Inclusify

Have you ever felt torn between wanting to fit in and wanting to stand out? That tension—between belonging and being your authentic self—sits at the heart of Stefanie K. Johnson’s Inclusify. She argues that leaders must learn to cultivate cultures where people can feel both unique and part of something larger. The book reveals how inclusion isn’t simply about diversity metrics; it’s about the daily behaviors that make people feel valued, seen, and accepted.

Johnson contends that inclusion arises from balancing two deeply human needs: the desire for belonging and the desire for uniqueness. Leaders often excel at one but neglect the other—creating workplaces that either demand conformity or highlight differences without connection. By exploring real corporate case studies, psychological research, and leadership archetypes, Johnson outlines how organizations can move beyond superficial diversity efforts to truly Inclusify—creating environments where everyone thrives.

The Two Core Drives: Belonging and Uniqueness

Humans are wired with two competing drives: we want to be accepted, yet we crave individuality. Belonging matters because social rejection activates the same pain centers in the brain as physical injury. At work, leaders often try to make people fit the existing culture—hiring for "culture fit" and inadvertently excluding difference. But belonging without space for individuality leads to conformity and burnout. On the other hand, focusing solely on uniqueness can alienate people who feel disconnected from the group. True inclusion exists in the space where both coexist.

Why Diversity Efforts Fail

Although corporations invest billions in diversity programs, representation at the top levels of leadership remains staggeringly low. Johnson points out that only 5% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women, and a tiny fraction represent people of color. Why? Because most inclusion programs stop at diversity—hiring individuals who look different but are expected to act the same. Leaders often fail to value diverse perspectives or fail to weave belonging into the fabric of the organization. Mere representation doesn’t guarantee inclusion or innovation.

The Six Leadership Archetypes and the Four Follies

Through her interviews with hundreds of executives, Johnson identifies six archetypes and four common follies. The follies are traps leaders fall into when they miss either uniqueness, belonging, or both. These include the Meritocracy Manager who prizes fairness but stifles diversity, the Culture Crusader who builds great cohesion but excludes outsiders, the Team Player who assimilates to the dominant group, the White Knight who paternalistically protects others, the Shepherd who supports selectively, and the Optimist who hopes inclusion will happen naturally but never acts decisively.

Each archetype reflects how good intentions can go awry. For example, a Meritocracy Manager might believe they’re being objective by hiring purely on performance, yet unconscious bias leads them to favor candidates who resemble themselves. Culture Crusaders, in contrast, create strong, unified teams but risk groupthink when everyone “fits the culture” too perfectly. In short, these leaders focus on either belonging or uniqueness—but rarely both.

How Inclusifiers Rise Above

Inclusifiers consciously practice behaviors that honor both drives. They celebrate difference and create psychological safety for belonging. Across industries—from PayPal to Airbnb to Salesforce—the best leaders model empathy, transparency, and courage. When PayPal’s CEO Dan Schulman discovered a gender pay gap, he invested millions to fix it. At Airbnb, Brian Chesky turned a crisis over race discrimination into a cultural shift toward belonging. These leaders act, measure progress, and change systems rather than issuing hollow statements.

Why It Matters Now

In a post-#MeToo and increasingly diverse world, learning to Inclusify is no longer optional. It’s a moral and business imperative. Diverse organizations outperform their competitors in innovation, profitability, and growth, but only when inclusion moves beyond metrics. Johnson challenges readers to expand their empathy, examine biases, and design workplaces where individuals can be fully themselves and deeply connected. For leaders, Inclusifying means shifting from avoiding difference to embracing it—so that belonging and uniqueness fuel shared success.

Every human brain processes millions of bits of information per second, yet we’re conscious of only a handful. That imbalance makes shortcuts inevitable—and those shortcuts manifest as unconscious bias. Stefanie Johnson explains how prototypes in our minds associate certain roles with certain types of people. When you think of a CEO, for example, your mental image may default to a white male in a suit—even if you consciously believe women and minorities make excellent leaders.

The ABCs of Breaking Bias

Johnson offers a simple model: Admit it, Block it, Count it. First, you must admit the bias exists; denial reinforces it through what psychologist Daniel Wegner called the paradoxical effect of thought suppression. Trying not to think about bias—like trying not to think about a white bear—actually makes the bias stronger. Second, block bias by changing systems, not people. Anonymized evaluations, for instance, dramatically shift outcomes: when GapJumpers removed names from job applications, the percentage of women and minorities who advanced doubled. Third, count it. What’s measured matters. Setting specific diversity goals and tracking progress makes inclusion measurable rather than aspirational.

Seeing Prototypes in Action

Johnson illustrates how prototypes distort perception. When colleagues assumed she was home more often after giving birth, they didn’t intend harm—they simply activated the mental image of a mother prioritizing family. Unconscious associations—even benevolent ones—can curb opportunity. The same bias leads people to describe competent women as “aggressive” for traits celebrated in men. Recognizing these patterns is vital to changing organizational culture.

