Cultivating diversity and inclusion in surgical leadership

Diverse leadership within healthcare enhances decision-making, fosters innovation, and improves patient outcomes. This chapter advocates for a shift from traditional diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) frameworks to the concept of inclusive excellence, embedding diversity as a core component of organizational success. Inclusive excellence emphasizes intersectionality, recognizing the unique value of individuals’ varied identities, including race, gender, socioeconomic background, and professional experiences.

Inclusive leadership addresses the underrepresentation of marginalized groups in surgical leadership by transforming organizational culture, revamping recruitment processes, and creating pathways for aspiring leaders. Lessons from industries outside healthcare offer actionable strategies to embed intersectionality as a foundation for leadership development. While these efforts are essential to reducing health disparities and improving systems, political and legal challenges to diversity initiatives pose significant threats. Strong institutional support is critical to safeguarding progress. By fostering inclusive leadership, surgery can better reflect and serve diverse populations, ensuring compassionate, equitable, and innovative care for all patients.