The ABCs of DEI: LeadWomen’s Anne Abraham unpacks diversity, equity, inclusion, and how it can be a game changer for Asian companies

“Diversity, equity and inclusion is a term that was coined and started around the 1960s. It evolved in the 70s, 80s and then down to the 2000s when it started to surface quite a bit. The general idea with diversity was how do we bring together all these differences of perspectives, created by differences in age, gender, race and so on? In an organisation, we’re talking about people from all walks of life, different social standings, and so on. The differences become more complex in the ability to integrate these people. The focal point of DEI when it first came out in Asia and the rest of the world was the element of gender diversity.” 

Abraham adds that while subtle inequities in the workforce previously went unnoticed, the rising prominence of DEI started calling attention to these unspoken differences that hindered women from moving forward in the workplace at the same rate as their male counterparts.

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“Having grown up in the workspace and then finally helming a company, it never occurred to me that there were gender issues. As a woman, you feel lucky that you happened to be in the right place and at the right time. Only when I helmed Cisco did I realise that there were inequities and challenges for women.

“Simple things like the fact that women have a childbearing stage in life, and because of that, so many setbacks happen without us even realising. There are also our own unconscious biases, and subtle inequities in hiring practices, promotions, development and other stages of a woman’s career progression. So the whole idea of diversity, equity, and inclusion is to give equal opportunity to the underrepresented. In one aspect, that underrepresented group was women initially. Now we are also looking at other minority groups. We’re beginning to see companies now thinking about bringing in younger people, people of different ethnic groups, people with disabilities, and so on.”

In Malaysia, Abraham cites corporations such as Gamuda and Petronas as strong examples of organisations who have put serious thought into incorporating DEI practices meaningfully, particularly in areas of training and empowering neuro-diverse groups to join their workforces. 

“You’re going to have to lead very differently when you lead diverse teams,” she says. “More traditional organisations that are just driving for profits today will naturally just want the easiest way to get their teams all thinking the same way. This old-school way of leadership is all about being comfortable and establishing trust the quickest way because all your values, backgrounds, and experiences are the same and that’s it. Yes, that is a faster approach to hit your targets and get things done. But you also miss out on that ability to innovate and grow. And that's going to be a big pitfall because talent is something that will drive companies to the next stage.”   

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Drawing from her own leadership experience, Abraham advocates for businesses in the region to rethink old paradigms and recognise the competitive advantage of diversity. With DEI particularly critical for empowering women leaders in Malaysia, Abraham calls on those in senior leadership to play an active role in championing female talents.

As she and the team at LeadWomen prepare for the LeadWomen APAC DEI Summit 2024, their goal is clear: to help companies in Asia embrace DEI for long-term growth and innovation.

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Speaking to future business owners, SME founders, CEOs and leaders in general across Southeast Asia, Abraham shares this poignant takeaway on the game-changing nature of DEI done right in the workplace: 

“I would tell them to roll back everything. Take away the acronym DEI. Ask yourself, what are you trying to achieve? You are trying to achieve a fair, respectful, and equal environment for all to thrive. Great leaders should be trying to do what is right and good for everyone, right? DEI is just a framework that helps us think on how to get there.”

“Really, it’s about leadership that comes from the heart and not just head knowledge. I would tell leaders to lead with their hearts because their people matter. You’ve got to think about how to make your work environment as safe and as open as possible so that individuals feel that their opinions and ideas matter. Unless they can feel that way, you’re not going to be able to get the best from your talents. When people are afraid to share ideas and opinions, innovation gets stifled. So, if the idea of DEI is intimidating or scary, just take it a step back and think of it as trying to do what’s good and right for my organisation in the best way you can.”

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