the dysfunction, obstacles, and systemic problems we face. Most people believe they have good character, in part because character has often been relegated to morals, ethics and integrity and we all think we are pretty solid on that front. However, what we thought was a character strength, such as integrity, may be operating in a vice state, hampering DEI. Consider that when we understand character, in an interconnected way like the anatomy and physiology of the body we can see things differently (see Figure 1). For example, it becomes more apparent that integrity — being authentic, candid, transparent, principled and consistent — can operate like a vice without the strength in the character dimension of humility — being self-aware, modest, reflective, curious, a continuous learner, respectful, grateful and vulnerable — to support it.

When we privilege some dimensions of character over other dimensions, in ourselves and organizations, we entrench the problems that DEI initiatives are trying to disentangle. While we don’t intend to be abrasive, insensitive, and rigid, our observable behaviors reveal that we often are.  Without an evidenced based approach to understanding what character is, how to develop it and embed it in organizations, history will simply repeat itself. Because the practices to develop and strengthen character are available to all and immensely practical, character development reveals itself more as an opportunity than a threat to the individual. The equivalent is like learning that your blood pressure is high and knowing what you can do to lower it, such as new lifestyle choices and habits.

Figure 1: Leader Character Framework 

Addressing the Vexing Challenges

Because people judge themselves on intentions and others on their behaviors, and because 95% percent of people believe they are self-aware while only 10% are, there is a compelling need to equip people with the very tools to help them understand and develop their character. Properly equipped they can ensure their strengths are not delivering unintended consequences for themselves, others and their organization.

Studies have shown that strong character as measured by strength in all 11 dimensions yields a sixteen percent improvement in psychological safety and an eighteen percent improvement in employee voice, both of which are foundational in the DEI agenda. The vexing problem is that without a clear understanding about what character is and how it operates, we all contribute to undermining DEI. Not because we intend to, but because we don’t understand how strong integrity, for example, might diminish or undermine the character of another, instilling discomfort and even fear, and ultimately diminishing their voice.

For example, do women only have a seat at the table or are they exerting influence around high-stakes decisions? This dynamic is the essence of failed decisions, judgment and decision making everywhere and explains why organizations are interested in elevating character alongside competence, not just for DEI but because doing so strengthens well-being and sustained excellence for all.

Overcoming the Hurdle

While there is strong science to define what character is and how it can be developed, there can be a fear that a framework for identifying the muscles of character could actually undermine the DEI agenda. It is understandable that we can look at a framework and see sameness, whereas that very framework has been derived from taking into account the wealth of research and insight dating back to Confucius and Plato, ancient traditions across the globe such as revealed in some indigenous practices of the Seven Grandfather Teachings, Ubuntu Philosophy and modern day efforts in psychology, education, health science and management, to identify a set of behaviors that qualify as being virtuous in their orientation. It is the needed foundation to shift from opinion and misconceptions about what character is, to clarity that serves King’s vision.

Let’s take the observable behavior of being “respectful” as part of the character dimension of humility. Although research has established the character behaviors as universal, it is important to understand that the expression of being respectful manifests differently in different cultures.  For example, we would not measure being respectful through eye contact, which differs country to country, but rather through the higher order understanding and observation that being respectful matters. This can be observed through something that is agreed upon by all — “treats others with dignity especially when providing feedback.”

It is important to understand that a character framework is a starting point to help us all examine our character. In the process, we begin to address some of the underlying core beliefs that influence character, particularly in dimensions of humanity and justice where many people are not regularly exercising the kind of empathy, compassion or muscles of understanding what is fair, equal or equitable. It is a starting point to engage a more robust conversation that character matters and how it manifests in our lives and organizations.

In the next article of this two-part series, we’ll explore tips for applying these insights for more impactful DEI training programs.