Reimagine Inclusion: Debunking 13 Myths To Transform Your Workplace

by Mita Mallick

WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER
NATIONAL BESTSELLER

Reimagining what inclusion can look like in our organizations starts with understanding why these 13 DEI myths are not true―with practical and effective strategies for implementing transformative inclusivity. In Reimagine Inclusion , veteran DEI leader Mita Mallick debunks 13 myths that hold us back from transforming our workplaces. She delivers powerful storytelling combined with practical and hands on ways for us to be more inclusive leaders. She teaches us that when we show up as more inclusive leaders, we have the power to change our organizations, ultimately creating a ripple effect across our ecosystem. You’ll
Reimagine Inclusion walks you through how understand the leader’s journey in your organization, interrupt bias at every key decision point, and transform your organization’s systems, processes, and policies to improve inclusivity at every level. This is a must have resource for managers and executives, founders and CEOs. Reimagine Inclusion is for anyone with a stake in building more inclusive, empathetic and resilient organizations, where each and every one of us can thrive.

Genres: Nonfiction, Leadership

288 pages, Hardcover

Published October 3, 2023

About the author

Mita Mallick is a change maker with a track record of transforming culture and business. She gives innovative, culturally-resonant ideas a voice and serves customers and communities with purpose. She’s had an extensive career as a multicultural marketer in the beauty and consumer goods space, being a fierce advocate for including and representing Black and Brown communities. Her first book, “Reimagine Inclusion: Debunking 13 Myths to Transform Your Workplace” is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today best seller. Her highly anticipated second book "The Devil Emails at Midnight: What Good Leaders Can Learn from Bad Bosses" comes out September 30, 2025.


Her passion for inclusive storytelling led her to become a Chief Diversity Officer, building end-to-end ecosystems across big and small organizations and future proofing brands for today’s dynamic environment. Mallick has brought her talent and expertise to companies such as Carta, Unilever, Pfizer, AVON, Johnson & Johnson and more. She’s a sought after speaker and coach to start-up founders, executives and public CEOs.


Mallick is a LinkedIn Top Voice with over 189,000 followers. She was named to the Thinkers50 Radar List. She is a frequent contributor for Harvard Business Review, Adweek, Entrepreneur and Fast Company on a range of cultural, corporate and marketing topics. Mallick has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Time Magazine, Forbes, Axios, Essence, Cosmopolitan Magazine in Business Insider. She was featured in a documentary created by Soledad O’Brien Productions titled: Women in the Workplace and the Unfinished Fight for Equality. Mallick holds a B.A. from Barnard College, Columbia University and an M.B.A. from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.

Reviews

[Michael Tiger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot say enough about, "Reimagine Inclusion". I have read up on DEI for years and most things within a corporate environment have seemed like bandaids, sometimes just for show.


What I love about this book is that it's straight-shooting and progressive, focused on sustainable strategies to increase diversity in the workforce. Extensive research has been done in support of the author's recommendations, which are actionable.


I appreciate how the book focuses on the true benefits that properly appreciating and supporting diversity will bring all companies.


"Reimagine Inclusion" has set a new standard for DEI and I recommend this book for everyone, regardless of your organizational role or background. 

[Joseph · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you have never read anything about DEI before, then this might be a decent starting point. But if you are fairly familiar with the concepts, then you probably won't gain much from this book.

Overall, it was a bit more narrow and simplistic than I would have liked. The vast majority of the content is accurate and useful and true. But most of it was stuff that I was already familiar with and that I view as pretty elementary (Such as how to apologize, or admonishments to not engage in greenwashing).

It was fairly narrow in the sense that it was very US-centric, and it also seemed to mainly be applicable to large tech type firms. The section on remote work is not applicable to lots of work contexts (preschool teachers, farm work, truck drivers, etc.), and much of the advice isn't very applicable to smaller organizations. It felt like she was painting with too broad of a brush. In a certain sense, I am sympathetic: books need to compress complex ideas down into digestible tidbits, and if I paid the author as a consultant I am confident that she would adapt these ideas to the local circumstances.

I do object to using the term ‘Cross‐Cultural Relationships’ to describe friendships between two Americans of different races. It conflates race with culture. While there certainly are differences (on average) in values, behaviors, expectations, and so on between Americans of racial group A and racial group B, those are a result of culture, not of race. Simplistically: take a baby from racial group A immediately after birth and have it raised by parents of racial group B in a group B community, and that baby's culture (behaviors, beliefs, assumptions, etc.) will reflect culture B rather than culture A.

