Where are the Black Leaders in the UK?

Would it surprise you to know that Black employees hold only 1.5% of senior roles within private sector organisations in the UK?

Would it surprise you, therefore, to know that over the past 3 years, only 1.5% of the 350 delegates on Leadership Trust’s key leadership development course, Leadership in Management, were Black British?

Is Leadership Trust part of the problem, or part of the solution? Or both?

Having helped enhance the careers and leadership potential of tens of thousands of delegates worldwide, for over forty-five years, we can claim to have had a role in shaping the leadership landscape, not just in the UK, but worldwide as our delegates hail from organisations in over 80 different countries. Our bespoke and open courses are trusted by huge powerhouses and boutique organisations alike to develop their people into well rounded individuals with the skills and emotional awareness to lead thinking companies.

Leadership Trust firmly believes that leadership is a skill, which means it can be learnt. We therefore have the power to provide leadership skills to all minorities to support access to decision-making positions. We firmly believe that regardless of skin colour, the right education needs to be provided for effective leadership.

It is now time for action.

October is Black History Month in the UK. It’s expected that there will be greater attention to this particular event than in past years due to the ‘cultural awakening’ faced by many during the perfect storm of lockdown and greater self awareness in June. The police killing of George Floyd flooded a world-wide consciousness, inciting calls for social and judicial change in countries including the UK, Germany and of course, the USA. Organisations throughout the country are looking at what they can do to celebrate Black culture whilst putting out campaigns to show their stakeholders that they are ‘woke’ organisations. This will be carried out in companies that confronted the possibility of institutional racism within their organisations.

More needs to be done to address the inconsistencies and injustices in the world. What’s important is to take action. Leadership Trust will be working to do that, both on an institutional level and also, by helping to support change within any organisation that wants the help. We believe in more than posting black squares and are committed to real change within leadership and the world of business as a whole.

Our Pledge

Leadership Trust pledges to hold 14  places for Black British delegates on the Leadership in Management courses in 2021, in order to mirror the proportion of Black British individuals of working age in the UK.

In order for us to achieve that number, we need your allyship. We need for the decision-makers and the leadership development budget-holders to collaborate with us to identify future Black leaders to invest in.

We understand that whilst many decision makers may want to impose real change, it’s not always easy to know where to start. That’s where we will be happy to play a part. Be that in providing resources, coaching individuals or facilitating company-wide conversations around race or company culture.

There are a great number benefits from having a diverse workforce and diverse management teams. It’s been proven that companies with a mix of cultures and gender on their boards are not only more profitable, but also more adaptable to change. In a turbulent economical environment, it’s in our interests to ensure diversity of thought to encourage a more sustainable organisation.

Going forward, both throughout the month of October to the end of 2020 and beyond, we will be sharing resources to help you raise a more diverse workforce, specifically, on this occasion, with race in mind.