Reimagining Talent Management And Leadership

Rachel Baptiste is the Founder & CEO of Lumen Consulting Group Inc., and Brilliant Colours™a talent management consulting and coaching firm.

Despite years of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, one of the most persistent barriers to leadership advancement remains the “broken rung.” Popularized by McKinsey, this term refers to the systemic bottleneck preventing diverse professionals—especially Black, Indigenous and racialized women—from advancing from first-line management to senior leadership levels.

While much of the corporate world focuses on diversifying senior leadership, the real challenge starts earlier. As I often say: The pipeline starts at the front line. If organizations fail to move underrepresented talent into their first leadership roles, the entire pipeline up to the C-suite remains stagnant.

The Urgency

This isn’t just an equity issue. It’s a business problem. Research shows that:

• Companies in the top quartile for diversity outperform those in the bottom quartile by 36% in profitability.

• Inclusive organizations are “70% more likely to capture new markets” when their teams are diverse.

• Companies with above-average diversity in management experience 19 percentage points higher innovation revenue.

Yet, progress is slipping—and we were in a deficit to begin with.

In Canada, “women of colour make up 9.4% of women-held leadership roles,” with Black women representing just 0.9% and Indigenous women only 0.3%, according to a 2022 survey. Representation of 2SLGBTQIA+ women stands at 1%.

In the U.S., the story is similarly stark. While women hold 29% of C-suite roles, Black and Indigenous women remain severely underrepresented compared to their white counterparts.

And the situation becomes more dire as DEI experiences a growing backlash and erasure, with many companies scaling back commitments under the weight of economic pressures and political scrutiny. It’s as if the lights are being turned off leaving us in the dark, unable—or perhaps unwilling—to see the brilliance that surrounds us. The untapped potential of diverse talent is not disappearing; we are simply choosing not to see it. And that is why the need for systemic change has never been more urgent.

Too often, talent strategies remain fragmented. DEI efforts focus on external hiring rather than internal mobility. Leadership programs cater to those who are already visible instead of expanding the reach of opportunity. Promotions happen behind closed doors, leaving many qualified professionals without a clear pathway forward.

It’s time to reimagine talent management—not as a series of isolated initiatives, but as a human-first system designed to source, develop, promote and retain diverse talent. Organizations that do this well will mend the broken rung while future-proofing themselves for a world where inclusive leadership is a business imperative.

Five Pillars Of An Inclusive Talent Pipeline

The following pillars offer a foundation—but not a formula. Tools, policies and templates are merely scaffolding: supportive, yet never a substitute for seeing people in their inherent value and full brilliance.

To build a truly inclusive talent pipeline, we must design for equity at every stage.

1. Sourcing And Identification: Casting A Wide Net

Referral-heavy hiring reinforces homogeneity. To build a stronger pipeline, organizations must expand partnerships with educational institutions and community-based programs that serve underrepresented groups. In the U.S., this includes historically Black colleges and universities. In Canada, collaborating with Indigenous talent networks and organizations focused on racialized communities is essential.

Your hiring team must also shift from assessing “culture fit” to “culture add.” This ensures new hires bring fresh perspectives rather than mirroring existing leadership.

And lastly, use caution when leveraging AI, as algorithmic bias can reinforce exclusion if not actively mitigated.

2. Equitable Selection And Onboarding: Disrupting Bias In Hiring

Embed equity into hiring and onboarding so diverse hires can thrive. Standardized hiring processes (structured interviews, competency-based assessments and diverse hiring panels) lead to more equitable outcomes. Sponsorship from day one—not just mentorship—ensures diverse hires have advocates at decision-making tables.

3. Leadership Development: Redefining Leadership And Closing The Gap

Developing Talent For What’s Next

Many underrepresented employees get stuck in mid-level roles because traditional leadership programs reinforce a narrow definition of “readiness.” Your organization can address this in several ways.

For example, managers can assess for future potential, not just past experience. You can base promotions on leadership capability rather than tenure. Removing barriers in leadership development programs can ensure high-potential talent isn’t overlooked due to unconscious bias in feedback or performance reviews.

Additionally, make sponsorship intentional. Hold your leadership team accountable for championing, promoting and retaining diverse talent.

Reimagining Leadership Beyond The Template

The challenge isn’t only that underrepresented talent is overlooked or lacks access; it’s that we must also rethink what we’re developing for. We are still assessing talent against outdated models of what leadership is supposed to be. Leadership models built for a different time—when hierarchy and control were prized—are now failing the stress test of today’s complexity. In a world defined by uncertainty and human need, we require something different.

Leadership today demands emotional intelligence, critical thinking, agility to navigate complexity and nuance, cultural curiosity, contextual awareness and both the courage and capacity to hold space for others to thrive. These are the foundation of performance and progress—rooted in a human-first approach.

So I invite you to reflect:

• What assumptions about leadership still shape your talent decisions?

• Whose potential is being overlooked because they don’t fit the old template?

• If you redefined leadership for today’s world, what capabilities would matter most?

4. Internal Mobility And Promotion: Creating Transparent Pathways

The biggest barrier to leadership for underrepresented talent isn’t a lack of skills; it’s a lack of opportunity. To create more equitable opportunities, you can audit promotion processes to identify where diverse talent is excluded. Are stretch assignments and high-visibility projects distributed equitably?

5. Retention And Culture: Creating A Workplace Where Talent Thrives

A strong pipeline is only as effective as the culture that sustains it. To create a supportive culture that allows talent to thrive, you must make psychological safety a leadership priority. Diverse talent should not feel pressure to conform to fit in.

And accountability must be real. Leaders should be measured on hiring, retention and promotion metrics—tying DEI outcomes to executive performance.

A Call To Action

The next era of business will be shaped by organizations that build resilient, diverse and inclusive leadership pipelines. Talent strategies must evolve from performative efforts to intentional, systemic change.

Imagine a future where every individual is valued in a way that affirms and uplifts them—not despite their differences, but because of them.

This is about daring to see a new way forward—a future where leadership is redefined and every voice, every perspective, fuels innovation, resilience and sustained success.

The time for action is always now.

So I ask you: Will you hold on to the past—or will you reimagine what’s possible and begin today?

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