**1. Introduction**

The changing contemporary reality in which social work organizations play a key role demand that leaders shift many of the paradigms that have traditionally guided their work and professional identity regarding issues of staff diversity, equity, and inclusion. Certainly, numerous political, economic, and social factors characterize the context that these organizations and their leaders must address to remain viable and relevant today. It is crucial for leaders of social work organizations and their staff to be reflective of the diverse clientele. It is imperative for social work organizations to move beyond a simple diversity statement and do the required work to demonstrate diversity, equity, and inclusion in all parts of their organizations.

The terms diversity, equity, and inclusion are used repeatedly throughout this chapter. It is important to be clear about their meaning in the present context.

Diversity is all-inclusive and means valuing, respecting, and capitalizing on differences including race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, political belief, religion, immigration status, and mental or physical ability. Equity refers to fairness in outcomes with a clear acknowledgment of uneven/unbalanced starting points and the crucial need to correct the unevenness/imbalance. Inclusion means that people of different backgrounds feel a true sense of belonging in an organization. Employees are valued, respected, integrated, and accepted for their differences and do not feel that they need to assimilate to feel a sense of belonging in a social work organization. Although most social work organizations say they are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, leaders do not seem successful in developing and sustaining a culture that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A discussion of the role of leaders, as well as the significant qualities required for them to develop and maintain a diverse workforce but also barriers encountered along the way to inclusion and equity in social work organizations, will be presented in this chapter. The chapter will culminate by highlighting what social work leaders must do to assure that all staff are valued and respected and included in an organization regardless of their differences.
