54 Diversity and Inclusion Quotes to Inspire a Better Company Culture
Diversity and inclusion have been among the most discussed topics across industries last year. Though there has been an increase in efforts to address the issues surrounding it in the most recent years, the unforeseen events from the global pandemic have put greater emphasis for companies to make it among the top priorities.
Dan Schawbel, Author and Managing Partner at Workplace Intelligence, recently wrote an article about The Leaders Championing The Diversity and Inclusion Movement. In his article, Dan mentioned the various measures companies have already taken to address DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) in their organizations.
He explains how the mantra “when you see something, say something” is not enough anymore, as it is now a time for “when you see something, do something,” because stakeholders are already expecting action, transformation and permanent change.
The call to celebrate, acknowledge and represent unique and diverse backgrounds has never been more important or relevant as it is today.
CultureAlly has compiled quotes from leaders and key influencers from various sectors that will inspire you to foster a better and stronger company culture.
Business Executives
“Diversity, inclusion, respect and fairness are concepts that make some people reluctant to discuss them. I work hard to create a safe, nonjudgmental and uplifting environment that makes exploring sensitive topics a positive journey for all… All programs, processes and resources reflect my belief that we are all more effective, productive and innovative when we honor and value our own uniqueness while at the same time valuing and respecting the differences of others.” - Leonora Billings-Harris, President and CEO, UbuntuGlobal
“Diversity and inclusion is less about a program, and more about helping people become comfortable enough to have a dialog about their experiences—including times when we have felt like an outsider.” - Carin Taylor, Chief Diversity Officer, Workday
“We believe diversity and inclusion are engines of innovation, creativity, progress, and happiness. Uncovering and nurturing the potential of people around the globe is our business.” - Ranjit de Sousa, President, Lee Hecht Harrison
“Diversity and inclusion, which are the real grounds for creativity, must remain at the center of what we do.” - Marco Bizzarri, CEO of Gucci
“While globalization will make the world smaller and more accessible, we must continue to appreciate its vibrant diversity.” - Jean-Philippe Courtois, Executive Vice President and President, Microsoft Global Sales, Marketing and Operations
“We believe our diversity makes us stronger, smarter, and more innovative, helping us better serve the needs of our clients, our people, and our communities.” - Julie Sweet, CEO of Accenture
“Businesses perform better when you have diversity of view in your senior leadership positions. This is not just the right thing to do socially; it's the right thing to do for your business.” - Ruth Porat, Chief Financial Officer of Alphabet Inc. and Google
“We're supposed to be bringing out-of-the-box thinking and innovation, and you cannot do that unless you've got diversity... It's everything from gender to ethnicity to geographic diversity.” - Julie Sweet, CEO of Accenture
“When we listen and celebrate what is common and different, we become a wiser, more inclusive, and better organization.” - Pat Wadors, Chief People Officer, Procore Technologies, Inc.
“We want a culture that is inclusive of everyone and where everyone who joins feels they have opportunities to succeed and grow.” - Nellie Borrero, Senior Global I&D Lead of Accenture
“Today when I think about diversity, I actually think about the word ‘inclusion.' And I think this is a time of great inclusion. It's not men, it's not women alone. Whether it's geographic, it's approach, it's your style, it's your way of learning, the way you want to contribute, it's your age - it's really broad.” - Ginni Rometty, Executive Chairman of IBM
Government Leaders
“Diversity in the world is a basic characteristic of human society, and also the key condition for a lively and dynamic world as we see today.” - Hu Jintao, Former President of People’s Republic of China
“What we have to do... is to find a way to celebrate our diversity and debate our differences without fracturing our communities.” - Hillary Clinton, Former United States Secretary of State
“We are a nation of communities... a brilliant diversity spread like stars, like a thousand points of light in a broad and peaceful sky.” - George H.W. Bush, 41st President of the United States
“We have become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams.” - Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States
“Diversity is the engine of invention. It generates creativity that enriches the world.” - Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
“Ethnic diversity adds richness to a society.” - Gary Locke, American Politician and Diplomat
“We need to reach that happy stage of our development when differences and diversity are not seen as sources of division and distrust, but of strength and inspiration.” - Josefa Iloilo, 3rd President of Fiji
“Inclusion and fairness in the workplace... is not simply the right thing to do; it's the smart thing to do.” - Alexis Herman, Former United States Secretary of Labor
Religion
“I can do things you cannot, you can do things, I cannot. Together we can do great things.” - Mother Teresa or Saint Teresa of Calcutta, Nun and Missionary
“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” - Martin Luther King, Jr., American Christian Minister and Civil Rights Activist
“A lot of different flowers make a bouquet.” - Muslim Origin
Literature and Publication
“Diversity is about all of us, and about us having to figure out how to walk through this world together.” - Jacqueline Woodson, Writer
