206: Leaders with Heart Help People with their Leadership Journeys

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In this episode, Heather sits down with Dr. Yetta Toliver, Global Head of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at Xerox. Dr. Toliver is a native of Baton Rouge, LA. Initially, she first obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in business management from Southern University in Baton Rouge, LA, then her master’s degree in Business Administration from Dallas Baptist University in Dallas, TX, and finally, a doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) from Walden University in Minneapolis, MN. She is also a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (LSSBB). Dr. Toliver joined Xerox Corporation in 1987 and has held multiple management and Director positions. She is now the Global Head of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DIB). In her role, she leads the DIB strategy and roadmap to help Xerox drive change and build a more diverse community within the company and the communities they serve. Dr. Toliver considers herself a servant leader at heart, which is why she established the Journey of Leadership Institute, a leadership program that empowers individuals to advance in leading themselves, others, and organizations.

Key Takeaways: 

• Failing is normal.
• We shouldn’t be so hard on ourselves over mistakes.
• Diversity, equity, and belonging needs are not the same globally.
• Different audiences need different methods.
• The best lessons in leadership come from failures.

I cannot take my mistakes and allow them to avoid me from continuing to navigate life. - Dr. Yetta Toliver #leadershipwithheart Share on X

Dr. Yetta Toliver’s Bio

Dr. Yetta Toliver is a native of Baton Rouge, La. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business management from Southern University in Baton Rouge, LA, a master’s degree in business administration from Dallas Baptist University in Dallas, TX and a doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) from Walden University in Minneapolis, MN. She is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (LSSBB). Dr. Toliver joined Xerox Corporation in 1987 and has held multiple management and director positions. She is now the Global Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (DIB). In her role, she leads the DIB strategy and roadmap to help Xerox to drive change and build a more diverse community within the company and the communities they serve. In today’s changing, connected world, it is important for Xerox to be committed to advancing DIB to enable innovation and growth. She is a servant leader at heart. In 2013, she established the Journey of Leadership Institute which is a leadership program that empowers individuals to advance in leading self, others and organizations. She works as a business adjunct professor at a local community college. And as a resident of Lewisville, TX, she enjoys serving in the community and helping others to reach their goals and achieve their dreams.

It’s Okay to Not be Perfect

One of the things I had to learn was to pick myself up and keep moving forward. I am human and I’m not perfect. I cannot take my mistakes and allow them to avoid me from continuing to navigate life. I have to take risks in order to grow and gain the skills that I need to move forward. Even trying to be the best leader you never get to be 100%, because there’s no perfect score, and there’s no such thing as being a perfect leader. You always have room for improvement, so I take those moments where I’m not the best leader and take it as a learning lesson.

When you deliberately celebrate those successes and those wins, it really helps your team to understand how much you appreciate them. - Nana Appiah #leadershipwithheart Share on X

I cannot be the same diversity inclusion belonging leader in the US, as I can be in Europe. - Dr. Yetta Toliver #leadershipwithheart Share on X

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