As some of the most influential people in an NGO, a leader needs to lead the shift to becoming anti-racist; in my experience, the key blocker is their lack of understanding of what that means and would involve. 

Yes, policies and procedures are essential, but the practical commitment and actions – including financial commitment to training and resourcing this work over a long period of time – is almost more important. 

Leadership sets the tone for organisational culture. They can influence attitudes, shape policies, and drive the strategic direction of an organisation. Leaders also build out a budget, and when there’s room for training, finding good consultants, or the right type of bias training, that sends the right kind of message – we’re interested beyond just a LinkedIn post. 

So doing it right as a leader means a deep commitment to understanding and addressing the root causes of racism, both within the organisation and in teams – starting with the leader themselves. In a recent training I did with We Create Space, a few managers at a global tech company publicly committed to going through an unconscious bias course, and being open about what they learned works and about their failures as a manager. Imagine the message that sends to the team – one of openness, willingness to not only confront but share your failings, and commit to doing better. That’s the key difference between not just being ‘not racist’, but taking practical steps to call it out, and undo harmful racist practices – anti-racist. That means leaders must be willing to confront uncomfortable truths, challenge the status quo, and take bold actions to undo policies that they may have benefitted from. It’s not easy – but if we want to change our organisational culture, that’s what it’s going to take.

Educate yourselves about the history and dynamics of racism. This involves understanding how it operates at both the individual/team, and organisational level. How has racism shaped the countries you work in? it intersects with other forms of oppression like age and sexuality. Take responsibility for educating your teams, providing opportunities for learning and reflection, and ensuring that anti-racist principles are integrated into professional development programs – with the funds to support it

Model it through leading by example, demonstrating a commitment to anti-racist principles in both actions and decisions. This means being proactive in addressing racism when it arises, calling out behaviours of your peers even, and being vocal about advocating for policy changes. Sometimes, you may need to be transparent about your own learning journey, like above, demonstrating a willingness to confront and undo behaviours. 

Write policies and practices and fix existing ones that don’t work. That could include better or more transparent hiring practices, ensuring diverse representation at all levels of the organisation beyond race and gender of course, and creating tangible policies that specify what you mean by respect and diversity. Share them widely for your team’s review, update them regularly as you learn and grow, and ensure all policies have mechanisms to hold your organisation accountable 

Open dialogue in meaningful ways, by having specific meetings to talk about your anti-racism work, office hours, or something else that fits your organisational culture. Anonymous surveys are a great way to show your team you’re committed to a conversation that’s free flowing and doesn’t rely on you as a leader to shape it. The goal should be creating a safe space, so reflect honestly on who at your organisation is best placed to do that – not everyone will feel comfortable airing issues and proposing changes with their leadership.

What else have you put in place in your organisation, or would like to?