There’s a dangerous trend underway, and it’s bigger than politics. As diversity, equity, and inclusion programs face legal challenges, federal rollbacks, and increasing public scrutiny, some organizations are treating them like liabilities rather than strategic assets. But the truth is that pulling back on this work doesn’t make your company safer; it makes it weaker.
Inclusion is a necessity for business sustainability
A recent IT Brew article highlights how cybersecurity professionals are connecting the dots between diverse teams and strong defense strategies. One expert put it bluntly:
“Threat actors don’t all think the same. Neither should your team.”
That sentiment applies far beyond tech. In every industry, resilience comes from perspective. When companies pull back on DEI, they don’t just lose programs, they lose insight.
Uniform thinking leads to uniform blind spots.
When everyone in the room shares the same background, worldview, or networks, we miss things. We make riskier decisions, fail to anticipate how policies will perform, overlook talent, dismiss feedback, and default to the familiar—when the familiar is exactly what’s holding us back.
Companies that sideline inclusion in moments of pressure reveal something deeper–they were never building for complexity.
The best-performing organizations aren’t backing down. They’re digging deeper.
We’re seeing a widening gap. Some companies are quietly dissolving their DEI roles and erasing commitments from their websites. Others are doubling down—not as a PR move, but because they understand what’s at stake.
Here’s what those companies are doing:
- Making inclusion operational, not just symbolic
- Embedding fairness into hiring, communication, and decision-making
- Creating environments where challenge isn’t punished—it’s welcomed
That’s not “wokeness.” That’s just good business.
What can leaders do right now?
Whether you’re leading a team of 10 or 10,000, these actions matter more than ever:
- Audit who’s at the table. And ask yourself honestly—who’s missing?
- Encourage productive disagreement. Inclusion isn’t about agreement, it’s about making space.
- Treat equity as a practice, not a promise. What systems are reinforcing bias right now, even unintentionally?
The question isn’t whether we should continue this work—it’s whether we can afford not to. If your company aspires to be adaptive, relevant, and trustworthy, then inclusion isn’t optional.
The companies that thrive next won’t be the ones that cave to fear or politics. They’ll be the ones that choose courage and clarity.