SPINE: Building Organizational Backbone in an Era of Retreat
By Effenus Henderson
Author of SPINE: The DEI Backbone for Agility and Adaptability in a VUCA World (2025). Amazon Publishing.

by Effenus Henderson

The Enduring Value of SPINE
In an age where DEI efforts face unprecedented political, legal, and cultural headwinds, organizations and leaders must ask themselves: What endures when buzzwords fade and backlash intensifies? What anchors our institutions when performative pledges unravel under pressure?
The answer is spine. Not just moral spine—but SPINE: Strategy, Practice, Ideation, Need, and Execution. This framework, which I first introduced in my book, offers more than a roadmap. It is a resilient, values-centered system for navigating complexity, grounding action in purpose, and sustaining equity even when the winds of change turn cold.
Each element of SPINE is a bulwark against the growing tactician mindset—what Ken Beller once warned us about: short-term, efficiency-obsessed leaders who prioritize metrics over meaning, speed over substance, and optics over outcomes. In 2025, that mindset has migrated into policy rooms and boardrooms, threatening to undo decades of inclusive progress.
But here's what the evidence now confirms: Inclusion is not a liability. It is a leadership imperative.

Employee Retention

of employees say they're more likely to stay long-term with employers that support DEI. Consumer Action of consumers are actively boycotting companies that step back from inclusion. Employee Exodus of employees—61% of Gen Z—will leave if DEI commitments weaken. Legal Risk of leaders admit that DEI retreat heightens legal risk. A recent study by Catalyst and the NYU Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging—Risks of Retreat: The Enduring Inclusion Imperative (2025)—offers stark and timely proof. When organizations pull back from DEI, they hemorrhage trust, talent, and consumer loyalty. Conversely, those that lead with DEI at the core outperform on innovation, retention, and market resilience. These aren't abstract numbers. They are a mandate. And they mirror what I've lived, practiced, and witnessed in organizations for decades. This essay deepens the SPINE framework through lived examples, cultural insight, and the growing body of research affirming its value. It doesn't just tell you what to do—it shows you why it matters and how it transforms outcomes when grounded in justice and inclusion. If you're a leader, practitioner, policymaker, or changemaker asking how to move forward amid backlash, this is your invitation to build a durable, values-driven backbone. The world doesn't need more tactics. It needs more SPINE. For a deeper dive, I invite you to explore the full framework in my book SPINE: The DEI Backbone for Agility and Adaptability in a VUCA World. And to explore the empirical case for inclusion, consult Risks of Retreat by Catalyst and the Meltzer Center. Because the future belongs not to those who retreat—but to those who build forward, with courage, conscience, and SPINE.

STRATEGY: The Compass for Long-Term Survival
In the SPINE framework—Strategy, Practice, Ideation, Need, and Execution—everything begins with strategy. Far more than metrics or forecasts, strategy in the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) landscape serves as the foundational compass that clarifies purpose, embraces complexity, and builds for generational impact.

Strategic Vision Rooted in Justice

Strategy represents the disciplined pursuit of a future that authentically reflects the lived experiences and aspirations of a pluralistic society. America's most transformative movements—from abolition to civil rights, from immigration reform to marriage equality—emerged not from tactical maneuvering, but from strategic vision firmly anchored in justice and human dignity. Beyond the Tactician Mindset In 2025, we face a formidable challenge: the ascendant tactician mindset. These tacticians obsess over immediacy—30, 60, 90-day horizons—sacrificing depth for optimization and long-term value for quarterly wins. To them, DEI represents an obstacle. Yet DEI was never designed for speed—it was engineered for permanence. The coordinated assault on DEI is strategic in nature. Our defense must be equally strategic in response. Building on Solid Ground A strategy that sidelines DEI fundamentally lacks strategic vision. Such approaches prove reactive and brittle, failing to anticipate demographic shifts, cultural evolution, and the rising expectations of emerging generations. They build on shifting sand. Truly robust strategy honors the zeitgeist—the authentic pulse of people, possibilities, and potential.