“Diversity really means becoming complete as human beings - all of us. We learn from each other. If you're missing on that stage, we learn less. We all need to be on that stage.” - Juan Felipe Herrera, Poet
“It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength." - Maya Angelou, Poet
“We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color.” - Maya Angelou, Poet
“Everyone's values are different, and we must respect them all because that's what makes life interesting.” - Senora Roy, Poet
“I can tell you, without diversity, creativity remains stagnant.” - Edward Enninful, Editor-in-Chief of British Vogue
“We are all different, which is great because we are all unique. Without diversity life would be very boring." - Catherine Pulsifer, Writer
“Diversity: the art of thinking independently together.” - Malcolm Forbes, Entrepreneur and Publisher of Forbes Magazine
“Create unity in diversity. You're created unique so why do you have to fit in?” - Malika E Nura, Poet
“We need to give each other the space to grow, to be ourselves, to exercise our diversity. We need to give each other space so that we may both give and receive such beautiful things as ideas, openness, dignity, joy, healing, and inclusion.” - Max de Pree, Businessman and Writer
“We could learn a lot from crayons: some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, while others bright, some have weird names, but they have all learned to live in the same box.” - Robert Fulghum, Author of All I Really Need To Know, I Learned in Kindergarten
“We all live with the objective of being happy, our lives are all different and yet the same.” - Anne Frank, Diarist
Film & TV
“When we're talking about diversity, it's not a box to check. It is a reality that should be deeply felt and held and valued by all of us.” - Ava DuVernay, Filmmaker
“I think every person has their own identity and beauty. Everyone being different is what is really beautiful. If we were all the same, it would be boring.” - Tila Tequila, TV and Social Media Personality
“Our diversity is our strength. What a dull and pointless life it would be if everyone was the same.” - Angelina Jolie, Actress, Filmmaker and Humanitarian
Education
“At bottom every man knows well enough that he is a unique being, only once on this earth; and by no extraordinary chance will such a marvelously picturesque piece of diversity in unity as he is, ever be put together a second time.” - Friedrich Nietzsche, Philosopher
“We have no hope of solving our problems without harnessing the diversity, the energy, and the creativity of all our people.” - Roger Wilkins, Journalist, Professor and Civil Rights Leader
“Strength lies in differences, not in similarities.” - Stephen Covey, Author, Educator, Businessman, and Keynote Speaker
“The whole idea of a stereotype is to simplify. Instead of going through the problem of all this great diversity - that it's this or maybe that - you have just one large statement; it is this.” - Chinua Achebe, Novelist, Poet, Professor and Critic
“People may be said to resemble not the bricks of which a house is built, but the pieces of a picture puzzle, each differing in shape, but matching the rest, and thus bringing out the picture.” - Felix Adler, Professor of Political and Social Ethics
“Inclusion is not bringing people into what already exists; it is making a new space, a better space for everyone.” - George Dei, Professor and Social Justice Educator
Technology
“We need diversity of thought in the world to face the new challenges.” - Tim Berners Lee, Computer Scientist and Inventor of the World Wide Web
Thought Leaders and Influencers Across Professions
“Inclusive leadership is not a destination. It's a journey that requires humility, curiosity and courage.” - Thais Compoint, Award-Winning Global Specialist in Inclusion and Diversity
“Inclusive leadership is like good cooking: you need a chef (inclusive leader) who knows how to choose good ingredients (diversity) and how to combine them using a good recipe (inclusion).” - Thais Compoint, Award-Winning Global Specialist in Inclusion and Diversity
“Real cultural diversity results from the interchange of ideas, products, and influences, not from the insular development of a single national style.” - Tyler Cowen, Economist
“Embrace a diversity of ideas. Embrace the fact that you can disagree with people and not be disagreeable. Embrace the fact that you can find common ground - if you disagree on nine out of 10 things, but can find common ground on that 10th, maybe you can make progress. If you can find common ground, you can accomplish great things.” - David Boies, Lawyer
“Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance.” - Verna Myers, Activist
“Inclusion works to the advantage of everyone. We all have things to learn and we all have something to teach.” - Helen Henderson, Journalist and Disability Rights Activist
“We are less when we don't include everyone.” - Stuart Milk, Political Speaker and LGBT Human Rights Activist
“Variety is the spice of life.” - American Proverb
“I think people are as individual as snowflakes, they kinda look alike but no two are the exactly the same, and all classification is the root of prejudice.” - Unknown
“Inclusion is not tolerance, it is unquestioned acceptance.” - Unknown
Reading through each quote we have compiled, coming from people representing different backgrounds, it only goes to show that diversity and inclusion goes beyond an idea of thought to adapt to a changing world, it’s a common and basic need that every individual understands.
As research reflects how creating a more diverse and inclusive culture helps businesses in terms of innovation and better financial performance, studies have also shown how people grow and thrive through the positive, accepting, diverse and inclusive interactions they experience in any given community.
As each individual is given space and opportunity to thrive, unique and diverse as she/he/they are, the whole community thrives along as well.