Measuring Diversity Over Time

For leaders, Johnson suggests concrete benchmarks. Don’t just compare your organization’s gender ratio to national averages—compare it to industry leaders or local demographics. Crowe LLP, for instance, noticed that while half of its new hires were women, only 20% of senior managers were. Data revealed systemic barriers that could be addressed through mentorship and transparent promotion criteria. When companies measure representation not only at entry-level but across levels, meaningful insights emerge.

Breaking bias, Johnson concludes, isn’t about perfection—it’s about continuous awareness and accountability. As Anthony Greenwald and Mahzarin Banaji (authors of Blindspot) note, everyone carries hidden biases; courage lies in confronting them and designing systems that prevent them from deciding outcomes.

What does it truly mean to hire the "best person for the job"? Johnson dismantles the myth that meritocracy automatically yields fairness. In a world shaped by privilege, networks, and bias, equating success with merit alone perpetuates inequality. Studies show identical resumes earn fewer callbacks when the applicant has a Black-sounding name. Clearly, merit isn’t neutral—it’s filtered through perception.

The Myth That Meritocracy Means Majority

In one experiment, HR professionals rated equally qualified male and female candidates. When told their company promoted meritocracy, they favored the male candidate. Why? Believing the system is fair activates pro–white-male bias, leading evaluators to unconsciously equate merit with majority traits. Johnson urges leaders to drop the buzzword “meritocracy” altogether and instead define specific, measurable criteria for success.

Defining Criteria Before Assessing

Johnson advocates the “D-C-B-A rule”—Define Criteria Before Assessing. When assessment precedes criteria, we invent new standards to justify favorites, a process psychologist Eric Uhlmann calls “constructed criteria.” In hiring, that means we unconsciously adjust job requirements to fit preferred candidates. Establishing clear qualifications first helps counter bias: list the skills required and evaluate all candidates against the same rubric.

Dead Zones and Diversity’s Wisdom

Johnson uses the metaphor of a “dead zone”—like the blind spot in a car mirror—to show how homogeneity clouds judgment. Teams composed of similar thinkers miss entire areas of insight. Diverse teams, however, make better decisions because errors cancel out in the aggregate—a phenomenon known as the “wisdom of the crowd.” True merit lies not in sameness but in complementarity: a quarterback needs linemen, not clones.

(Note: This reasoning mirrors Scott Page’s argument in The Diversity Bonus—diverse thinking creates collective accuracy.) Meritocracy without inclusion yields blind spots; inclusion amplifies intelligence by combining unique skills. Johnson concludes: if you want the real “best person,” ensure they bring a different lens to the table.

A vibrant, cohesive culture can feel like magic—inside jokes, shared values, effortless rapport. But Stefanie Johnson warns that those tight-knit environments often slip into conformity. Culture Crusaders pride themselves on harmony but sacrifice creativity. They hire for chemistry—people they’d “want to have a beer with”—replicating themselves until their teams become echo chambers.

The Illusion of Cultural Fit

Leaders from PayPal’s early days famously disqualified candidates based on trivial markers like hobbies, believing that perfect culture fit drove performance. It did—for a while. But when everyone thinks alike, innovation stalls. Airbnb’s founder Brian Chesky discovered this firsthand when a Harvard study exposed discrimination among his homogenous workforce. Diversity was the antidote; new perspectives corrected blind spots and revitalized decision-making.

Groupthink and Conformity

Johnson recounts Solomon Asch’s famous conformity experiment: participants knowingly gave wrong answers to align with the group. Diversity halves that risk because people resist conforming to those unlike themselves. Homogeneous teams may feel cohesive but make poorer choices. Diverse groups, while messy, achieve greater accuracy. Leaders must prefer discomfort over consensus; friction sparks innovation.

Culture Swap: From Fun to Functional

Toxic cultures often masquerade as fun. Johnson cites examples from Silicon Valley—companies hosting strip-club events and macho brawls under the guise of bonding. These practices exclude women and minorities, promoting aggression over trust. Inclusifiers design culture swaps: replacing beer-soaked outings with community volunteering, replacing “boys’ nights” with gender-neutral social events. Sustainable cultures value respect, not revelry.

Language matters too. Inclusive leaders update outdated speech—no “girls” for female employees, no slurs masked as humor. It’s about evolving the organization’s lexicon in the same way software evolves. As Johnson quips, “You wouldn’t code in MS-DOS; don’t communicate in stereotypes.”

Johnson’s Team Player archetype describes leaders—often women or minorities—who succeed by assimilating into the dominant culture. They worked hard to fit in, survived male-dominated industries, and now hold others to the same strict standards. But by distancing themselves from their identity groups, Team Players can inadvertently shut the door behind them. The challenge is transforming from self-preservation to advocacy.

