Now more than ever, people are looking for workplaces where they can be themselves without fear of judgment. We learned in 2020 how we can check ourselves and learn from things we may have regrated several years ago. With recent BLM and Woman’s Right marches, there seems to be a term floating around right now: inclusive leadership. But what is an “inclusive leader” and how can you be one? In today’s world, it’s more important, now more than ever, to be what society has named an inclusive leader. Hopefully, my rather short post helps you on your way to learning how to be one.
Being inclusive in any setting is very important. It allows you to understand your own biases and be actively open-minded about different sides of an argument. According to the Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion (ENEI), a UK based employer network that strives for equality in the workplace, “inclusive leaders are those who are aware of their own biases and preferences, actively seek out and consider different views and perspective to inform better decision-making.” Leaders such as these like seeing diverse talent as a source for competitive advantage, instead of someone’s gender or the degree they may have. Inclusive leaders know that there is always room to grow. They encourage others, as well as themselves, to keep working towards being a more self-aware person.
According to Juliet Bourke and Andrea Titus (2020) from the Harvard Business Review inclusive leaders share six signature traits:
- Visible commitment: They challenge the status quo and make equality and inclusion a top and personal priority.
- Humility: They admit their mistakes and create spaces where others can put forward ideas.
- Aware of bias: They are aware of flaws in themselves and in the system.
- Curiosity about others: They listen without judging others and seek empathy to understand the world around them.
- Cultural intelligence: They adapt to other cultures if required and show respect to them.
- Effective collaboration: They empower others and focus on teamwork.
As someone who is currently working towards being an inclusive leader… I will admit that understanding all six of these traits can be difficult. However, once you understand and can embody each one, it will be worth it. A few tactics to help you on your way to becoming an inclusive leader is to journal your journey and start recognizing and acknowledging your biases. Whether you like it or not, we all have biases; it’s human nature. Acknowledging them, however, is a great way to start seeing the other side of arguments. Another tactic is to purposefully put yourself in an uncomfortable situation. Expose yourself to different cultures in the workplace. One example would be to sit in different areas of your office each week or attend an Employee Resource Group meeting.
Being an inclusive leader can be very challenging, but it’s also extremely rewarding. Employers are looking for individuals who can acknowledge their biases and admit their flaws while trying to get others to understand that as well. Being an inclusive leader does not mean that you are a perfect person. Everyone is going to mess up, but that’s the beauty of being one; you learn while growing as a human.