Strategy illuminated by DEI principles demands more profound, courageous questions:

What future are we actively creating—and who will inhabit it? Whose voices amplify in our decisions—and whose fade into silence? Which demographic realities, cultural currents, and environmental imperatives must shape our next half-century? The SPINE framework establishes strategy as its foundation because strategy transcends mere planning—it embodies organizational purpose. It determines which paths we pursue, which voices we amplify, how we navigate inevitable tensions, and which measures of success truly matter. Let the tacticians celebrate their quarterly gains. We, as stewards of SPINE, are architecting something far more enduring. We design for generations yet unborn—with justice as our unwavering compass, inclusion as our methodological backbone, and moral courage as our daily discipline.

PRACTICE: Where Intent Becomes Daily Action
Employee Resource Groups
93% of employees value ERGs as essential components of inclusive workplaces
Inclusive Environments
92% demand inclusive physical spaces (e.g., nursing rooms, accessibility features)
Perception Gap
Only 43% of employees believe DEI is "embedded" in daily practices vs. 63% of leaders
Practice without DEI is a performance with one eye closed. Real DEI is not an event—it's the heartbeat of transformation.
Catalyst Data Reinforcement:
  • 93% of employees value Employee Resource Groups (ERGs).
  • 92% demand inclusive environments (e.g., nursing rooms, accessibility).
  • Yet only 43% of employees believe DEI is "embedded" in daily practices vs. 63% of leaders.
SPINE's Mandate:
Inclusion is built through daily repetition, rigor, and reflection:
  • Design teams reflecting the world you serve.
  • Learn through cultural humility—not compliance.
As Catalyst warns, retreat risks "quiet quitting" (disengagement costing productivity/innovation). SPINE turns practice into a non-negotiable discipline.
PRACTICE: The Daily Choreography of Change
In the SPINE framework—Strategy, Practice, Ideation, Need, and Execution—practice is where vision becomes reality. It is the arena where strategy is tested, where need becomes visible, and where growth takes shape through repetition, refinement, and responsiveness. It is the daily choreography of change.
But practice without diversity, equity, and inclusion is like training with one eye closed. You may develop form, but you miss the full field of view. You miss the humanity.
Excellence—whether in athletics, arts, business, or leadership—is born not in the spotlight, but in the shadows: through the drills, the adjustments, the humility to learn and unlearn. The same is true for institutions striving to lead inclusively. To practice well, especially in a dynamic, multicultural society, is to practice inclusively.
Building Diverse Teams
Reflect the world you serve
Designing with Empathy
Root in multiple vantage points
Learning with Humility
Embrace cultural awareness
Adapting Systems
Respond to community needs
Embedding Fairness
Make belonging operational
Why does DEI matter so deeply in the realm of practice? Because practice isn't just doing. It's becoming. It's developing the muscle memory of justice, the reflex of empathy, and the rhythm of responsiveness. And that only happens when your practice includes a full spectrum of experiences, perspectives, and voices.

The Practice of Inclusion

When organizations form teams to design new products, serve diverse communities, or anticipate future disruption, the most effective solutions don't come from sameness. They come from synergy—where different identities, stories, and approaches create sharper insight and more resilient outcomes. DEI expands the practice field. It doesn't just widen participation—it deepens purpose. Imagine a basketball team where everyone plays point guard, or a choir where every singer sings the same note. The richness, the performance, the possibility—gone. Excellence demands range. It requires deliberate, disciplined practice that mirrors the diversity of real-world conditions. Too often, organizations treat DEI as a sideline effort or a scheduled training. But real DEI is a practice—a habit of engagement, a discipline of inclusion, a way of operating with equity embedded at every step. It is not episodic. It is systemic. And this is where need reenters the frame. We don't practice to perform for applause. We practice to meet real, urgent, human needs. Whether it's enhancing accessibility, advancing equity, or entering new markets with integrity, our practice must prepare us to serve with accuracy, compassion, and credibility. The organizations that will thrive in the future aren't those that practiced the most in isolation. They are those who practiced with intention, inclusion, and iteration. Who understood that getting better isn't just about efficiency—it's about wisdom, equity, and impact. Practice, in the SPINE framework, is not passive routine. It is an active discipline. It is the sacred rehearsal for justice. And without DEI, it's not really practice. It's just repetition.

