I had a great chat with Gemma back in March about Allyship. The conversation was more specifically focused on allyship in support of female leaders within an organisation, but it triggered thoughts more widely around what good allyship looks like. There are many good examples of when allyship is necessary, so I felt it was worth documenting some of my top level thoughts on how to be a good ally.
Allyship works best with authenticity. Performative allyship is rife in the workplace, so self-awareness and comfort in calling that out is key.
Allyship is often spoken about in diversity initiatives, but too frequently, it lacks grounding in day-to-day behavior or a company’s reality. It’s important that we challenge that. True allyship isn’t performative, it’s operational and cultural.
If you’re in a position of power or privilege, you have a responsibility to make space for those who aren’t. This isn’t about guilt or blame, it’s about accountability. It’s not enough to “not be part of the problem.” You have to actively be part of the solution. In meetings, that might mean calling out interruptions or recognising when someone’s ideas are being ignored. Behind the scenes, it means reviewing hiring practices, rethinking promotion pipelines, and auditing how culture is shaped and reinforced across teams.
A common excuse I hear is, “I don’t want to say the wrong thing”. Silence is often more damaging than imperfection. Fear of making mistakes can’t be the reason leaders opt out. If you’re genuinely uncertain, ask. Build a feedback loop. Engage in reverse mentoring. Center voices from underrepresented groups when shaping policies.
Learn, adjust, repeat.
Allyship isn’t a single statement. It’s not just showing up to a panel or posting a quote about feminism. Real allyship shows up in policies, metrics, and behavior change. It’s in how teams are structured, how meetings are run, how conflict is resolved, and how success is defined. It’s how often you advocate for inclusion when no one’s watching, especially when it’s inconvenient.
If you want allyship to be taken seriously, tie it to business metrics. Retention, innovation, market relevance, these all improve when teams are diverse and feel psychologically safe.
Ask yourself: are we losing talented people because they don’t feel heard? Are we missing markets because our product teams aren’t representative? When we create more diverse teams, we stand a better chance of making products that meet the needs of diverse markets.
Here are some things you can do right now if you’re wondering what more you can do:
You don’t need permission to be an ally. And you certainly don’t need to wait for a DEI group or a global movement to tell you it’s time. If you’re unfortunate enough to read the news often, you’ll know by now the world needs more of this.
Just start. Build momentum. Lead by example.
Allyship isn’t about being seen as a “good person.” It’s about building the kind of communities, company and industry where more people can thrive.