The Queen Bee Syndrome

Research from Naomi Ellemers and Belle Derks calls this “the Queen Bee phenomenon”: women who endure bias rise to leadership but disassociate from other women to protect their status. Johnson’s interviews reveal that many Team Players fear losing special recognition if others like them advance. Reina, a Latina lawyer, admitted subconsciously criticizing female candidates more harshly to seem fair. Over time, she realized she was perpetuating the inequality that once limited her own ascent.

Overcoming Stereotype Threat

Team Players often internalize anxiety over confirming stereotypes—a concept from Claude Steele’s research. When women lead male-heavy teams, awareness of gender bias can undermine confidence and performance. Johnson’s lab found that simply reminding female leaders of gender imbalance reduced effectiveness. But strength in numbers helps: when three or more women serve on boards, the stereotype threat dissolves and collaboration flourishes.

Adopt a Growth Mindset

To shift mindset, Johnson turns to Carol Dweck’s work on growth versus fixed mindsets. Seeing ability as malleable negates stereotypes, emphasizing development over innate talent. Leaders can model curiosity and generosity—Adam Grant’s research in Give and Take shows that givers thrive. Mentoring, amplifying others, and banning bullying restore trust. When Team Players replace competition with contribution, they become true Inclusifiers.

Not all bias appears hostile; sometimes it wears armor. Johnson’s White Knight archetype represents men who champion women or minorities—but in ways that imply fragility. They rescue rather than empower. Shepherds, their female or minority counterparts, support their own groups but risk alienating others. Both arise from genuine care but misdirected execution.

In Good Faith, Wrong Impact

Consider Sandi Mays, an executive who often faced benevolent sexism: bosses telling her to “go home to her kids” while male peers stayed late. Such protection signals low expectations. When women accept help in contexts tied to competence—like technical tasks—they’re often seen as less capable. Johnson cites studies showing that even simple acts of “helping” women correlate with perceptions of lower ability.

Lift Up, Don’t Carry

Inclusifiers replace paternalism with empowerment. Instead of shielding women from tough assignments, Mary Barra’s superiors at General Motors gave her stretch roles. Those challenges built skill—and confidence. High expectations create a “Pygmalion effect” (from Robert Rosenthal’s research): when leaders expect excellence, performance rises. White Knights can shift from saving others to entrusting them with responsibility.

Reciprocal Mentoring

Johnson highlights mutual mentorship as the antidote to one-way guidance. Veteran railroad executive Gordon Trafton calls his mentees “teachers,” not pupils. By learning from women, LGBTQ professionals, and people of color, mentors expand empathy and awareness. Programs at FedEx and Catalyst institutionalize reciprocal mentoring, pairing senior leaders with diverse employees for shared growth. The message is simple: respect flows both ways.

Shepherds, meanwhile, must practice transparency and empathy. By openly sharing decision criteria (as researcher Mikki Hebl did when nominating Johnson for a professional award), they counter perceptions of favoritism. Listening to all voices—including white men who fear exclusion—builds authentic belonging. True inclusion empowers everyone, not just the underrepresented.

Optimists believe inclusion will naturally improve over time. They mean well, but good intentions don’t drive change—action does. Johnson warns that optimism slides into complacency, the “status quo bias” where leaders assume systems will self-correct. As Katherine Maher, CEO of Wikipedia, discovered, waiting for change meant watching pay gaps persist and gender representation stagnate. She finally realized that diversity improves only when leaders deliberately prioritize it.

Fly in Front of the Radar

Inclusifiers champion inclusion visibly. PwC’s Tim Ryan responded to racial injustice by creating CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion. PayPal’s Dan Schulman took a stand against anti-LGBTQ laws even at financial cost. Crowe LLP’s Jim Powers publicly declared diversity a strategic imperative, ensuring accountability across departments. Visibility matters—when leaders model advocacy, employees align behavior accordingly.

Set SMART Goals and Accountability

Johnson connects equity to goal-setting theory: specific, measurable, realistic targets accelerate progress. Salesforce and Accenture set gender balance goals; Medtronic added diversity metrics to reviews. Accountability reinforces commitment—Crowe asked managers to justify hiring decisions to combat default bias. Leaders must track progress publicly, creating urgency for improvement.

Put Positivity Into Practice

Inclusifiers celebrate difference through joyful rituals. Sodexo’s “Champions of Diversity” program honors employees advocating inclusion. American Family Insurance and Squarespace spotlight Pride and cultural events to strengthen belonging. Even simple practices—shared meals, games, or monthly questions—build connection. Fun drives empathy; engagement follows. As Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson exemplifies, compassion and inclusion aren’t separate from business success—they are its engine.

Johnson closes by reminding leaders that inclusion isn’t accidental—it’s intentional. Optimists become Inclusifiers when they turn good will into measurable, transparent, and empathetic action. Change happens only when you do the work.