Elevating Diverse Leaders: Unlocking Hope, Resilience, and Organizational Change
A Socrates Café Conversation with Becky Reichard and Kayla Parker
In this week’s episode of Socrates Café, I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Becky Reichard and Kayla Parker, two inspiring scholars dedicated to advancing leadership development and promoting diversity in organizations. We discussed their recent publication, Elevating Aspiring Diverse Leaders Through Psycap: Evidence-Based Strategies for Developing HEROs (Hope, Efficacy, Resilience, and Optimism). Their work highlights the individual and organizational supports necessary for empowering underrepresented leaders and fostering more equitable workplaces.
Here are some of the most powerful takeaways from our discussion:
Psychological Capital: The Power of Individual Resources
At the heart of Kayla and Becky’s research is the concept of Psychological Capital, or PsyCap—a set of positive psychological resources that individuals can cultivate to thrive. PsyCap consists of four core components, often summarized by the acronym HERO: Hope, Efficacy, Resilience, and Optimism.
Hope: This is the ability to envision a path forward, even in the face of challenges. Hopeful leaders set meaningful goals and believe they can find ways to achieve them. As Kayla noted during our conversation, hope is about “knowing that even when Plan A doesn’t work, Plan B and Plan C can still get you there.”
How to cultivate hope: Start by breaking down big goals into smaller, actionable steps; and practice celebrating each small win to maintain momentum and confidence in your ability to move forward.
Efficacy: Efficacy is all about confidence—having the belief in your ability to perform tasks effectively. For aspiring leaders, building efficacy can mean taking small steps toward larger goals, reinforcing a sense of capability over time. As Becky explained, it’s not about being perfect; it’s about learning that you can handle challenges, even when they’re daunting.
How to build efficacy: Reflect on past successes, even small ones. Keep a note of your accomplishments or take on a new challenge that stretches your abilities just slightly beyond your comfort zone.
Resilience: Resilience refers to the ability to recover from setbacks and bounce back stronger. Leaders who develop resilience see failures as opportunities for growth rather than as defining moments. Resilience helps aspiring leaders stay committed, even in tough environments.
How to cultivate resilience: Reframe setbacks as learning opportunities. Practice mindfulness or gratitude to stay grounded in the present and focus on what you can control rather than what you can’t.
Optimism: Finally, optimism is the belief that the future holds positive possibilities. It’s not blind positivity—it’s a grounded outlook that recognizes challenges but sees the potential for improvement. As Kayla emphasized, optimism is about believing that your actions today can shape a better tomorrow.
How to foster optimism: Challenge negative thoughts by asking, “What’s the best possible outcome of this situation?” Surround yourself with supportive, positive people who inspire hope and confidence.
These psychological resources act as a foundation for growth, enabling individuals to overcome barriers and thrive in leadership roles. Reichard and Parker’s research highlights that PsyCap isn’t static—it can be cultivated through intentional practices like goal-setting, mentorship, and reflective self-assessment.
Organizational Supports: Creating a Culture for Growth
While individual resources like PsyCap are essential, Becky and Kayla also stress the importance of systemic, organizational supports in elevating diverse leaders. Without these, individual efforts can only go so far. Here are some key organizational strategies they highlighted that organizational leaders should invest in:
Mentorship and Sponsorship
Aspiring leaders often need guidance from those who have walked the path before them. Mentorship provides opportunities for learning and growth, while sponsorship actively champions individuals for leadership roles. “A sponsor doesn’t just guide you,” Becky shared, “they advocate for you when you’re not in the room.”
Reflection: Who in your life acts as a mentor or sponsor? How can you seek out those relationships?
Leadership Development Programs
Structured programs designed to foster leadership skills and confidence can make a significant impact, particularly for underrepresented individuals. These programs should include components like skill-building workshops, feedback sessions, and opportunities to network with organizational leaders.
Psychologically Safe Work Environments
Psychological safety—the belief that you can voice ideas, concerns, or mistakes without fear of reprisal—is critical for fostering creativity and innovation. Organizations that create a culture of psychological safety enable employees to contribute their full potential, knowing their voices will be heard and respected.
Inclusive Policies and Practices
Diversity isn’t enough—organizations need equity and inclusion. This means examining hiring, promotion, and evaluation practices to ensure they are fair and actively seeking to eliminate bias. For aspiring diverse leaders, these practices send a clear message: you belong here, and your contributions are valued.
Work-Life Balance Initiatives
Supporting employees as whole people, not just as workers, is another critical element. Flexible schedules, parental leave, and mental health resources help ensure that individuals can pursue leadership without sacrificing their well-being.
Empowering HEROs: Evidence-Based Interventions
One of the standout insights from Reichard and Parker’s research is the interplay between individual and organizational efforts. By combining PsyCap development with systemic supports, organizations can create environments where leaders from diverse backgrounds are not only recruited but also set up for long-term success.
As they explained, “It’s not enough to create opportunities for diverse leaders—you need to support them in developing the skills and resilience to thrive in those roles.”
Takeaways for Aspiring Leaders
Whether you’re an aspiring leader yourself or someone interested in supporting diverse leadership, here are a few actions you can take today:
Reflect on your HERO traits: What are your strengths in Hope, Efficacy, Resilience, and Optimism?
Seek mentorship: Find someone who inspires you and can provide guidance on your leadership journey.
Advocate for systemic change: If you’re in a position to influence workplace policies, consider how your organization can better support diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Reflection Questions
To close this post, here are some questions to help you think more deeply about leadership and diversity in your own life:
Which HERO trait resonates most with you, and how can you strengthen it?
What steps can you take to foster mentorship or sponsorship in your career?
How can your workplace create a culture that uplifts aspiring diverse leaders?
More about LEAD Labs
LEAD Labs is a research and consulting lab at Claremont Graduate University, led by Becky, which focuses on leader development practices and training. They exist to develop leaders, researchers, and practitioners through the creation and application of evidence-based leadership research to help society pursue its full potential. If you are an organizational leader who wants your organization to advance and adapt, consider reaching out to them to take the next step towards building up aspiring diverse leaders in your field. Here is their webpage: https://research.cgu.edu/lead-labs/
Follow their Substack for regular tips on leader development:
Thank You for Reading!
We hope this post inspires you to think critically about leadership, diversity, and the supports needed to create meaningful change. A huge thank-you to Dr. Becky Reichard and Kayla Parker for their insights and dedication to advancing positive change in organizations.
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Let’s pave the way for a brighter, more inclusive future!
Their work is a great example of beefing up the community's social capital. I see it working in two ways; first, an aspiring leader works with the consulting organization(first network) , second, with new skills, he or she works/creates new networks in their community. Well, if she/he gives feedback to the consultants- it would be actually the third new social circle. I am thinking here about the famous Robert Putman's "join or die" book.
Very interesting discussion. I especially appreciated the reflection questions at the end. Thank you for helping me start cultivating my HERO within!