IDEATION: The Creative Engine of Inclusion
Catalyst Data Reinforcement:
  • 90% of employees back programs boosting representation (mentorship, internships).
  • Diverse teams drive 88% higher innovation (per leaders).
You cannot think differently if you only think with the same people. Ideation without inclusion yields stale solutions and cultural misfires.
SPINE's Mandate:
DEI is a creative catalyst:
  • Invite marginalized voices to solve problems.
  • Value lived experience as expertise.
  • Foster "psychologically safe spaces where dissent is a creative asset."
In a world facing intersecting crises, radically inclusive ideation isn't optional—it's survival.
IDEATION: The Pulse of Imagination
In the SPINE framework—Strategy, Practice, Ideation, Need, and Execution—ideation is the pulse of imagination. It is the act of envisioning what could be, before others believe it's possible. It's where innovation is born, where creativity stretches across difference, and where systemic change begins not as policy, but as possibility.
But here's the truth: you cannot generate truly transformative ideas without inclusion. Period.
Ideation is often mythologized as the spark of a lone genius. But more often, it emerges from collective genius—from messy dialogue, cultural intersections, dissent, memory, aspiration, and a willingness to see differently. DEI doesn't restrict creativity—it liberates it.
We're living in an era that demands radically inclusive ideation. Whether confronting climate change, algorithmic bias, health inequities, or educational disparities, we can't solve 21st-century problems with 20th-century mental models. We need new stories, new solvers, new lenses.

The Power of Inclusive Ideation

Cognitive Accelerators Diversity, equity, and inclusion are not just moral imperatives—they are cognitive accelerators. Inclusion invites insight. Equity deepens inquiry. Diversity multiplies imagination. Collective Genius The most powerful ideas are rarely born in echo chambers. They rise from friction, from complexity, from courageous listening and collaboration across difference. New Perspectives To imagine what has never been, you must first include who has never been asked. Without them, ideation becomes circular—safe, narrow, and stale.

Implementing DEI in Ideation

Inclusive ideation asks: Who has been closest to the problem—and how can we bring them closer to the solution? Whose knowledge systems and cultural frameworks have been overlooked? How do we honor trauma, resilience, and imagination as sources of design? Practicing DEI in ideation means: Inviting historically marginalized voices to the table—not as token participants, but as core collaborators Valuing lived experience as deeply as formal expertise Designing spaces where dissent is seen as a source of breakthrough, not disruption Welcoming cultural identity, memory, and even grief as powerful sources of insight The cost of excluding DEI from ideation is enormous: Missed markets and irrelevance Products that fail and services that harm Systems that exclude by design, despite good intentions On the other hand, ideation grounded in DEI doesn't just yield better outcomes—it fosters better humanity. It builds belonging into the blueprint. It says: you are seen, your story matters, and your insight is part of the solution. The next great idea may not come from a whiteboard in Silicon Valley. It may come from a farmworker's ingenuity, a refugee's resilience, a student protestor's vision, or a grandmother's memory. That's what inclusive ideation unlocks. In SPINE, ideation is not a luxury. It is a necessity. It's not a brainstorming session. It's a justice-making practice. Because without inclusion, we don't just lose ideas—we lose the future.

NEED: The Human-Centered Compass

Understanding Need in the SPINE Framework

In the SPINE framework—Strategy, Practice, Ideation, Need, and Execution—need is the beating heart of every meaningful initiative. It is not a sign of weakness—it is a signal of relevance. The Anchor of Relevance Need is what makes strategy honest, practice grounded, ideation bold, and execution trustworthy. It is not a marketing insight—it is a design imperative shaped by culture, history, and lived experience. Business Imperative 99% of employees insist organizations must support "fair treatment and equitable pay," while 74% of women and 78% of Gen Z base purchasing decisions on DEI policies. Beyond Outputs Too many organizations leap into planning and delivery without fully understanding the communities they aim to serve. They confuse output with impact, failing to recognize need as the foundation. Need isn't charity—it's the anchor. When you understand need, you deliver what matters.

