Lessons from Beyoncé on Navigating Exclusion

by Ella F. Washington, Hildana Haileyesus and Laura Morgan Roberts

April 22, 2024

HBR Staff/Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Summary.

Beyoncé, the globally revered singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur, last month released her new album Cowboy Carter. However, this project is much more than another musical release from a leading star. It offers a case study in how to navigate workplace exclusion.

Ella F. Washington is an organizational psychologist; the founder and CEO of Ellavate Solutions, a DEI strategy firm; and a professor of practice at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. She is the author of The Necessary Journey: Making Real Progress on Equity and Inclusion (HBR Press, November 2022) and Unspoken: A Guide to Cracking the Hidden Corporate Code (Forbes Books, May 2024).

Hildana Haileyesus is a DEI consultant at Ellavate Solutions with a background in training and facilitation, client strategy, and research. She has worked across higher education and business and applies a sociological lens to equity-driven change efforts.

Laura Morgan Roberts is a Frank M. Sands Sr. Associate Professor of Business Administration at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. She is an organizational psychologist and the coeditor of Race, Work and Leadership: New Perspectives on the Black Experience (Harvard Business Review Press, 2019).

Read more on Diversity and inclusion or related topics Marginalized groups, Workplace discrimination, Managing conflicts, Personal resilience and Careers

Lessons from Beyoncé on Navigating Exclusion

Summary.

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