Challenges of leading a diverse workforce

Executive Overview With the promise of competitive advantage gains in hand, many companies have moved toward capitalizing on the skills that a diverse workforce provides in increasingly competitive global markets. The incumbent challenges of leading a diverse work group are an unexplored side of the diversity movement. Based on interview data from a variety of senior managers and executives, a review of both popular and academic literature, and our own experiences with diverse organizations, we have outlined six preeminent challenges confronting leaders of diverse work groups. We suggest practical solutions that can be adapted for implementation in most organizations. Further, we identify and discuss leader attributes and skills that are required for effective enactment of diversity initiatives.