When I began my career as an Intelligence Officer in the Army and later as a civilian in the Department of Defense, I had the privilege of leading a Red Team, a concept that was still relatively new at the time. But we knew the formula would work.
Our team wasn’t built on sameness; it was built on diversity. We brought together cultural experts, tactical specialists, economists, intelligence professionals, cyber experts, and even psychologists. Each of us had a different lens, a unique approach, and varying experiences. Together, we worked to understand how adversaries thought and how they would react.
What made us strong wasn’t just our skills, it was our differences. Our ability to come together, challenge each other’s perspectives, and unify around a common mission made us one of the most effective teams I’ve ever been part of. Red Teaming works, and it only works because of diversity.
In today’s conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), there’s a growing misconception that diversity means lowering the bar. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Hiring for diversity isn’t about lowering standards, it’s about raising them. It’s about bringing together people with different skills, mindsets, and backgrounds to create stronger, more effective teams.
Diversity includes first-generation college graduates, people from different socio-economic backgrounds, disabled professionals, veterans, individuals with unique skill sets, and those who think differently from the status quo. Our differences aren’t obstacles, they’re assets.
Instead of completely discarding DEI, we should focus on what works: diversity. Because when we prioritize diverse teams, we create better companies, develop better products, and build stronger, more resilient organizations.
The benefits of diversity aren’t just theoretical, they’re quantifiable. Studies consistently show that diverse teams outperform homogenous ones. Research from McKinsey & Company has found that companies with diverse leadership teams are 36% more likely to outperform their less diverse counterparts in profitability. A Boston Consulting Group study revealed that organizations with diverse management teams generate 19% higher revenue due to increased innovation.
And when it comes to disability inclusion, the numbers are just as compelling. Companies that actively hire and support employees with disabilities have 28% higher revenue, double the net income, and 30% higher profit margins than those that don’t, according to research from Accenture.
Hiring disabled professionals isn’t charity, it’s smart business. Employees with disabilities bring unique problem-solving skills, resilience, and adaptability—qualities that benefit any organization. More importantly, hiring disabled employees reduces turnover, fosters innovation, and expands consumer reach, as companies become more attuned to the needs of a diverse customer base.
Unfortunately, rising backlash against DEI threatens to undo the quantifiable progress we’ve made in building diverse, high-performing workforces. We cannot let ideological opposition to DEI efforts stand in the way of supporting disabled workers, veterans, and other underrepresented professionals.
The goal isn’t to implement diversity for diversity’s sake, it’s to build stronger, more innovative, and more profitable organizations. The lessons I learned in Red Teaming in the military and intelligence communities apply just as much to business: diverse perspectives lead to stronger outcomes.
The evidence is clear, diverse teams don’t just succeed; they excel.
It’s time to double down on what works. Let’s build teams that reflect the world we live in, embrace the strengths that differences bring, and ensure that diversity remains a cornerstone of progress in the workforce.
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