Though growing in population, people of color remain underrepresented in public service leadership, an issue that can and must be resolved if we are to effectively change our nation’s most pressing social issues—from education to health, the environment and increasing inequality.
Our country is now composed of one-third, or 34 percent, people of color—a population that the US Census estimates will grow to 54 percent by 2042.
However, only 16 percent of federal government leadership positions are held by people of color, and on the state level, only 15 percent of statewide elective executive positions are held by people of color. Moreover, only 18 percent of nonprofit leadership positions are filled by people of color, and only 17 percent of foundation executives are people of color.
RCLA’s research and leadership programs have long focused on the importance of diverse leadership and inclusion across organizations. When current disparities in public service leadership are addressed, the public service sectors will be better able to solve social policy dilemmas. The participation of people of color and the infusion of diverse voices and experiences into decision-making processes ensure a sense of cultural competency and effectiveness within policy-based solutions to social issues.
Leadership, Diversity & Inclusion: Insights from Scholarship
By Sonia M. Ospina, Waad El Hadidy and Grisel Caicedo with Amanda Jones, April 2011
In a report released in partnership with National Urban Fellows, RCLA scholars examine recent research on leadership and diversity, with a focus on public service. They find that scholars are linking diversity with adaptability, arguing that learning how to build organizations that effectively leverage racial diversity can foster the leadership capacity to adapt to other kinds of diversity and thrive in an increasingly complex environment. Yet there is less agreement in the literature on just how to do that. Limited empirical research in the public service field has resulted in a dearth of evidence for what works, even two decades after the diversity agenda has become a focus for public service organizations.
Advancing Diversity and Inclusion in Public Service: A Review of Leadership Development Programs in the US
By Sonia M. Ospina, Waad El Hadidy and Grisel Caicedo with Amanda Jones, April 2011
One in three Americans are people of color, yet minorities occupy just one in six leadership positions in state and federal government, nonprofits and foundations. This RCLA report offers a listing of leadership development programs at the regional and national levels that are dedicated to supporting leaders of color, committed to diversity and open to all public service leaders, or that focus on diversity management.
Advancing Diversity and Inclusion in Public Service: A Guide to Leading Change
By the Research Center for Leadership in Action and National Urban Fellows, June 2011
While diversity has increased in the public service workforce, it is still largely lacking at senior levels. This guide from RCLA and National Urban Fellows shares practical steps for individuals and organizations to foster inclusion. The report highlights specific elements for developing an inclusive organization, questions to consider in tracking progress and NUF's new Inclusive Leadership Model.
A critical review of race and ethnicity in the leadership literature: Surfacing context, power and the collective dimensions of leadership
By Sonia Ospina and Erica Gabrielle Foldy. Leadership Quarterly Yearly Review of Leadership. Vol. 20, (2009), 876-896.
Weaving Color Lines: Race, Ethnicity, and the Work of Leadership in Social Change Organizations
By Sonia Ospina and Celina Su. Leadership (2009) 5; 131.
Power, Safety and Learning in Racially Diverse Groups
By Erica Gabrielle Foldy, Peter Rivard, and Tamara R. Buckley. Academy of Management Learning and Education (2009) Vol. 8, No. 1, 25–41.
