Leading boldly and authentically to drive an inclusive culture by Ebele Kemery

Leading Boldly and Authentically to Drive an Inclusive Culture with Margo Miller and Emily Cry

Margo Miller, host of the Women Tech Global Conference, recently welcomed Emily Cry, Head of Global Technology, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for JP Morgan Chase. In this compelling discussion, Emily shared her insights and experiences on aligning technology with diversity, equity and inclusion, to enhance employee engagement, client service, and community support.

Emily Cry: An Authentic Leader Driving Inclusive Culture

Emily Cry has made remarkable contributions in the world of technology and diversity. With the tremendous responsibility of delivering a firm-wide diversity agenda to over 50,000 technologists, she focuses on inclusivity, supplier diversity, emerging tech and ethical code. Acknowledged with awards like the '2021 Be Stem Winner for Modern Day Technology Leader', and 20th Banking Technology's 'Woman in Tech', Emily's journey personifies the power and need for authentic leadership and inclusivity.

Attributes of Authentic Leadership

Emily emphasises on five attributes that authentic leadership revolves around:

1. Purpose: Authentic leaders are led by a strong sense of purpose and a collective mission, that goes beyond professional roles and resonates with the team on a personal level.
2. Integrity: Authentic leaders demonstrate ethical values and set benchmarks for fair conduct and dealings.
3. Empathy: They understand the feelings and perspectives of others, meeting them where they are. They prioritize the person over output.
4. Transparency: Authentic leaders maintain transparency in their communications, eliminating any room for suspicion and fostering trust.
5. Consistency: They persistently maintain unity in their words and actions, reinforcing trust within the team.

Building an Inclusive Culture

Emily shares that an inclusive culture accepts, embraces, and leverages our differences, encouraging everyone to feel valued, heard and involved. Such an environment is a breeding ground for creativity and innovation.

Being a Bold and Authentic Leader: Key Recommendations

For those striving to enact authentic leadership within their teams, Emily presents three crucial steps:

1. Confidence: Trust in yourself, your decisions, and learning from the mistakes along the way.
2. Work on Organizational Culture: Leaders have the responsibility to cultivate a culture that supports authenticity and transformational interactions.
3. Embody the attributes of authentic leadership: Live and lead by purpose, integrity, empathy, transparency and consistency to create an impact.

Authentic leadership is rooted in trust and enveloped in meaningful relationships. In a post-pandemic world marred with uncertainties, the transparent leadership of an authentic leader provides much needed comfort and direction in the workplace. They lead with conviction, inspire others and have the courage to act on what they believe in. With these insights and tips from Emily, budding leaders can learn to lead authentically and create more inclusive cultures, driving both personal and professional growth.