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I wonder if it is random that all the participants here are women and/or people of Color. Do white men not think that this would be of value?

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Leading and being led by people of various identities is compounded by the power dynamic inherent in leadership

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I wear dresses at work and conferences. I look like I stepped out of 1958 or so a fair bit of the time. Because I never want anyone to forget that there's a woman in front of the room.

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I think its important to listen & ask questions, but I try not to rely on folks (particularly individuals with marginalized identities) to educate me about identity politics/power structures etc. Its up folks in positions of power to do this work.

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Representation--my hope is that my diverse identity will contribute to inclusive decision-making processes and promote equitable opportunities.

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There are well-documented biases against women in STEM and so part of my journey is going to be overcoming those. But I also have many privileges due to my identity (white, cisgender), and those should also impact how I lead

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As a woman I was brought up to defer to my elders. I am not so sure that is the case any longer. I think we all need to be mindful of ageism in both directions.

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We bring our identities with us, and so do the people we work with.

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Listening and learning about those you work with. If you don't know their identities and just assume what those identities are, how can you value them?

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The difference between *understanding* their identity (which may not be possible?) and *valuing* their identity

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I’m a woman, I’m a mathematician, and I want everyone to be (perhaps uncomfortably) aware of both.

I'm also white, straight, cis, reasonably skinny, and able-bodied. I hope people will see those as tools I can and will use to protect and aid.

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I want people to see my leadership qualities, not my physical characteristics since those qualities better define me as a leader.

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The more I understand about my identity the more I see ways that I could all too easily perpetuate systems that are harmful to others by failing to incorporate a DEI lens ... I need to understand how my leadership must *very intentionally* address my blind spots

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My first thought about this relates to self-awareness in the sense that part of being an effective leader is understanding our own identity, biases, privileges and so forth and how our perspectives and actions can influence work to mitigate bias.

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A working definition:

Identity is how a person defines themselves. That might include their experiences, needs, interests, values, abilities, aspirations, beliefs, gender, family, culture . . . . and so much more.

We also assign identities to others, and our identities interact in different times and spaces.

How is identity related to DEI and to leadership?

How do you identify yourself?  What identity do you want others to see in you as a leader?

How does your identity and culture impact how you might lead?

As a leader, what can you do to understand and value identity in those you influence?