Diversity Leadership Strategies for Corporate Health Organizations
This memorandum, addressed to the Board of Directors of Better Health Today, analyzes the company's diversity gap in corporate leadership and its implications for securing federal funding. It identifies two essential leadership competencies—valuing diversity and managing political relationships—needed to improve community relations. The paper examines how a lack of workforce diversity undermines alignment with the national Healthy People 2030 public health initiative, identifies two key challenges in improving diversity, and proposes actionable strategies to address them. Communication plans involving internal newsletters and social media are also outlined to support implementation.
- Overview and Purpose: Memo context, federal funding, and scope
- Key Leadership Competencies for Community Relations: Valuing diversity and managing political influence
- Impact of Diversity Gaps on Public Health Initiatives: Healthy People 2030 and community health alignment
- Major Challenges in Improving Diversity: Talent scarcity and low organizational priority
- Strategies to Minimize the Impact of Lack of Diversity: Executive training and community engagement tactics
- Resources and Communication for Implementation: Newsletter, social media, and cost considerations
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What makes this paper effective
- Uses a professional memorandum format that clearly organizes complex recommendations for a non-specialist board audience, making each section actionable and easy to follow.
- Grounds recommendations in authoritative sources—including SHRM, HHS, and peer-reviewed journals—lending credibility to each competency and strategy discussed.
- Connects the internal organizational issue (diversity gap) to an external policy framework (Healthy People 2030), demonstrating broader societal relevance and federal alignment.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates applied synthesis: it draws on leadership theory, public health policy, and organizational behavior research to build a practical case for institutional change. Rather than reviewing literature abstractly, the author integrates external evidence directly into actionable recommendations suited to the organizational context.
Structure breakdown
The memo follows a logical problem-solution structure: it opens with an overview of the issue, proceeds through competency analysis, assesses community health impact, identifies challenges, proposes two concrete strategies, and closes with a communication and resource plan. Each section advances the argument progressively, making this a strong model for professional academic writing in a healthcare management or nonprofit leadership course.
Overview and Purpose
To: Board of Directors
From: Executive Director
Subject: Addressing the Diversity Gap in Corporate Leadership at Better Health Today
This memorandum is in response to your request for a review of the company's current lack of diversity and support for our community, which have interfered with the ability to obtain major federal funding opportunities in recent years. Based on a critical analysis of the grant reviewers' feedback, there are several steps the company can take now and in the future to overcome these constraints. This memorandum first describes two key leadership competencies needed to improve Better Health Today's community relations, followed by an examination of the impact that the lack of diversity has on the community's ability to meet national public health initiatives. Finally, an analysis of two major challenges the company faces in improving diversity is followed by a description of two strategies designed to minimize the impact that a lack of diversity may have on the company in the future.
Key Leadership Competencies for Community Relations
In the context of organizational leadership, the term "competencies" refers to those attributes and behaviors that help public and private sector enterprises achieve superior outcomes in pursuit of their objectives. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, "Leadership competencies are leadership skills and behaviors that contribute to superior performance" (Leadership competencies, 2022, para. 4). Although organizational leaders typically require a comprehensive skill set that varies depending on the situation, some key competencies consistently identified as necessary for improving relations with the communities in which they operate include: (1) valuing diversity and differences, and (2) managing politics and influencing others, both of which are described below.
It is reasonable to suggest that some directors who prefer a homogeneous board may be reluctant to embrace diversity as an important priority. Indeed, the resurgence of violent racial strife in the United States in recent years is proof that while the Civil Rights Movement may be over, its overarching aims have not been fully realized throughout American society. Moreover, the relentless diversification of the nation's demographics has been met with multiple unfounded conspiracy theories—such as replacement theory—which has further exacerbated the problem.
Consequently, it is essential for our company's top leadership team to recognize the criticality of not only accepting the reality of the nation's changing demographics and values, but of making the improvement of Better Health's corporate culture concerning workforce diversity a major priority. As Elliott-Engel et al. (2021) emphasize, "Competencies of diversity and cultural competency reflect the growing emphasis on shifting community demographics" (p. 6). By definition, making something a priority means it is expected to improve. Therefore, assigning this competency a high priority among the top leadership team represents a strong starting point when searching for strategies that will help the company secure federal grants in the future.
Practically all leaders encounter the administrative obstacles that office politics frequently create, but local politics are another matter altogether. As the rancorous atmosphere of today's political realm clearly illustrates, private sector leaders face a daunting mix of diverse public viewpoints and interests. Political leaders, meanwhile, are sharply focused on the issues that will help them get reelected, even when those interests do not necessarily align with what is best for the broader community (Warshaw, 2019). Furthermore, the same leadership competencies that make individuals effective in the workplace are not necessarily the same ones needed to influence others in the public sector.
Impact of Diversity Gaps on Public Health Initiatives
The national Healthy People 2030 initiative sets forth several community-based goals that are affected by a lack of diversity in Better Health's workforce, as described in the feedback received from grant reviewers. While it may not seem immediately apparent, there is an inextricable relationship between our community and the health of its citizens, including our customers. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, "A person's community can have a major impact on their health and well-being. Healthy People 2030 focuses on ways organizations, businesses, schools, and residents can help build healthier communities" (Promote health and safety in community settings, 2022, para. 2). Therefore, the company should strive to ensure that the demographic composition of its workforce mirrors the larger community in which it competes.
References
Elliott-Engel, J., Westfall-Rudd, D., Seibel, M., Kaufman, E., & Radhakrishna, R. (2021). Extension administrators' perspectives on employee competencies and characteristics. Journal of Extension, 59(3), 1–9.
Elsey, W. (2019, November/December). Nonprofit board fundraising made simple. Pulse, 14.
Leadership competencies. (2022). Society for Human Resource Management. Retrieved from https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/behavioral-competencies/leadership-and-navigation/pages/leadershipcompetencies.aspx
Promote health and safety in community settings. (2022). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved from https://health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/browse-objectives/community
Warshaw, C. (2019). Local elections and representation in the United States. Annual Review of Political Science, 22(1), 461–479.
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