• Published November 14, 2023
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Senior Executives Share Their Challenges & Aspirations for the Future Download Report
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The ABCs of Chief Diversity Officers: Alignment, Burnout & Culture

These executives told us their top challenges: They struggle most with getting organizational alignment, preventing personal burnout, and building committed cultures.
  • Published November 14, 2023
Published November 14, 2023
The ABCs of Chief Diversity Officers CCL CDO Research Report on DEI Executives

Senior Executives Share Their Challenges & Aspirations for the Future

The role of the Chief Diversity Officer is at a critical crossroads. In a shifting political environment, these leaders face intense pressure as their mandates and goals — and even the terms used to discuss their work — are shifting.

In the past few years, significant strides have been made at many organizations in terms of building and executing meaningful strategies that advance inclusion and belonging. Continued progress will require substantive, sustained investments that support the work of executives in order to overcome organizational challenges and personal burnout.

Find out what we learned from our research with Chief Diversity Officers (CDOs) from across the United States. In this paper, we offer insights from senior leaders, grouping the most common challenges into themes of where they told us they struggle most: getting organizational alignment, preventing personal burnout, and building committed cultures.

From their stories, experiences, and aspirations, we can learn how to overcome these challenges to create more equitable and inclusive workplaces for everyone.

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Download our paper, The ABCs of Chief Diversity Officers, to learn more about the challenges and aspirations of these executives and how best to support their important work.

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Based on Research by

Stephanie Wormington
Stephanie Wormington, PhD
Former Director, Global Strategic Research

Stephanie is a researcher with a background in developmental and educational psychology. Her research at CCL focused primarily on exploring collective leadership through networks, and enhancing motivation and empowerment for leaders across their professional journeys.

Stephanie is a researcher with a background in developmental and educational psychology. Her research at CCL focused primarily on exploring collective leadership through networks, and enhancing motivation and empowerment for leaders across their professional journeys.

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Michael DePass
Michael DePass, MBA
Former Director & Faculty, Societal Impact

Michael combines his extensive professional experience and passion for social change with his gifts for strategic leadership, innovative thinking, and business development. At CCL, he served as faculty and as the director of our K–12 education portfolio, designing and delivering transformative educational leadership development.

Michael combines his extensive professional experience and passion for social change with his gifts for strategic leadership, innovative thinking, and business development. At CCL, he served as faculty and as the director of our K–12 education portfolio, designing and delivering transformative educational leadership development.

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Senior Executives Share Their Challenges & Aspirations for the Future Download Report
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At the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL)®, we believe the most powerful force in any organization is its people. We partner with organizations worldwide to build leaders and the leadership ecosystems around them, applying our nearly 60 years of experience and research to convert leadership potential into a measurable performance advantage. CCL designs and delivers custom leadership solutions, open-enrollment programs, leadership coaching services, assessments, and enterprise leadership development subscriptions for clients across North America, Europe, India, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific.

At the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL)®, we believe the most powerful force in any organization is its people. We partner with organizations worldwide to build leaders and the leadership ecosystems around them, applying our nearly 60 years of experience and research to convert leadership potential into a measurable performance advantage. CCL designs and delivers custom leadership solutions, open-enrollment programs, leadership coaching services, assessments, and enterprise leadership development subscriptions for clients across North America, Europe, India, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific.

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