What does it mean to go from an ally to a partner? What does it mean to adapt a true mindset of “We are all in this together?” Finally, what does it mean to move form ally to partner and develop a “We are all in this together” mindset, specifically as it relates to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)? What it means is that whether we are talking about schools, government groups, or corporations, these steps cannot occur successfully without leadership advisory services. Leadership advisory services can be defined as “consulting offerings that help organizations enhance their leadership effectiveness through tailored development programs, coaching, and succession planning.” In an era that many like me have defined as anti-DEI, leadership advisory services have been crucial for helping leaders navigate these waters.
Over the last few years, we have seen increased attacks against DEI. From schools to nonprofit associations, and from government groups to corporations, there has been a concerted effort to prevent organizations from embracing DEI. Schools from kindergarten to college altered or even completely dropped their efforts to make their schools more inclusive, including private school snot tied to federal funding. This included public schools across the country to storied higher education institutions like Columbia University and Harvard. Many corporations like Target and Tractor Supply announced DEI rollback initiatives. Law firms like the legendary major law firm Paul Weiss not only rolled back their DEI initiatives, but actively sought ways to partner with the Trump administration to work with the government as Trump saw fit. Lastly, local, state, and federal programs were not only halted, but new policies were enacted to favor White, cisgendered men, who were also encouraged by the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC) to file lawsuits for discrimination.
For those of us who work in the DEI space as speakers and training facilitators like I do, it has indeed been a trying time. I can recount story after story of people who lost their jobs as members of their organization’s DEI decisions. I can tell you stories of DEI practitioners who primarily made their income from government programs who lost nearly all their income. I can tell you stories of DEI practitioners who completely left the industry and engaged in other work like becoming substitute teachers. One White female colleague who works in the DEI space with me said chillingly that “My White privilege is not protecting me right now.” It has indeed been a trying time. Despite these real challenges, I am seeing some glimmers of hope, and these glimmers are due to leadership and, more importantly, leadership advisory services that are helping leaders deal with the anti-DEI movement.
I am happy to write that I am seeing a backlash to the anti-DEI backlash. Many schools are seeing the consequences of removing diverse stories from their curricula. New law firms have emerged from people who quit the law firms that capitulated because DEI still means something to them; in addition to smaller firms that never wavered and now have larger platforms. Some universities like the University of Chicago announced this year that they will start offering free tuition in 2027 for families making under $250,000 a year to make sure they are attracting diverse talent. Many corporations have been found to not have cancelled their DEI programs but changed the names of the programs to avoid scrutiny from the Trump administration. These actions are possible because of the leadership advisory services that many of these schools and organizations engage in.
According to MSNOW opinion writer Ja’Han Jones, many private companies without federal funding have continuedtheir DEI efforts. Other companies have gone to court to fight to maintain their DEI programs and won. He cites how companies may move from terms like DEI to “Belonging” and similar phrases. He cites Nancy Levine Stearns article from Impactivize stating that shareholders of 30 companies worth $13 trillion dollars voted 30-0 to defeat anti-DEI proposals, and most votes won with 98-99 percent of voting shares. This includes companies like Costco, Apple, and Levi-Strauss. Apple is notable because outgoing Apple CEO Tim Cook has maintained close ties to Trump.
Furthermore, companies like McDonald’s, Walmart, Boeing, John Deere, and Caterpillar, according to Stearns, voted to continue DEI initiatives in 2025 after announcing DEI rollbacks after Trump won the 2024 election and issued an executive order ending all DEI initiatives. These actions result from leadership from CEOs, company & university presidents, and board members & shareholders working in conjunction with their leadership advisors.
Some powerful comments from leaders of organizations in support of DEI included from Stearns included:
“We run an inclusive organization, and we’re going to continue to run an inclusive organization.” – David Solomon (Chairman & CEO of Goldman Sachs).
“The winds blow, but there are some fundamental truths for those 98 years…We welcome all to our hotels and we create opportunities for all—and fundamentally those will never change. The words might change, but that’s who we are as a company.” Anthony Capuano, President & CEO of Marriott.
“Our diversity is a key competitive advantage in terms of our results.” Tarang Amin, CEO of e.l.f. Beauty
“If these are the policies you see as offensive, I must tell you I am not prepared to change.” Ron Vachris, President of Costco in response to a consumer’s email.
These types of statements come from CEOs and company presidents leaning on their leadership advisory teams and not bowing to political pressure. It comes from advisors who aid in reminding leaders that study after study from the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) and others show that companies that are more diverse are more successful. It comes from leaders understanding that having organizations where everyone can be celebrated and not tolerated helps keeps their companies, and their country, on the path to making America as good as its promise. Leadership advisory services help schools, associations, and corporations to keep that promise.
Dr. Omekongo Dibinga, CSP, is the founding director of UPstander International, and Senior Professorial Lecturer at American University where he teaches Intercultural Communication. He provides leadership & DEI consulting services for organizations nationally and internationally. For more information, please visit www.upstanderinternational.com.
