The Brutal Truth About Diversity: Sharon Warmington Exposes What Boards Get Wrong

This exclusive interview with Sharon Warmington was conducted by Megan Lupton of The Motivational Speakers Agency.

Sharon Warmington is one of the most compelling female business speakers of our time, blending lived experience, strategic insight and a fierce commitment to inclusion. As CEO of the National Black Governors Network, executive coach and founder of transformative initiatives in education and governance, she works at the intersection of leadership, equity and systems change.

Her track record spans training thousands of senior leaders, advising national institutions, and driving real progress in diversity at the top.

In this exclusive interview with The Diversity & Inclusion Speakers Agency, Sharon Warmington shares how she holds organisations to account, why radical honesty is essential in race conversations, and what leaders must do to build truly inclusive cultures.

Q1. As CEO of the National Black Governor’s Network, what role have you played in driving greater diversity across the education sector?

Sharon Warmington: “Oh, that would be a tall order to be totally responsible for diversifying the education sector.

“The National Black Governor’s Network was created in 2017, well before the events of summer 2020 that got everybody excited about being more diverse or about embracing diversity. I mainly created it because I just got tired of being the only black person in a room — whether it was a small meeting room or a large conference of four or five hundred people.

“And I also got tired of people saying to me, when I sort of questioned them about diversity of race, “Oh Sharon, it’s really hard to find black people.” Okay, really? You know, firstly black people are not lost — you’ve just got to approach us differently, because we bring our difference to make a difference.

“And as of today, the organisation has worked with almost 100 organisations in the sector and we’ve delivered training to more than 4,000 trustees, governors and senior leaders in both schools and colleges, as well as some other sectors as well.

“But the reality is that we can’t undo 400 years of inequality. We can’t do that in 12 months. I doubt we’d even do it in 12 years. But what we can do is actually start the journey, so that our children’s children benefit from what we all want — which is a truly diverse world.

“It’s also important to understand that the education sector is not alone in this journey. All sectors are experiencing the same lack of diversity at the top. But the reality is that every profession passes through the education system because our children are educated there. So it’s important that we realise that diversity is definitely a top-down matter and not just a bottom-up one.”

Q2. When it comes to race and equality, why are honesty and transparency such essential foundations for progress?

Sharon Warmington: “Whatever space I’m in, especially as a trainer, I always suspend political correctness when questions and comments are directed at me. I do that on a personal basis because what I find is that this sort of breaks down any barriers and allows those who want to ask questions to do it without worrying about, “Oh, can I use the term black?” or, “Is it BAME?” or the most recent one I’ve seen, “UKEMI”.

“Whatever the jargon or the terminology is, for me it’s about just ask the question.

“So if I, as a British-born black woman, can do that, then the very least that others can do is be honest and transparent about where we are. Be honest about that and how we got here, accepting that and understanding that we need to start there in order to truly move the dial in terms of equality and equity.

“No one alive today created the system under which we all operate, but we have to acknowledge that the system does discriminate against those from diverse backgrounds. And so we have to be open and transparent in what we need to do in order to move forward.”

Q3. What practical steps should business leaders take if they want to create a culturally inclusive workplace?

Sharon Warmington: “Well, first of all, we have to be prepared to do the work — and that’s all of us. We have to be prepared. Most people will say, yes, we want change, but they’re not prepared to do the work associated with that change.

“My advice, based on a lot of the work that I’m doing, would be for organisations to take a look at the Race Equality Code, which was created in 2020 and piloted during Black History Month that year. Since then, the creator of that code, Dr Carl George, who I work closely with, has worked with a number of organisations to develop it into what it is today.

“What that code does is it allows organisations to take a real look at where they are and to work towards an action plan. So there are ten “musts”. If an organisation says that they want to move the dial and become anti-racist, then there are ten things an organisation must do, and those are listed in the actual code. Then there are another 45 “shoulds” and “goods” — what organisations could do or what they should be doing in order to move forward.

“And another thing that we can stop doing is stop pouncing on every black person alive to say, “What should we do about race?” Because not everybody wants to talk about it, and some things can be triggering to individuals.

“So my advice is to approach people who are trained in the area of diversity, those that you’re going to pay properly to do the work, and make sure that it’s a long-lasting process rather than looking for quick wins — because quick wins are just not sustainable.”

Q4. You founded the Unstoppable Women’s Leaders Conference. What continues to inspire your fight for gender equality and representation?

Sharon Warmington: “Well, the Unstoppable Women Leaders Conference was something that I did in 2016, and it was for International Women’s Day. Before we all got used to Zoom and everything, I put on this event that had, I think it was, 18,000 people across the globe, pulling speakers in from all walks of life. And it was amazing — an amazing experience.

“But as a female, born black, those are two factors that drive me in terms of equality and representation.

“When I did my dissertation for my degree in Leadership in 2014, I chose to focus on black women leaders in the UK.

“And it was during my research that I found that (a) there’s very little information available — positive information available — about black women leaders in the UK, and (b) that it would take 70 years, according to the Lord Davies reports, for there to be gender equality in British boardrooms. That’s ridiculous.

“I know that the stats have changed since then, but it’s nowhere near where it should be.

“So I’m driven by the need to be the best that I can be in whatever I do. But I’m not fighting for gender equality — I’m simply showing organisations and boards that their failure to proactively include women and people of colour is actively excluding them. And they’re doing a disservice to themselves and to their stakeholders.

“When you begin to understand that Gen Z is the most racially diverse generation ever currently, and Gen Alpha are in secondary schools — and Gen Alpha is the digital age — then times and organisations are changing. And those organisations that don’t change, they will simply be left behind.”

Q5. What are your top tips for setting meaningful goals and ensuring you achieve them?

Sharon Warmington: “I don’t overthink things, because if you overthink something you can literally think yourself out of a great idea. So I allow the research to dictate whether I should continue with something or not.

“I learnt a long time ago that talk is cheap and action will always win through.

“So my top tips would be:

First of all, you have to conceive your goal. Think about what you want to do and how you’re going to do it.
Then you’ve got to believe it. You have to believe in yourself and in the purpose or the journey that you’re on — not least because you will get challenges along the way. You can tweak and change your goals, but make sure that you continue to believe in it.
Achieving it is next. This could be small wins — sometimes it’s just the small wins that allow us to keep going, and ultimately we will get successful.
And then, when it comes to that time — receive it. Whatever it is. It could be the recognition for a job well done, or rewards in the form of money or a new job. But you have to receive it unapologetically.”