Some of the ideas contained in the book strike me as a bit too simplified. Maybe that is the just level that most people need? Such as the part about “a limited pool of black talent.” The author positions this as a bad thing, but my thought was “of course it is limited. Anything that isn’t infinite is limited. Human talent is limited.” With the pipeline issue, the author seemed to imply that companies who claim pipeline issues aren’t genuine. That might be true in some cases, but there are also scenarios in which candidates of some demographic groups are more rare for reasons that the company can't realistically influence. If you are hiring computer engineers, then you can post your job adds to Society of Women Engineers or to Blacks In Technology. But if you are hiring for something more rare, such as Japanese-French translators or Americans with expertise in Chinese human rights, there aren't analogous sources. Is there a network for hiring queer forklift drivers? In a sense, she chose the easiest example in focusing on engineers.

Some parts of this book seem to embrace what critiques of DEI love to tease us about: that the fight for social justice is mainly about using the right words. The author advises us to avoid the term “Underrepresented Minorities” and instead to use “Historically Marginalized Communities.” Some of the content in the Remember That Language Matters section struck me as overly policing people’s identity. The phrasing that your ancestors must have come from "one of these regions" to be Latino didn’t sit quite right with me. I would probably look askew at someone if they claimed to be Latino while having 100% Germanic heritage, but I’m not quite comfortable with drawing a strict boundry. What about my Brazilian friend whose ancestors came from China? She grew up in Brazil, speaks Portuguese as a native language, and has a Brazilian passport, but this author wouldn’t consider her Latina according to the rules laid out. Overall, I think that this is conflating blood/genetics/ancestry with the sloppy mishmash of culture.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone who has spent time thinking about DEI/DEBI is going to be familiar with the 13 myths Mallick seeks to debunk and will likely be familiar with the advice she presents. Where this books succeeds is bringing together all of these myths and the steps to take to move beyond them in one place. It isn't necessarily something to read cover to cover (though I suggest it to become familiar with the 13 myths) but a resource to return to as these situations play out in our organizations. I would have liked deeper conversations in some areas, but that is my own desire to play an active role in changing some of the myths I am facing (e.g. we can't recruit diverse workers because supply chain). The examples draw largely from the for-profit business world, but that shouldn't deter people in non-profit, government, or other public service sectors from considering whether they've seen and/or should address these myths in their own workplaces.

[Lan Phan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inclusion is not just a business nicety but a critical necessity for success. Companies failing to grasp the vital importance of inclusion will undoubtedly be left in the dust. In her book, "Reimagine Inclusion at Work," Mita Mallick powerfully and skillfully brings this fundamental truth to life.

Inclusion is the new competitive advantage, a reality Mita beautifully demonstrates through her masterful storytelling. She is THE voice businesses need to heed. Her insights transform inclusion from an abstract concept to a tangible, actionable, and indispensable part of modern business.

"Reimagine Inclusion at Work" is more than a book—it's a blueprint for future-forward businesses. Mita's work is a must-read and a must-act, pushing us to make inclusion a fundamental pillar touching every aspect of our operations.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished this fantastic book by Mita Mallick. This book is for anyone in a leadership position and I highly recommend it! I really appreciated how she focused on myths - typical sentiments, statements, and initiatives made by leadership that are problematic, then debunks them, AND provides what to do instead. In one chapter she stresses how ERGs alone are not a DEI strategy, in another how we absolutely need white men to care about this work. She also talks about the importance of hybrid work, and in the end, how we need to revisit the criteria and credentials for a Chief Diversity Officer. Every chapter was full of great insight!

[Erik Bates · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has some amazing insights and recommendations on how HR practitioners (even us white males!) can work to improve our workplaces. Mita addresses 13 myths using real-world, lived examples and counters them all with surgical precision and wit. A worthy read for anybody, not just HR practitioners.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a revelation in the DEI space. Mita reminds that us that being inclusive is a journey that we all need to continue. Loved the storytelling aspect where she shared very specific examples. I learned so much from her practical tips that I can apply to my everyday life!

[Christina Spriggle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting perspective on how to drive inclusion in the workplace....first step is getting uncomfortable...this book reinforced that the general tactics taken by organizations (trying to do the right thing) don't really work and that more is needed.

[Niecie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plenty of good ideas to reflect on. I really liked the section on in person, remote, and hybrid work.

[Yael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every leader should read this book! Practical, honest and much needed resource for creating teams and serving customers!

[Nathan Brant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practical. Accessible. Achievable. This is a different approach to workplace inclusion with real-world examples of when intentions fall short, as well as ideas on how to succeed.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

No easy answers, but lots of practical and actionable advice.

[Courtney Bissen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great first book about this topic for companies to have their employees read, for those familiar not much new information but still very interesting.