Law Firm Elevates DEI from Initiative to Business Driver
“I know leadership wants DEI to succeed, but I don’t know how to give them what they need.”
Virginia, a Chief Diversity Officer at a law firm, had leadership buy-in but struggled to translate their support into action. Her approach had been primarily tactical—focusing on programming and initiatives—while leadership was looking for a strategic roadmap that positioned DEI as a business imperative. She needed to refine her messaging, develop strategic leadership skills, and gain confidence in articulating DEI’s business value. At the same time, her team was also navigating misalignment in working styles, which made cross-functional collaboration difficult.
Virginia needed to shift from execution to strategic influence—framing DEI in a way that enrolled other leaders and made it an integral part of business success. The broader team also needed to improve communication, respect different working styles, and work more cohesively to drive sustainable DEI outcomes.
Through six months of 1:1 coaching with Virginia and team-wide leadership workshops, we:
Helped Virginia transition from a tactical mindset to a strategic leadership approach.
Refined her messaging to frame DEI as a business driver, rather than another initiative.
Coached her on confidently delivering insights and recommendations, leading to stronger engagement with the CEO and senior leaders.
Led workshops to align the team on effective collaboration, communication styles, and shared accountability, ensuring that DEI initiatives were embedded in day-to-day operations rather than siloed efforts.
Results
The CEO’s confidence in Virginia’s leadership was reinvigorated.
DEI was successfully repositioned as a strategic pillar, gaining buy-in from leaders across departments.
The team learned how to navigate different working styles and collaborate more effectively, ensuring that DEI efforts were not only strategic but also sustainable and integrated into the firm’s long-term success.
“Kibi understood the needs of my group and proposed and executed the exact program that we needed. She provided practical and real world strategies for our success. 5 out of 5 stars!”
