Why I want to eradicate “cultural competency”
Only a quarter of white Americans have a friend of color. And for most, their first meaningful interaction with someone of a different...
INCLUSION IS LEADERSHIP
Thank you for subscribing to my newsletter! I believe that Inclusion is the #1 trait among innovative leaders today. Sign up for Inclusion is Leadership, a weekly newsletter on tips and strategies to create a culture of belonging! Whether you manage a large team or are a solopreneur, inclusive leadership is key to your success.
Follow me on LinkedIn too, where you can easily connect with other inclusive leaders, like yourself. I look forward to being in conversation and community with you!
-Ruchika
PAST ISSUES
A selection of Inclusion is Leadership posts will be published a week after the newsletter goes out to my community. Some are subscriber-only. Please subscribe to have full access.
- Jun 7
- 2 min
How My Baby Niece Gave Me the Strength To Carry On
It’s amazing — but also clearly a lesson I need to keep learning again — how different I feel after I rest. I was lucky enough to have...
- May 31
- 2 min
Stories like this are *exactly* why I wrote my book
I grew up subscribing to the ideals of meritocracy. I was born in Singapore, a tiny island-city-state founded on the principle that if...
- May 25
- 2 min
When We Underpay People, We Don’t Believe They’ll Succeed
I’m often expected to be grateful for what I’m offered. I also risk facing harsher penalties if I try to negotiate a raise or salary...
- May 10
- 4 min
30 publishers rejected my book.
My book Inclusion On Purpose was rejected by 30 publishers. And all it takes is ONE good yes. ONE good yes later, and Inclusion on...
- May 3
- 2 min
Why Women of Color Don’t Need (more) Training Programs
Tell me if this sounds familiar: “I’m so supportive of what you’re doing. I’d love to have you join a training program we recently...
- Apr 26
- 2 min
Two Big Lessons From Justice KBJ’s Confirmation
I––like so many of you––was overcome with emotion when I heard that Ketanji Brown Jackson’s appointment to the Supreme Court of the...
- Apr 20
- 3 min
Ally is a verb. Not a noun.
I received some disappointing feedback recently. After a presentation I was excited about, I learned that one of my favorite cartoons was...
- Apr 13
- 3 min
Lessons From an Exhilarating and Exhausting Month!
I love hearing from you. I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it: getting responses and feedback from readers is more meaningful to...
- Apr 5
- 2 min
The Inherent Bias In “Professionalism” and “Authenticity” at Work
I think often about what’s considered “professional” or “authentic” in workplace culture. Certain hairstyles. Certain names. Certain...
- Mar 29
- 2 min
I’m Over the Term “Microaggressions.” Here’s Why.
The first time a coworker commented on my “unpronounceable” name, they insisted it was a compliment. But I didn’t feel complimented. I...
- Mar 23
- 3 min
On Equal Pay Day, Can We Also Have an Equal Credit Day?
Sometime last week, in the midst of all the chaos around promoting Inclusion on Purpose, it dawned on me that I was making a big mistake....
- Mar 8
- 2 min
Achieving an Impossible Dream
Get married and become a mother. When I was a little girl, that was the message I got from all around me, even my own family members: My...
- Mar 1
- 2 min
Ijeoma Oluo Taught Me a Masterclass on How To Amplify Women of Color
The Establishment was a women-funded-and-run media startup where I worked in 2015. In many ways, The Establishment was well ahead of its...
- Feb 19
- 1 min
Buy My New Book From These Great Women of Color-Owned Bookstores
One way to practice inclusion every day is by being intentional about who owns the stores you buy from. Below is a list of bookstores...
- Feb 15
- 2 min
I’m Thanking You With an Exclusive Chapter From My New Book
My book Inclusion on Purpose was supposed to come out on February 8th. I spent most of last year with this date planted firmly in my...
- Feb 8
- 4 min
Can you be successful without self-promotion?
Growing up in Asia and living in the UK and a number of British ex-colonies, one of the core tenets I learned for how to operate in...
- Feb 1
- 3 min
Why I Believe 2022 Is the Year for Inclusive Leadership
We don’t see many models of inclusive leadership in practice. But I believe — and hope — that will change in 2022. Last week I shared one...
- Jan 25
- 3 min
Do You Agree With My Inclusion Prediction for 2022?
There’s a big gap — a chasm, even — between knowing that inclusion is a priority… …and taking personal responsibility to drive it. As the...
- Jan 19
- 3 min
In 2022, More Leaders Are Naming Their Privilege
In 2022, I’m noticing a monumental shift in how leaders approach inclusion: More corporate leaders are speaking openly about how...
- Dec 16, 2021
- 2 min
The Best Holiday Gift I’m Giving Myself
I’m writing to you from Singapore, where I’m sinking into the comfort of my family and home country like a bath. I hope wherever you’re...
- Dec 14, 2021
- 3 min
Pay Your Speakers. Full Stop.
If I’m never asked to speak for free again, it’s too soon. Yes, I know that doesn’t quite make sense, but I hope it conveys to you my...
- Dec 7, 2021
- 2 min
How To Never Have an All-White, Male Conference Again
If I had a cent for every time I’ve been invited to speak on a “manel,” or “whanel” (a word I’ve seen thrown around to describe an...
- Nov 23, 2021
- 4 min
Do Inclusive Events Mean the End of Fun?
“Do you want to come to my party?” Think back to the last time you uttered those words — especially to someone you didn’t know very well....
