Leading Through Complexity: How Purpose-Driven Evolutionary Leaders Can Navigate the DEI Backlash
“Evolutionary leaders aim to build trust, encourage collaboration, and guide their teams through change with purpose and empathy.”
April 16, 2025
"Evolutionary leaders aim to build trust, encourage collaboration, and guide their teams through change with purpose and empathy."
Leadership isn’t static—it evolves as we do. As leaders grow, their ability to interpret challenges, motivate teams, and foster inclusion shifts dramatically.
Evolutionary leadership is a holistic approach that integrates biological, psychological, and social dimensions to address the complexities of leading diverse organizations.. This concept is not only scientifically grounded but also offers a robust framework for understanding why certain leadership behaviors are effective across different cultures and contexts.
It is especially helpful for creating more inclusive, people-centered workplaces because it encourages leaders to be more self-aware, flexible, and open to different perspectives. Evolutionary leaders aim to build trust, encourage collaboration, and guide their teams through change with purpose and empathy.
As leaders gain experience, self-awareness, and perspective, they often move through different developmental stages.Understanding the motivations, characteristics, and limitations of leadership approaches associated with the various stages of development – Red (Impulsive), Amber (Hierarchy), Orange (Meritocracy), Green (Values Morals Driven), and Teal (Evolutionary Purpose-Driven) – can orient you, serving as a trustworthy guide on your inclusive leadership journey.
A leader at the Red stage may see the world through the lens of control and survival, while a Teal leader sees interconnected systems, embracing complexity and purpose. This evolution—from Red’s reactive approach to Teal’s holistic perspective—has become the lens through which I approach my work in leadership development and inclusion work.
Today, many DEI efforts are under pressure, and the way leaders respond depends on their developmental stage. Purpose Driven Green and Teal Evolutionary Leaders can step up and lead through the noise by using strategies to navigate these challenges with integrity and long-term impact.
As leaders progress through stages of development, their ability to interpret and engage with complexity grows:
Red leaders (Impulsive) operate from a place of power and control, often driven by fear, loyalty, and immediate survival.
Amber leaders (Hierarchical) thrive on order, structure, and predictability. Their mindset is rule-based, seeing deviations as disruptions to stability.
Orange leaders (Meritocratic) prioritize results, innovation, and individual achievement. They view diversity efforts as strategic investments tied to competitive advantage.
Green leaders (Values/Morals-Driven) emphasize human connection, collaboration, and moral responsibility but can get stuck in good intentions without action.
Teal leaders (Evolutionary/Purpose-Driven) embrace complexity, shared accountability, co-creation and continuous evolution.
The current Red-level, fear-based leadership in the United States government is causing a DEI upheaval. Amber and Orange organizations are reacting in ways characteristic of their leadership level of development:
Amber-level organizations (e.g., universities and public agencies) are complying with policy shifts to maintain order and funding, often curtailing DEI to avoid disruption.
Orange-level organizations (e.g., large corporations like Target and Walmart) are deprioritizing DEI because it no longer aligns with business outcomes or shareholder interests.
Green-level organizations (e.g., foundations, non-profits, and purpose-driven organizations) are upholding their commitment to inclusive and people-centric values. Green organizations aim to embed inclusivity into their mission, believing it is foundational to long-term impact and societal change.
Teal-level organizations like Patagonia and Ben and Jerry’s instead of backing down in the face of political backlash against DEI, are evolving. Rather than retreating, they’re embedding inclusion more deeply into their values and operations. These organizations are shifting toward frameworks like pluralism—which emphasizes respectful engagement across diverse perspectives—and integrating inclusive practices into their everyday culture in ways designed to withstand external political shifts.
Green leaders prioritize values like collaboration and inclusion, but they risk stagnating when they assume these values are sufficient. In order for Green leaders to respond effectively to these current challenges, they need to:
Teal leaders thrive during uncertainty by seeing challenges as opportunities for systemic change. In order for Teal leaders to respond effectively, They need to:
There are practical actions all leaders can take in our chaotic climate to preserve their evolutionary leadership progress.
Engage in leadership development programs to strengthen and grow your leadership, deepen your impact, and navigate resistance.
What does it take to transform your workplace culture beyond inclusion? Download Beyond Inclusion Group’s free ebook with 7 steps that will lead you toward sustainable success and long-term organizational health.
“Evolutionary leaders aim to build trust, encourage collaboration, and guide their teams through change with purpose and empathy.”
“DEI initiatives actually expand the concept of merit by broadening the pool of qualified candidates and recognizing diverse experiences.”
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