Maja D. Hazell is a managing director of D.E. Shaw & Co., L.P. and Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the D. E. Shaw Group. Prior to joining the firm in 2021, Ms. Hazell was Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion at White & Case LLP, where she advised clients, global partners, and senior leaders across practice areas, business units, functions, and industry groups on embedding DEI in their business strategies and talent goals.
For years before bringing me on in 2021 in a newly created role to lead a dedicated DEI function, the D. E. Shaw group put significant time and effort into delivering on its diversity-focused values.
The creation of my role was seen as the next logical step in driving a targeted, strategic, and firmwide approach to strengthening the firm’s DEI efforts and business overall. These efforts span almost every area of the organization, from talent attraction, retention, and progression to inclusive management of diverse teams across our major operations in the US, India, London, and Asia. We want to ensure we’re sharing our story and unique value proposition to appeal to the many talented members of underrepresented groups in our industry. DEI is a key voice in our efforts to meet the challenges of rapidly evolving business and workplace imperatives, and diverse talent will be an important contributor to the firm’s future success.
I have been fascinated by and passionate about what good leadership requires since college. I decided to become a leadership coach after several years as a DEI professional, because I sensed something was missing in my conversations supporting talent at all levels in their goals to progress in their organizations and resolve conflicts. While I was equipped to have a facilitative or consultative conversation, counseling on what it takes to be a good professional or manager based on best practice, I learned there was a deeper conversation to be had regarding how individuals showed up at work and the underlying motivations driving their behavior that resulted in outcomes not aligned with their goals.
An effective coach listens for complaints, unmet needs, and ways people get in their own way. It’s empowering for individuals to arrive at their own solutions through responding to tailored questions.
In an area like DEI that requires vulnerability and often evokes defensiveness, coaching is a direct, tangible conversation that unlocks barriers to being willing to view situations in new or different ways, divorced from one’s long-held views or individual context. Coaching allows you to distinguish between your highest commitments and your attachments to problematic concepts like perfection and believing things should happen in a certain way. Those attachments make you resistant to challenge and change that might best serve your growth and ultimate goals. Being open to those shifts is critical to being an inclusive leader and colleague.
American author and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston wrote that, “There are years that ask questions and years that answer.” I think 2024 will be a year that provides a lot of answers about what a commitment to DEI really means and demands in the face of widespread backlash. I think it will also lead to an assessment of what is really working or not after decades of corporate efforts, and how organizations must pivot in the face of both inquiries. Clarity about how companies define and understand equity will be key. An organization’s superficial or performative stance will be far more obvious, and talent in the market will be able to make far more informed choices about which institutions are committed to inclusion and belonging.
I think that part of the demand for my services as a DEI professional and coach is related to my innate empathy and optimism, reflected in many aspects of how I show up. My success is likely tied to my pursuing a vocation that is very aligned with my sense of purpose.
The written word. I fall madly in love with a beautiful sentence. I am a committed life-long learner and surround myself with books and articles.
My soon to no longer be a teen daughter, Nila. She is my eternal inspiration and one of my favorite fearless humans. I am beyond grateful to the many women of the WIE Suite who have given her invaluable career advice and opportunities. If I can cheat and name another, Indra Nooyi. She is a brilliant business strategist and hilarious person, both of which I aspire to daily.
The continued democratization of elevating the best ideas. My hope is that as a result, we can continue to move our culture towards true meritocracy in the face of major challenges.
Post the pandemic disruptions and amid major shifts impacting the workplace, from social media’s information superhighway, to hybrid, flexible working, to massive societal and legal landscape upheaval, unconventional thinking and approaches are required. More than ever before, those with domain knowledge and passion can leverage technology like generative AI to have deep impact. I think that creates a lot of opportunity for anyone to bring the next big idea that will position organizations for success.
We are all leaders with a sphere of influence, regardless of title. I am excited to do work that supports unlocking the best of people and the best of ideas, which will be even more critical in 2024.
