The Includers : The 7 Traits of Culturally Savvy, Anti-Racist Leaders

Learn to be a leader who is not simply “against racism,” but who actively advocates for diversity, equity, and inclusion as an anti-racist ally.

It’s a simple fact that the people who make policy and oversee government, sports, business, and the arts and entertainment are most commonly white men. Another fact: We cannot achieve meaningful progress if we exclude the very people who have the power to make systemic change.

This easy-to-read handbook is free of any attempts to shame, blame, or guilt leaders for the choices they made in the past or privileges they were born with. Instead, readers will learn to view the work they do through a racial equity lens so they can easily and immediately begin making changes.

In The Includers, Colette Phillips explores the core qualities that inclusive leaders share: character, cultural intelligence, connections, communications, collaboration, courage, and commitment. With humor and poignance, and backed by research, Phillips shares stories of real Includers: the CEOs, politicians, and public figures—all white male allies—she’s admired, known, and, in some cases, counseled.

For leaders who are ready to do their part and get beyond today’s “anti-woke” rhetoric, this eye-opening guide demonstrates the business imperative of diversity, equity, and inclusion and offers practical, actionable insights from allies and advocates who are willing to listen, learn, and “lead from behind” to create sustainable systemic change.

Colette A.M. Phillips is president and CEO of Colette Phillips Communications, Inc., and founder and president of The GK Fund and the multicultural professional and business networking organization Get Konnected! For 30 years, Colette has been a powerful voice and effective agent of change in one of America’s oldest cities. An immigrant Black woman from the Caribbean island of Antigua described by Boston Magazine as “Boston’s Great Connector” and cited by Boston Globe for “changing the conversation about diversity in Boston,” she was the subject of a Harvard Business School case study for creating a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion ecosystem. Colette has brought her passion, power, and wisdom to publications and C-suites around the globe. She has spent a lifetime making workplaces more inclusive, opening them to new markets, talent, and possibilities.