What is Inclusive Leadership? Inclusive leaders are critically aware of bias and work to overcome that bias, whether their own or others. They value team members, invite diverse perspectives, and create an atmosphere where people feel their opinions and contributions matter.
Common traits of Inclusive Leaders include:
- Authenticity
- Emotional Resilience
- Self-Assurance
- Inquisitiveness
- Flexibility
Inclusive leaders behave as role models. They use their authenticity to build trust. They use their curiosity to learn about diverse perspectives. They use both self-assurance and humility to welcome other people and invite differing points of view. Inclusive leaders optimize talent and achieve personal and organizational transformation.
Why does Inclusive Leadership Matter? These are some measurable reasons for creating a more inclusive culture (emphasis added):
- Companies with ethnically diverse teams are 36% more likely to outperform on profitability. McKinsey & Company
- Companies with above average diversity report 19% higher innovation revenue. BCG
- Diverse and inclusive teams make better decisions 87% of the time. Korn Ferry
Are you an inclusive leader? Here are a few actions, loosely drawn from HBR and other sources, that you can take to become a more inclusive leader:
- Talk with more people before making decisions. Don’t limit your input to the same small group of people. Encourage others to seek input from new and different sources, too.
- Share stories about your life outside of work with your colleagues. Be curious about others and listen carefully when they share their stories.
- Be transparent about your failures, encourage others to take risks. Celebrate when they win and support them when they fail.
- Speak up to correct exclusionary language or behavior.