Labels. They can be so useful, helping us identify things, helping us know what to say, what to touch and what to leave alone.
But a label can also be something of a prison. It can ensure we are only seen as one thing. It can sometimes be seen as something more akin to a plaster, meaning there is something broken. Something that needs to be fixed.
JLL fund accounting lead Adnan Adwar utilised his EG Future Leaders talk to remind us that labels are never really a solution, but instead should be used to help create a more inclusive place for all. Lost? You won’t be.
One of Anwar’s labels reads ADHD – the others read Japanese food lover and Liverpool fan. He is in the process of putting the same label on his son. And it was this process that got Anwar thinking about why we use labels and the isolating feelings they can create.
If the places where we live, work, play and are educated are truly inclusive, Anwar told the audience, then labels are useless.
“One day, my son will grow up and maybe he’ll get to work in this wonderful real estate industry. And when he does, I hope we will have truly embraced neurodiversity without the need for labels”
Take the humble desk chair. Here is a revolutionary product that allows people of all different heights to sit at their desks. The chair goes up, it goes down, making sure anyone, regardless of whether they wear the “tall” label or “small” label can work comfortably at their desks.
Imagine if the same applied to neurodiversity. Imagine if our workplaces accounted for the one in five people who are neurodiverse just by making reasonable adjustments – quiet spaces, focus booths, even a bulk order of noise-cancelling headphones.
“Neurodiverse people are some of the most creative people out there,” said Anwar. “Some of the famous musicians and scientists around the world are neurodiverse, so we need to raise and educate our leaders in our companies to make sure they understand what it actually means.”
Because if they do, not only will there be no need for labels, but this industry would open itself up to a new 20% of future leaders.
Watch Adnan Anwar’s full speech on embracing neurodiversity:
A key element of what makes EG Future Leaders so special is the ripple effect it has. Our Future Leaders inspire action in our audience.
This year was all about the power of turning small ideas into mighty actions and unleashing the creativity we know exists in real estate.
Head to my.walls.io/EGFutureLeaders to see some of the takeaways our audience members shared.
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