Book Nook: A Business Leader’s Guide to Driving Diversity Inclusion in the Workplace

Donald Thompson is continuing to share his entrepreneurial spirit and business expertise through his recent eBook, A Business Leader’s Guide to Driving Diversity Inclusion in the Workplace. Thompson started his career path in the technology industry, growing a local software firm from 16 employees to 130 before leading its acquisition to a global tech firm. Now, this African-American CEO with a diverse leadership background including Triangle-based firms Walk West and Creative Allies, shares his new book which encapsulates what diversity means in the modern workplace and how all types of leaders can benefit from embracing the concept.  

“There’s all different slices of diversity. If you’re attacking complex problems in any environment, the different types of thinking coalesced against a common goal are going to give you a stronger positive outcome,” Thompson said in a recent episode of his podcast titled Hustle Unlimited. “If you’re going to build something great, then it should be great enough to be inclusive. If you’re going to build an amazing company, it should be amazing enough that it’s inclusive. If your goals are big enough then the tent should be large.”  

Donald Thompson credits his mentors and colleagues as factors in the equation to his success. He believes that taking time to understand different cultures, thought processes and ideas induces an environment where people are more capable of creating unique solutions. These beliefs, along with a second eBook that focuses on a methodology to communicate effectively, solve challenges and make better decisions, are just part of his process of sharing the experience and lessons he’s learned along the way. “The reason that the eBook is free is that I have been very fortunate in terms of how to create income and grow companies,” Thompson explained. “So building this book out and this message is just part of the give-back and what I owe for any success that I’ve had.” The book can be downloaded for free at donaldthompson.com.

I had a chance to interview him to learn more.

Why did you write this book? 

Over the years, I have been able to experience the pains and the progress associated with being a person of color.  The area where I have grown the most occurred when I aligned myself with strong mentors and took personal responsibility for winning regardless of roadblocks.  These learnings were so impactful to my business success that sharing them with others has become a part of my personal give back and leadership development platform for those I coach.  The book is a formalized way to share insights with others. 

Why is it important for business leaders to focus on diversity? 

Today's business environment is hypercompetitive and the teams that deploy diverse teams are the ones that apply high impact thinking on behalf of their clients. When you look at the metrics associated with embracing diversity it just makes sense. For example: 

Companies in the top quartile for racial and ethnic diversity are 35% more likely to have financial returns above their national industry medians, and those in the top quartile for gender diversity are 15% more likely to see greater financial returns, according to the McKinsey report “Diversity Matters.”

How can businesses make sure they are supportive of a wide variety of people from different backgrounds?

The key step towards creating an inclusive culture is your recruiting process. We all have a tendency to hire people that look like us or that attended our alma mater or even referrals from friends.  This creates a pipeline that limits diverse thinking. In order to create support for people of different backgrounds, the leadership of the organization must make diversity and inclusion a high priority issue that aligns with the goals, reward systems, and measures of the firm's success.  The reason I couple diversity and inclusion is that it is not enough to just hire for diversity.  It is important that these resources also have a seat at the table, so to speak, to share their thoughts and ideas to contribute to the business and the direction of the organization. 

At our firm Walk West, 47% of the director and above leaders are female.  That shows in a meaningful way that our hiring and promotion is aligned with our values of inclusion.  The bottom line is that the leadership must make diversity and inclusion important.

How can employees help make their workplace more inclusive?

One of the things that I find most helpful is employee feedback. Employees that take opportunities to formulate and share ideas accompanied by a willingness to participate is important. An example would be to volunteer to be a part of community outreach programs that supports diverse schools.  Another is to support recruiting by having employees volunteer to assist HR in the interviewing process to help shield the firm from unconscious bias. Finally, employees that are high performers get noticed, and with that recognition comes an opportunity and credibility to influence leadership.

Thompson has led or participated in multiple successful exits to firms like Adobe, KPIT and Beringer Capital and is an emeritus member of the strategic advisory board for NCSU‘s Computer Science Department. He additionally serves as a mentor for Google for Entrepreneurs Exchange: Black Founders and recently served as a judge for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund OFC Hackathon pitch competition. Thompson also was recently featured as the keynote speaker at the 2019 NCPRSA InSpire Awards in Raleigh, North Carolina where he was able to share his experience on award-winning digital campaigns and his investments in portfolio firms including RageOn, Dropsource, Gryppers, SpokeHub and iCiDigital.

About Walk West:
Walk West is a full-service digital marketing agency that specializes in strategic communications, web design and development, digital media, video production, government relations, professional development, and media placement. It was founded in 2007 and remains driven by its values of collaboration, accountability, curiosity, transparency, adaptability, and care. In 2018, Walk West debuted on Inc Magazine's list of fastest-growing private companies, the Inc. 5000. Learn more athttps://walkwest.com/