The Consequences of Need-Centered Design

Ignoring need means: Products no one uses. Services that exclude. But centering it—across race, ability, language, trauma—builds trust. Example: A running shoe company redesigned products with diverse athletes, creating designs that "didn't just perform—they spoke." As Catalyst confirms, meeting need drives customer loyalty (81-85% of leaders agree). Need is not static. It flexes. It evolves. And it varies across race, identity, age, ability, and social location. The same solution applied universally can yield radically different results depending on how well we understand the context. Let me be clear: Need is not charity. It is not pity. It is not a transactional exchange. It is about trust, dignity, and the shared responsibility to get it right. Need Isn't the Outcome—It's the Compass: We often define success by the result—housing built, services launched, products shipped. But if we do not understand what people actually need to access, engage, and benefit from those outcomes, we have failed.

Real-World Examples of Need-Centered Design

I've seen this firsthand across industries: From Timber to Trust At a manufacturing company, we began by designing for efficiency. But when we engaged Somali, Hmong, Latino, and East African families, the conversation changed. We heard about homes that needed space for prayer, privacy for elders, ventilation for traditional cooking. We weren't just shaping wood—we were shaping belonging. Need in Motion: The Running Shoe A global athletic brand centered design around a narrow profile of the ideal runner. But when we expanded our lens, listening to diverse athletes—by gender, race, size, and culture—we unlocked a richer form of performance: identity. These shoes didn't just fit. They spoke. They said: you belong. Designing for Dignity in Government In a growing U.S. city, we worked with civic leaders to rethink service delivery. Seniors needed simplicity. Refugees needed translation and trust. Youth needed visibility. Black and Indigenous communities needed acknowledgment and repair. We got there not by treating everyone the same—but by seeing each need as sacred. These examples prove one thing: when you center need, you design with soul. You move beyond checklists into transformation.

The Impact of Need-Centered Design

So What Happens When We Ignore Need? We create products no one uses. We offer services no one trusts. We launch initiatives that feel performative and cold. But When We Listen to Need with Precision? We design services that resonate and endure. We inspire loyalty, trust, and shared ownership. We embed humanity into innovation. In DEI practice, centering need is not optional. It is the moral and strategic foundation for everything else. It's how we close the gap between intent and impact. In SPINE, Need is where heart meets purpose. It's where assumptions are challenged, insight is earned, and excellence begins. So when someone asks, "Why DEI?" The answer is simple: Because if you don't understand the need, you don't understand the people. And if you don't understand the people, you'll never deliver what matters. Let's stop designing for assumptions. Let's start designing for actual lives.

EXECUTION: Where Trust Is Earned
Execution is where the promises we make become the realities others live with. In the SPINE framework—Strategy, Practice, Ideation, Need, and Execution—execution is not just a conclusion. It is the crucible. It is the test of integrity, the site of reckoning, the space where justice or betrayal becomes tangible.
You can have the most inclusive strategy, thoughtful ideation, rigorous practice, and insightful understanding of need—but if execution falters, everything collapses.
Catalyst Data Reinforcement
  • 24% of employees expect DEI to weaken (vs. 8-12% of leaders).
  • Representation gaps fuel distrust: only 43% of employees see DEI embedded vs. 67% of legal leaders.
SPINE's Mandate
Execution is not neutral. It's human. Without DEI, everything before it crumbles.
Equitable Execution Requirements
  • Representation in leadership/rollout.
  • Cultural fluency in messaging.
  • Accountability measuring who's left out.
Execution is not neutral. It is profoundly human. It is shaped by who delivers, who is visible, who is trusted, and who is held accountable. That's why DEI cannot be an afterthought here. It must be the foundation.

EXECUTION: Delivering on DEI Promises

When marginalized communities see themselves reflected in the people delivering services, managing programs, and shaping experiences, trust deepens. Legitimacy is built not just through rhetoric, but through relationships. And when DEI is embedded in execution, the result is not only effectiveness—it is equity. Execution guided by DEI means: Representation in leadership and delivery teams—not just at the start, but at the finish Cultural fluency in messaging—where tone, language, and medium align with community norms Transparent and equitable accountability—so those who are affected also have a say in what success means Inclusive communications—ensuring that how something is delivered reflects who it is meant to serve Too many organizations do the hard work of planning but falter at the moment of delivery. They outsource trust. They center speed over substance. They forget that for most people, DEI isn't theoretical—it's experiential. It's felt in the execution. And this is where need loops back into focus. The people you aim to serve are watching. Not just the results—but the process, the posture, and the people involved. Did it feel respectful? Was it accessible? Did it reflect an understanding of their identity, dignity, and context? If not, even a technically successful rollout can deepen alienation. That's the danger of performative execution. But when DEI is centered, execution becomes alignment. It becomes proof. It becomes lived justice. Execution is not just the final stage—it's the moment that reveals everything that came before. It is where intention becomes consequence, and where inclusion becomes infrastructure. In the SPINE framework, execution is not just what we do. It's how we show who we are. Because equity isn't achieved until it's delivered. Trust is built "not in promises—but in delivery." When marginalized communities see their lived experience reflected in execution, legitimacy follows.

