Diversify Both the Writers and Performers of Our Leadership Narratives
Many companies claim to value diversity and want to increase the number of women and people of color in leadership roles.
Saying is easy. Doing is hard.
Imagine hearing an all-white, mostly male executive team talk about the importance of inclusion—yet no one on that team gives up their seat to make space for a more diverse candidate. True diversification often requires structural and organizational change, not just verbal commitment. It takes financial investment and sometimes even replacing the people in limited roles.
The Lack of Diversity in Leadership Books
Most of the top-ranked leadership and management books are written by white men. Of Amazon’s top 100 recommended leadership books, only 12 are authored by women or people of color. In fact, just 18% of business books are written by women.
Society may be demanding change, but our leadership playbooks haven’t caught up.
I liken this to movies and plays: while the actors may now represent more backgrounds, the scripts they perform haven’t changed. We’ve diversified the performers—but not the writers.
We Can Expand Leadership Narratives Without Waiting for Systemic Change
We don’t need to wait for corporate restructuring to experience more diverse leadership perspectives. These efforts can happen in parallel—organizations can work to open seats for diverse leaders while individuals expand what they read and learn from.
Your virtual bookshelf isn’t limited like a boardroom table. You can still read Adam Grant and Patrick Lencioni while also exploring the work of Adrienne Maree Brown or Dr. Laura Huang.
Why So Many Leadership Books Lack Diverse Voices
Research from Dr. Richard Jean So and Gus Wezerek found that most books published since 1950—fiction and nonfiction alike—are written by white authors. Traditional publishing structures have historically excluded underrepresented writers.
So it’s no surprise that most leadership narratives reflect a white male experience.
But leadership books by underrepresented authors do exist. They just don’t often make it onto bestseller lists.
At CuriosityBased, we’ve created curated lists of leadership books by women, Black authors, LGBTQ authors, and authors with disabilities. Each list includes 100+ titles—many self-published, many memoirs or works of social commentary. Together, they broaden our definition of what a “leadership narrative” can be.
Readers Have the Power to Shift Demand
As readers, we influence what publishers and platforms promote. By reading and recommending leadership books by underrepresented authors, we help diversify which voices are heard and validated.
Authors like Ruchika Tulshyan, Mikaela Kiner, Cindi Bright, and Dr. Marie Gervais share actionable strategies to foster inclusion at work. Supporting and sharing their work helps elevate inclusive leadership thinking across industries.
Importantly, books by women and people of color don’t have to focus on identity to be valuable. Just as we don’t expect white male authors to write about their race or gender, underrepresented authors shouldn’t be defined solely by theirs.
The “Curb Cut Effect” in Leadership Narratives
Designers often reference the curb cut effect—when changes made for a marginalized group end up benefiting everyone. (For example, curb cuts for wheelchair users also help parents with strollers or travelers with luggage.)
When authors write from underrepresented perspectives, their insights often have universal relevance.
A great example is Stacey Abrams’ book Lead from the Outside (originally Minority Leader). Each chapter includes practical exercises and frameworks that help any leader—regardless of background—grow and lead with clarity.
Rethinking What Makes a “Credible” Leadership Author
Many leadership books are written by academics or CEOs of large corporations—fields still dominated by white men. This reinforces the idea that only people with these credentials can write “credible” leadership books.
But small business owners—who make up 99.75% of all companies and drive 66% of new job creation—have valuable leadership lessons too. They are often more diverse, more agile, and more in touch with real-world challenges.
So why do we keep turning to the same narrow group of voices for leadership advice?
When I read business books by white men, I often see stories of managing billion-dollar organizations or networking with billionaires. Those experiences don’t reflect the challenges many of us face leading small teams, nonprofits, or entrepreneurial ventures.
We Can’t All Change Systems, But We Can Change What We Consume
We can’t always control who sits in the boardroom. But we can control who we read, share, and learn from.
We lament the lack of diversity in leadership—and rightly so. But change doesn’t start only at the institutional level. It also starts with our individual choices as readers and learners.
Diversifying leadership narratives begins when we choose to support underrepresented voices and expose ourselves to new perspectives. Please View all of our leadership book lists here.
This post was based on my LinkedIn Newsletter post, “Enrich how you lead by expanding who you read,” which was originally posted on June 2, 2022.
