Malia Lazu is an award winning, tenured strategist in diversity & inclusion, sparking economic development and investment in urban entrepreneurship for over twenty years. She is the founder of The Lazu Group & Urban Labs and the author of a new book, From Intention to Impact: A Practical Guide to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Lazu joined PIOW’s Jonathan Allen as a panelist at our recent BPL Town Hall addressing the future of LGBTQ+ protections and DEI policy. Today, we are revisiting that conversation and providing new insight into what Lazu defines as ‘the gap between intention and impact.’
Continue reading for our extended Q&A with DEI thought leader and consultant, Malia Lazu.
PIOW Town Hall Highlight
Moving Beyond Intention
In a clip from PIOW’s 2023 Town Hall, Lazu explains where companies are falling short in driving change.
“When you say, ‘we want to be a company and a culture that builds belonging,’ do you even know what people need to belong?”
Q&A with Malia Lazu
Following the murder of George Floyd, corporate America voiced its commitment to inclusivity, but real systematic change has yet to be seen. Challenged by the recent Supreme Court decision on affirmative action, corporate DEI practices and programs are seemingly under attack and their efficacy brought into question. From Intention to Impact delves into what’s holding organizations back and provides them with a roadmap on how to create inclusive environments that are conducive to progress.
Malia joins us in this conversation having started her career as a political organizer and bridge-builder – founding Mass VOTE, a state-wide voter engagement campaign, and leading culture-shifting campaigns for civil rights activists and philanthropists. In her recent role as EVP and Regional President at Berkshire Bank, Malia worked to generate wealth for communities by expanding access to capital and spurring economic growth — especially in communities of color that have traditionally been left behind.
Q: How has your professional journey informed your approach to DEI?
A: I have been able to create impact as a corporate leader because of my time organizing. Understanding how power works and how to drive into equity in any community is the work of an organizer. From Intention to Impact connects the dots between the touchpoints of my career and the lessons I learned organizing that help me drive impact with my clients.
Q: Where do you see leaders stumbling in this work? Are there opportunities for employees to hold leaders accountable?
A: In this work, I talk about the 7 stages from intention to impact. 3 of those stages deal with how to navigate pushback. I truly believe that the biggest stumbling block to the work is understanding that the pushback is biased and having the fortitude to work through pushback. The opportunity right now for employees is to protect DEI in companies. Reminding companies of their commitments is an important first step – including ERGs and allies to hold middle managers accountable can help move from a CYA culture to an accountable one.
Q: What is your message to those setting an intention to become a better ally – whether they are acting as an ally to the LGBTQ+ community or to their fellow community members?
A: In the book we talk about 3 Ls, listen, learn and take loving action. This simple process can help you identify your blind spots. I also think it’s important for all excluded communities that have white privilege to recognize that privilege out loud and not draw false equivalency in experience. #Blacktranslives and similar campaigns give the LGBTQ+ movement a chance to become more inclusive and build belonging. It’s important to work to ensure naturally multicultural movements are not recreating the racial segregation in society.
PIOW Town Hall Highlight
DEI is More Than a Moment
The work of diversity, equity, and inclusion is an ongoing practice. Lazu reflects that, despite DEI wins in recent years, “right now, everything that was gained is on the line again.”
Lazu writes, “The business community continues to fall in the gap between intention and impact, and all too often finds itself needing to pull a product or issue an apology—a significant cost in terms of money and reputation. Corporate America has to do better because America is asking it to do better.”
The modern workforce expects its leaders to do better and so do we. Now more than ever, we are seeing DEI initiatives and leaders targeted by destructive campaigns that misrepresent the purpose of equity work. It is critical that corporate leaders not shy away from promises to protect LGBTQ+ professionals and their families but, instead, lean in to deliver on their commitments as additional challenges are presented.
We thank Malia Lazu for her time, thought leadership, and ongoing advocacy in service to our community. Connect with Malia and learn more about her work through The Lazu Group at the links below.
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