You know, the longer I’m in leadership, the more questions I seem to have.

Big ones.
Messy ones.
The kind that don’t fit neatly into performance reviews or slide decks.

Lately, I keep coming back to this one:

“Why do we really need diversity?”

Now, I know the usual answers. I’ve read the articles. I’ve seen the stats—more perspectives, better decisions, stronger teams. Got it.

But that’s not what I’m asking. Not deep down.

I guess what I really mean is…
“What would it look like if you actually led like you believed that?”

When I was a kid, I loved my kaleidoscope

I held up kaleidoscope and said, “LOOK! It’s like a magic tunnel.”

Tiny broken pieces. All different. Some jagged. Some smooth. Every color you can think of. None of it made much sense on its own.

But then I turned it—just a little—and somehow, those pieces became art.

As I learned more about what it takes to be a great leader:
Maybe leadership is just learning how to turn the lens.

What if we’re not here to fix people?

Sometimes, I think we get it backwards.
We think leadership means shaping people into a certain mold.
Like we’re building identical blocks for a wall.

But people aren’t bricks. They’re glass and color and story.
And DEI isn’t about checking boxes or meeting quotas.
It’s about choosing to see what makes someone’s light shine differently—and knowing the whole picture gets better because of it.

What if our job as leaders isn’t to arrange people neatly…
but to create the kind of light where they all reflect?

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I don’t have all the answers.

In fact, the more I twist the lens, the more I realize I’ve missed.

Voices that weren’t heard.
Rooms that didn’t feel safe.
Ideas that were brilliant—but never invited to the table.

I used to think leadership was about clarity.
Now I think it’s about curiosity.

About asking:

• “Whose perspective haven’t I considered?”
• “What bias might I still be carrying?”
• “How do I create space instead of just taking it?”

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So… why do we need diversity?

Because sameness is safe, but it’s never surprising.
Because the best solutions are born where differences intersect.
Because every person brings a piece of the pattern we didn’t even know was missing.

And maybe—just maybe—because a great leader doesn’t need to know where the pieces will land.
They just need to keep turning the kaleidoscope.