Every single one of us has multiple social identities. Some social identities might be visible, and others might be invisible. Some may be social groups we've identified with our whole lives, while others may be ones we've grown into over time. Regardless of the type, all social identities can influence how others see us, how we see others, how we connect to other individuals, and how we interpret situations and circumstances.
With a constantly evolving and increasingly diverse workforce, understanding the nuances of social identity is important and necessary, and belonging, inclusion, and respect may not happen easily or automatically. Therefore, managing and leveraging social processes has become a central aspect of leadership. Leaders and organizations who do not understand this-who cannot understand the role that identity plays in their workplace and work to span identity differences or create new identities-will not be effective.
Social Identity: Leading with Awareness, Inclusion, and Belonging is designed to help you develop awareness and knowledge of your own social identities and those of others. This, in turn, will help you cultivate inclusive work environments where all employees feel a firm sense of belonging and can show up as their whole selves.
Valerie Ehrlich, PhD is a nonprofit strategist and consultant who specializes in strategic learning, program evaluation, AI implementation, and leadership development. She previously served as the Director of the Societal Impact Insights Team at the Center for Creative Leadership, where she led evaluation and applied research across education, nonprofit, and population health sectors. Previously, she served as aResearch Assistant Professor at the University of Virginia's School of Education and Human Development. Valerie holds a BS in Psychology from Stetson University and a PhD. in Social-Personality Psychology from the Graduate Center, City University of New York. Her work focuses on emergent learning, organizational culture transformation, and the intersection of AI and leadership development.
Cathleen Clerkin, PhD is the associate vice president of research at Candid, a data and research nonprofit. She is also an affiliated research scientist at the Center for Effective Organizations at the University of Southern California. Before joining Candid, Cathleen led the strategic research team at the Center for Creative Leadership. Cathleen holds a BA in Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley, and MS and PhD degrees in Psychology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the Center for Creative Leadership. She is currently based out of Charlottesville, VA.
