Aligning the Foundation


On the first day of their coordinated graduate program in dietetics, eager students file into their seats excited to continue their journey to becoming registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs). Professor Aida Miles, EdD, MMSc, RDN, CSP, LDN, FAND, starts with a story. It’s her personal story of what brought her to dietetics and why. She shares the highs, the lows, the challenges, and the successes of her journey, often bringing a flood of emotions and vulnerability to the classroom. She then invites students to participate in a reflective activity that is timed to precede their clinical training. She asks them to share their response to a fundamental, two-part question: “How did you get here, and where do you want to go?” When this activity is intro- duced, students spend at least 2 hours engaged in learning about themselves and their classmates. Subsequently, students are led through individual reflective exer- cises throughout their training, with opportunities to share during cohort meetings, based on their comfort level. Students share diverse stories about food insecurity, family meal dynamics, body image issues, class, race, ethnicity, and the future of dietetics. According to Miles (personal communication, March 11, 2021), trust is built, awareness is developed, and perspectives are broadened.


Self-Awareness and Education


Developing awareness is the foundation of effective, inclusive, equity-centered leadership. Self-awareness is a pillar for managerial effectiveness and leadership success.14


An awareness or recognition of your own strengths, weaknesses, behav-


iors, biases, and preferences starts with education and introspection. Similar to the experiences in Miles’ classroom, exploring questions around who you are, why you are here, and where you want to go helps clarify your unique frame of reference. Self-awareness is connected to an ability to build stronger relationships, strengthen emotional intelligence, communicate effectively, and lead teams with higher staff satisfaction.15,16 Type Indicator,18


Tools such as the CliftonStrengths Assessment,17 Emotional and Social Competence Inventory20 the Implicit Association Test from Harvard University,19


the Myers-Briggs and the


can facilitate self-awareness by pro-


viding information about how you make decisions, where your strengths lie, how you perceive the world, and how you may interact with others. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics also has a hub of resources to support current and aspiring leaders with the goal of improving equity and access for everyone.21 As an effective, equity-centered, inclusive leader, it is important to reflect regu-


larly on your identity in various contexts. As mentioned previously, a few examples of social identity groups include gender, race, ethnicity, age, (dis)ability, class, and re- ligion, although this is not a comprehensive list. These groups range in their degree of obviousness or ambiguity as well as in the sense that some social identity groups are self-proclaimed and others are ascribed by people other than the individual.22 It is also important to consider whether an identity is part of the dominant culture or of a nondominant culture. A dominant culture is any culture that historically had, and currently has, greater access to resources and influence and defines the cultural norms for an environment or profession.11


Dominant social identities also


come with inherent privileges and power. Nondominant cultures historically had, and currently have, reduced access to resources and influence. People with non-


CHAPTER 3: Embracing Diversity and Embodying Inclusive Leadership in Nutrition and Dietetics 47


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