Confessions of a DEI Consultant | Dan Houston

Confessions of a DEI Consultant
By Dan Houston | The 1750 Group

The Conversation Leaders Are Having in Private…
Finally Told in Public

A candid, experience-backed look at diversity, inclusion, and leadership—written for executives who believe in it… and those still trying to figure out if it’s worth the fight.

This isn’t theory. This is what happens in the room when the doors close, the scripts drop, and leaders have to decide—what kind of organization they’re really building.

Get Your Copy Now Download a Free Chapter

Let’s tell the truth for a moment…

You’ve sat in the meeting. You’ve heard the tension. You’ve watched organizations say one thing publicly… and struggle privately.

  • Leaders unsure how to talk about race, fairness, and opportunity
  • Managers trying to support diverse talent—but missing the mark
  • High-potential leaders of color quietly asking, “Do I belong here?”
  • Organizations caught between political pressure and human reality

And somewhere in all of that… performance, trust, and innovation begin to slip.

Here’s the quiet cost:
When people don’t feel seen, heard, or valued—they disengage, or they leave.
Confessions of a DEI Consultant

Not a manifesto. It’s a mirror.

Dan Houston unpacks what’s really happening beneath the surface of organizations today using 30 years of frontline leadership experience.

Understand

Why DEI efforts succeed—or quietly fail

Recognize

The emotional intelligence gaps that derail leaders

Navigate

Resistance without losing credibility or clarity

Build

Cultures of trust, belonging, and performance

Lead

Diverse teams with confidence—not caution

"Belonging isn’t a slogan. It’s the emotional outcome of being seen, heard, and valued."
The Guide to Real Leadership

What Makes This Different

Not from the sidelines

It’s written from:

  • • Boardrooms where decisions get complicated
  • • Coaching sessions where truth shows up unfiltered
  • • Training rooms where resistance meets reality

The Real Backstory

You don’t get surface-level advice. You get the backstory behind:

  • • Why feedback to leaders of color is often vague or coded
  • • Why “fit” quietly shapes opportunity
  • • Why emotional intelligence—not policy—is the real differentiator

Just like in your coaching work—the issue is rarely capability… it’s clarity, perception, and access.

“This book says out loud what most organizations are afraid to admit.”
“A masterclass in leadership, not just DEI.”
“I saw my organization—and myself—in these pages.”

After reading this book, leaders walk away with:

A sharper lens on culture and performance
Language to navigate difficult conversations
Confidence in leading across difference
Strategies to retain and elevate high-potential talent
A renewed commitment to leadership that actually works

This is not about checking a box. This is about building organizations that can compete, retain, and lead in a changing world.

Get a Free Chapter:
“The Confession No One Heard”

Enter your details below to receive an exclusive excerpt and leadership insights you can apply immediately.

You’ve got two choices:

Ignore the tension…
Or understand it—and lead through it.

Get your copy of Confessions of a DEI Consultant today.

Buy Now Start Reading