Conclusion: The SPINE Imperative

At this crossroads in American history—where pluralism is under attack, misinformation is on the rise, and performative leadership is mistaken for real change—the SPINE framework offers a path forward that is grounded, resilient, and unapologetically inclusive. SPINE is not a theory. It's a discipline. It's a declaration that justice must be embedded in every strategy, practiced daily, infused in ideation, centered in need, and made visible through execution. The findings from Risks of Retreat remind us that DEI is not a passing trend or a partisan target—it's a long-term strategic imperative that builds trust, drives innovation, and ensures accountability to the people we serve. Organizations that fail to integrate SPINE will find themselves fragile in the face of disruption, and irrelevant in a future shaped by diversity. Strategy Anchor in strategy amid backlash Practice Embed practice daily Ideation Unlock ideation through inclusion Need Center need to drive loyalty Execution Execute with integrity to rebuild trust

Let tacticians chase quarterly wins. SPINE stewards build timeless legacies.

—Effenus Henderson, SPINE: The DEI Backbone for Agility in a VUCA World (2025) The Risks of Retreat data proves DEI retreat is catastrophic. Henderson's SPINE framework provides the operational spine to: Anchor in strategy amid backlash, Embed practice daily, Unlock ideation through inclusion, Center need to drive loyalty, Execute with integrity to rebuild trust. Let this be our moment of recommitment. Let this be the line in the sand. We are not here to tweak around the edges. We are here to lead boldly—with SPINE. To every leader who seeks to future-proof their mission, elevate their culture, and serve with purpose: the call is clear. It's time to align your backbone with your values. It's time to build with SPINE. Effenus Henderson

Citations

Henderson, E. (2025). SPINE: The DEI Backbone for Agility and Adaptability in a VUCA World. [Amazon]. Pollack, A., Thomas, S., Bapuji, H., & Sijapati-Basnett, B. (2025). Risks of Retreat: The Enduring Inclusion Imperative. Catalyst & NYU Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging. Beller, K. (2001). The Consistent Consumer: Predicting Behavior in the Values Economy. Catalyst. (2025). DEI Metrics Tracker Survey. [Internal report referenced in Risks of Retreat].

About Effenus Henderson
Effenus Henderson is a renowned diversity, equity, and inclusion strategist and thought leader with over three decades of experience advising Fortune 500 companies and global organizations. As the author of "SPINE: The DEI Backbone for Agility in a VUCA World" (2025), Henderson has pioneered frameworks that help organizations build resilient DEI initiatives that withstand social and political pressures.
Throughout his career, Henderson has served as Chief Diversity Officer for major corporations and as an advisor to numerous boards. His SPINE methodology (Strategy, Practice, Ideation, Need, Execution) has been adopted by leading organizations seeking to embed inclusion as a strategic imperative rather than a temporary initiative.
Henderson regularly speaks at global conferences and has received numerous awards for his contributions to the field of diversity and inclusion. He is a fellow of the Institute for Inclusion and currently serves as a visiting professor at several prestigious business schools.
Connect with Effenus: LinkedIn |

HENDERWORKS

HenderWorks | diversity

At HenderWorks, diversity, equity, and inclusion are core to driving meaningful change and organizational success. We move beyond performative actions, helping companies see diversity as a strategic imperative that shapes business outcomes. Our approach is adaptive and agile, allowing flexibility in tactics while remaining resilient in our commitment. With integrity, respect, and fairness, we create environments where all voices are valued, ensuring equity drives innovation and success.