Nzinga “Zing” Shaw, a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) pioneer, recently led a LeadingAge webinar on what it means to be an ally and how allies can support the career advancement of leaders of color. “Allies in Action: Creating a Supportive Workplace” was sponsored by the LeadingAge Leaders of Color Network.

Here are Shaw’s answers to some of the questions posed by Robyn Stone, co-director of the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston. To hear all of Shaw’s comments, listen to this webinar recording.

(Note: Shaw’s answers have been edited for space and readability.)

What is an ally, and how can allies help organizations embrace diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging?

An ally is an individual who actively wants to understand, challenge, and combat discrimination and inequality faced by marginalized communities, particularly communities of color. Being an ally goes beyond expressing sympathy or feeling sorry for a community. It’s about taking tangible actions to support and advocate for the rights and well-being of people of color.

Some key characteristics define the role of an ally. The first is understanding and education. An ally will always seek to understand the experiences, challenges, and perspectives of people of color. This involves continuous education about systemic racism, cultural diversity, and the historical context that shaped these experiences.

Second, allies listen actively to the voices of people of color and amplify their perspectives. They acknowledge and respect diverse narratives and ensure they are heard and valued within broader conversations.

And, finally, allies can’t be afraid. They have to confront bias and microaggressions when they encounter them. An ally actively speaks up against discrimination, actively speaks out against discriminatory comments or behaviors, and works to create environments where such instances are not tolerated.

What is the key to succeeding as an ally?

Acknowledging one’s privilege is a crucial step in the allyship journey. The ally recognizes the systemic advantages they may have and understands how these privileges can impact their experiences and perspectives.

Allies use empathy as a bridge between privilege and understanding. They connect emotionally with the experiences and struggles of others, even if those experiences differ from their own experience. Empathy enables allies to grasp the challenges faced by people of color. It drives them to take meaningful action to address systemic injustices.

Empathetic allies actively listen to the stories and experiences of people of color. They validate those experiences. They leverage their positions to influence and challenge discriminatory practices and advocate for policies that promote equity and justice.

Who can be an ally?

Anybody can be an ally, even those who are part of the demographic group they serve as allies.

What tools and practices can support allies?

Formal sponsorship programs pair leaders of color with influential sponsors who can actively support their career advancement, provide visibility for these individuals, and endorse them for opportunities. You can’t give yourself an opportunity. You need someone with power to utilize their platform to push you forward so you can obtain a stretch assignment or be put in a position to do something more challenging than you’re currently doing. You need sponsors for that.

Through inclusive nomination, you can nominate individuals from diverse backgrounds for high-visibility project leadership roles like speaking opportunities that will accelerate their professional growth.

We can encourage cross-cultural mentorship by fostering programs that connect leaders of color with mentors who can provide guidance, advice, and support in navigating organizational challenges. We can also acknowledge that there is value in reverse mentorship, where leaders of color mentor allies and senior leaders and create a dynamic for reciprocal learning and enhancing diverse perspectives.

Is there a business case for encouraging organizational leaders to become allies?

Most companies are digging deep for innovation, and the way that innovation comes about is generally from hearing different points of view. People who are willing to challenge the status quo might have ideas about doing things differently. Often, those ideas and thought patterns come from people who are quiet, people who are underutilized and undervalued.

Allyship is very important if we want our companies to be innovative, create new products, or reach out to new communities. We will learn a lot from people who represent our potential customers or stakeholders and who impact the brand but haven’t historically had a voice.

Allies will help draw out those individuals and get them comfortable sharing their ideas so that when they bring these ideas to the table, they feel like they’re part of the organizational fabric. We need allies to step in and look after and nurture those types of people if we’re ultimately going to foster innovation in our organizations.

For more of Shaw’s comments, listen to this recording of the webinar.