The Elephant and the Mouse. Laura A. Liswood
thinking. The Elephant and Mouse takes that to the next level in such an amazing way … to elevate our thinking in the way that only Laura can! Laura gives us a powerfully new framework to break through traditional approaches to social inclusion so that we can take our diversity efforts to the next level. Laura has that one‐of‐a‐kind mind that shows us where we are—why we might be stuck—and gives us a practical framework to turn our good intentions into meaningful change and real impact.”
—Beth Brooke, former Vice‐Chair, EY
“Laura has done it again!
As the former Deputy Director for Diversity and Inclusion during the Obama Administration, we used Laura to train the entirety of Senior Executive Service leaders throughout the federal workspace based on her groundbreaking and hugely successful book, The Loudest Duck: Moving Beyond Diversity While Embracing Differences to Achieve Success at Work.
In The Loudest Duck, Laura gave senior leaders within the federal government practical tips and tools to harness cognitive diversity. Her senior leader sessions were nothing short of fantastic and received much acclaim. I loved The Loudest Duck so much I constantly use phrases I picked up from Laura like “Noah's Ark diversity” while speaking to various audiences. I never imagined that Laura could author a follow‐on book that could rival the simple truths and penetrating insight of The Loudest Duck, but she has!
The Elephant and the Mouse is so good that I’m mad I didn’t think of it.
In The Elephant and the Mouse, Laura provides a deep and transformative analysis of an issue at the heart of DEI. And that is the differing perceptions of dominant and non‐dominant groups of organizational and societal lived experiences. Laura makes the brilliant point that dominant group members must work to understand, appreciate, and acknowledge the lived experiences of non‐dominant group members such as women and people of color. In Laura's new book, you will learn hard truths about diversity and inclusion, why meritocracy as is currently understood is a myth, understand the real difference between the Model T and the Tesla, why we need to move beyond simple unconscious bias training, and so much more.
This book is simply one of the most important books on DEI I have read in recent years.”
—Bruce J. Stewart, CEO, The Small World Group
“The Elephant and the Mouse tells us how ignorant we can be of each other, how group thinking can limit our horizon, and how we can so much improve by exploring, understanding, and sharing with the other tribe, if only because as La Fontaine reminds us in The Lion and the Rat: We need each other. There is a long way to go, and this book is a great start on the journey.”
—Christine Lagarde, President, European Central Bank
The Elephant and the Mouse
Moving Beyond the Illusion of Inclusion to Create a Truly Diverse and Equitable Workplace
Laura Liswood
Author of The Loudest Duck
Copyright © 2022 by Laura Liswood. All rights reserved.
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.
Published simultaneously in Canada.
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Library of Congress Cataloging‐in‐Publication Data
Names: Liswood, Laura A., 1950‐ author. | John Wiley & Sons, publisher.
Title: The elephant and the mouse : Moving Beyond the Illusion of Inclusion to Create a Truly Diverse and Equitable Workplace / Laura Liswood.
Description: Hoboken, New Jersey : Wiley, [2022] | Includes index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2021052112 (print) | LCCN 2021052113 (ebook) | ISBN 9781119836254 (hardback) | ISBN 9781119836278 (adobe pdf) | ISBN 9781119836261 (epub)
Subjects: LCSH: Diversity in the workplace. | Organizational change—Management.
Classification: LCC HF5549.5.M5 L568 2022 (print) | LCC HF5549.5.M5 (ebook) | DDC 658.3008—dc23/eng/20211208
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021052112
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021052113
COVER DESIGN: PAUL MCCARTHY
COVER ART: (ELEPHANT) © GETTY IMAGES | ABSODELS
(MOUSE) © SHUTTERSTOCK | CHOST BEAR
To my sister Jan, who will always be my north star.
Acknowledgments
My friend, dynamic businesswoman, and wonderful supporter Adrienne Arsht will say to me as we end a phone call or after a delightful dinner, “To be continued.” This is how I feel about the