Why is leadership for cultural diversity important?

Why is cultural diversity important Australia is home to many different cultures and languages Government, business and the community sector need to be responsive to the communities they serve Organisations that understand diversity are stronger and more customer focussed DiverseWerks |

Why does leadership matter? The most important contribution a CEO can make towards meaningfully social progress within and outside an organisation is committing to a purpose and set of values, then drive change. Leaders drive the culture of the organisation Leaders are responsible for driving service delivery Leaders model appropriate behavior for an organisation https://www.pwc.com.au/ceo-agenda/ceo-survey/2018/aligning-purpose-to-restore-trust.html

What does NSW look like? 27.6% of the NSW population were born overseas This is or over 2 million people 25% of people in NSW speak a language other than English at home This is almost 2 million people In Sydney this increases to 37% of the population born overseas DiverseWerks |

Sydney snapshot – languages other than English at home 41% 60.2% 65.6% 70.8% 53.3% 51.9% DiverseWerks |

The Business Case Effectively servicing culturally diverse communities isn’t only the ethical and responsible thing to do, it makes business sense: “More diverse companies are better able to attract top talent; to improve their customer orientation, employee satisfaction and decision making; and secure their license to operate” McKinsey 2018 Organisations should better value global experience and multiple cultural identities, and the benefits these cultural assets can bring, when making recruitment, promotion and appointment decisions. Diversity Council of Australia, 2015 https://www.dca.org.au/blog/busting-culture-club-how-australias-companies-can-harness-benefits-cultural-diversity MkCkinsey ‘Delivering through Diversity, 2018

The Business Case By leveraging the diversity and cultural capability of your organisation, leaders can also achieve: Improved organisational performance Cost savings Better staff retention Lower absenteeism Increased creativity and innovation Higher quality problem-solving in teams Increased understanding of client groups Enhanced organisational flexibility. https://www.dca.org.au/blog/busting-culture-club-how-australias-companies-can-harness-benefits-cultural-diversity MkCkinsey ‘Delivering through Diversity, 2018

Why diversity matters Cindy Hook, CEO, Deloittes Australia: “Cultural diversity is about the hard facts. Deloittes is changing. The market is changing. And all of Australia is changing.” We have to understand these changes and where necessary, alter perceptions within the firm in order to have a strong organisation that understands and nurtures all of its talented people. DiverseWerks |

Cultural diversity in the public sector In the public sector there is a moral case for diversity and inclusion – it is the ‘right thing to do’ Senior leaders must be engaged to build support and commitment A diverse and inclusive public sector contributes to improved public engagement with government services Source: NSW Public Sector Commission (2018) Diversity and Inclusion in the NSW Public Sector: A conversation DiverseWerks |

Leaders drive organisational culture Diversity and inclusion result in high performance Leaders need to create a culture of inclusion where all employees can leverage their capabilities for the benefit of the organisation Effective leaders understand how to talk about culture and to engage with people from diverse cultural backgrounds and respond to the needs of a diverse client base.