- Nov 9, 2021
- 3 min
When We Don’t Consciously Invite Others, We Unconsciously Exclude Them
I once worked with a team that practiced what felt like an egalitarian decision-making process. We would meet, discuss challenges and...
- Nov 3, 2021
- 3 min
When People Aren't Curious, it Breeds Exclusion
I see a disturbing lack of curiosity in professional and social settings. It concerns me. Without being curious about other people and...
- Oct 28, 2021
- 3 min
Three Ways To Undo This Stat: ¾ of White People Have No Friends of Color
I grew up in a conservative culture, where I was taught — many times over — that there was no question that gender is binary. 🤯 For the...
- Oct 28, 2021
- 3 min
Three-Quarters of White Americans Have No Friends of Color
I grew up in a conservative culture, where I was taught — many times over — that there was no question that gender is binary. 🤯 Now I...
- Oct 28, 2021
- 3 min
On Wearing Indian Clothes to Work
This is a story about clothes. And culture. And a memoir. And feeling seen. And — well, let me tell you the story: “Actually, I never...
- Oct 28, 2021
- 4 min
5 Ways Women of Color Can Say “Nope” to Office Housework
When I worked in corporate, it took very little time for me to realize I was expected to do a disproportionate amount of “office...
- Oct 28, 2021
- 3 min
5 Tried-and-True Scripts To Refuse Office Housework
It’s never up to you to “fix” systemic problems. Racism is not your fault. Sexism is not your fault. And neither is this unfortunate...
- Oct 28, 2021
- 3 min
When Women of Color Get Asked To Do Office Housework
You’re in an all-day strategy session with your team. It’s coming up on the lunch hour. Without fail, all the heads in the room swivel...
- Oct 27, 2021
- 2 min
How To Respond When You’re Interrupted in a Meeting
On LinkedIn, I wrote about the challenges and perils of speaking up as a woman of color at work. The first step in addressing a problem...
- Sep 14, 2021
- 2 min
Speaking Up as a Woman of Color at Work
Imagine you’re having lunch with your boss on your first day in a new job. They tilt their head at you, perplexed. “But if you’re from...
- Aug 3, 2021
- 2 min
Inclusion on Purpose Cover Reveal
I am honored and excited to share my BIG news with you. But first, a staggering statistic: Eighty-nine percent of published books are...
- Jul 27, 2021
- 2 min
How I Cope With Rejection
It’s easy to wallow in self-pity when you get rejected. I caught myself doing it this week. So to ground myself, I took a trip down...
- Jul 20, 2021
- 2 min
Go Where You’re Celebrated, Not Just Tolerated
A revolution is happening. I’ve been seeing it for a while, but it burst into bright, brilliant bloom last week thanks to Nikole...
- Jul 13, 2021
- 3 min
A Design Flaw That Impacts Hu(Man) Kind
My life’s purpose is to share stories that are underreported and overlooked. So for this letter, I’m turning over the keys to Jasmine...
- Jul 6, 2021
- 2 min
Going Back to the Office Is Fraught for Many
Every Monday morning, my stomach would be in knots as I walked into the office. I knew what was in store. My coworkers would talk about...
- Jun 28, 2021
- 2 min
Taking Breaks Is Inclusive Leadership
Seven years ago, I walked away from my last full-time office job. I chose entrepreneurship for a variety of reasons (the usual suspects:...
- Jun 15, 2021
- 3 min
The Hidden Bias in Rescheduling Meetings
Last week, I had to reschedule a meeting at the last minute. I went back and forth about the reason to give–it was sudden enough that I...
- Jun 8, 2021
- 2 min
Remote Work Is Not a Women’s Issue
Six years ago I heard of an approach to workplace D&I (we were yet to use “Equity” in daily-speak) that changed my mind: Do not make...
- Jun 1, 2021
- 3 min
Note to Self: Workplace Burnout Is Not Normal
I recently saw a tweet (from 2019) that captured what I’ve observed everywhere in the past year: Bone-tired exhaustion. I’m observing...
- May 26, 2021
- 3 min
A Real-Life Example of Performative Inclusion vs. Inclusive Leadership
It’s been more than a year since we plunged into a global pandemic. Depending on where you live, your skin color, your socioeconomic...
- May 18, 2021
- 2 min
When Facebook Inc. Asked for My Advice on Inclusion
Facebook announced last week that a certain former president would continue to be banned on its platform. The decision was made not by...
- May 11, 2021
- 5 min
Your Role in Addressing the Gender Pay Gap
I’d be remiss if I didn’t share with you how many ways my heart has broken in the past few weeks, as I watch my beloved India contend...
- May 4, 2021
- 3 min
Negotiation Won’t Fix the Gender Wage Gap
I’m a good negotiator. I’ve observed how the men in my life (primarily, my partner) negotiate everything–from buying a car to rental...
- Apr 27, 2021
- 4 min
The Opposite of Inclusive Hiring
After the continuing heartache of last week, I had to switch off. I took three full days away from work to drive along the coast and...
- Apr 20, 2021
- 3 min
Inclusive Hiring Begins With You
I write this letter with a heavy heart as we confront ongoing violence and racism against communities of color, particularly brutality...
- Apr 13, 2021
- 2 min
Why I Don't Want You to Hire Diverse People
Incredible women I know are searching for jobs right now. They’re brilliant, qualified and would be a great addition to any workplace....