As it ought to be, diversity and inclusivity these days tends to be a given. But perhaps because these things are so widely accepted as an expectation, many workplaces engage less meaningfully with diversity and inclusion as is necessary. After all, hiring diverse teams is not itself inclusion. So, what does being an inclusive leader mean? And how can you become one so as to improve your organization’s cohesion and efforts toward meaningful and impactful change in the workplace?
Let’s start with the basics.
What Does It Mean to Be an Inclusive Leader?
Workable defines inclusive leadership as “the capacity to manage and lead a heterogeneous group of people efficiently, while respecting their uniqueness in an empathetic, bias-free way.”
But more than respecting unique differences, perhaps, inclusive leadership involves pro-active efforts toward making the workplace one where all workers have an equitably curated space that allows them to thrive.
Certainly, one could easily lead a team of workers whose identities tick all the required boxes to be considered “diverse.” But, being an inclusive leader involves much more than just avoiding discrimination and biases. It’s about actively working against existing boundaries to allow for equitable inclusion.
As Janet Stovall says in her TED Talk, “Diversity is a numbers game. Inclusion is about impact. Companies can mandate diversity, but they have to cultivate inclusion.”
This means acting before an employee faces an obstacle because of their identity or needs as an individual. This means being actively anti-discrimination (i.e., anti-racist, anti-sexist, anti-homophobic, anti-ableist), and doing so requires efforts to put inclusion at the fore of the workplace.
Being an inclusive leader, then, means you’re taking the first steps to do so and are doing so in an encouraging and non-negotiable manner so others must follow-suit.
3 Steps for Becoming an Inclusive Leader
Inclusion in the workplace requires proactive and on-going efforts to remove boundaries that exist more for some groups than others and to better equip those with less privilege on your team with what they may need to thrive in their career.
And, of course, this will not only make your workplace a better place for them to be long-term. It will further improve your skills as a leader and make your team more cohesive overall.
This all starts with following.
1. Implementing Meaningful Efforts toward Inclusion
There are a myriad of reasons for being an inclusive leader, but, as Stovall makes clear, only actions with consequences will actually implement meaningful and on-going change.
So, as mentally dedicated you are to diversity and inclusion, nothing will actually change until you address, as Stovall suggests, the real 1) problems that arise with exclusive and discriminatory workplaces, 2) the real numbers that need to change within the workplace, and 3) the real consequences of not making those changes.
That is, as her TED talk suggests, if you’re really dedicated to inclusion and diversity, you’ll need to address the real problems that arise in your workplace (i.e., a lack of diverse voices meaning a lack of innovation, safe space, and representation within the organization).
Then, to address these problems, you’ll need to establish tangible goals with real numbers. That is, not just aiming for “better” diversity and inclusion, but actively including diverse populations in your hiring. And setting a number to reach in your hiring will tell you exactly how successful your efforts are.
Of course, real change can only happen when there are also real stakes at hand. So, Stovall suggests setting up real consequences for those who are in charge and do not time and again meet their goals for inclusion and diversity.
2. Creating Safe Spaces for Discussion
Of course, being an inclusive leader does not stop once you’ve hit your goals for inclusion and diversity. It really only begins there.
The next step is fostering an environment that encourages diverse voices and opinions. This means creating space for those workers to safely and equitably express themselves.
As Juliet Bourke Andrea Titus note in their article for Harvard Business Review, leaders who discount alternative views in the workplace are often the least supportive of inclusion and diversity.
Of their exclusionary manager, one worker they surveyed said “[This leader] can have very set ideas on specific topics. Sometimes it is difficult to get an alternative view across. There is a risk that his team may hold back from bringing forward challenging and alternative points of view.”
These safe spaces for discussion, however, should extend beyond those with marginalized identities. This means opening the space for others to learn from these diverse voices and ask appropriate questions without judgement.
After all, learning and growing from mistakes should be something workers want to do on their own, and shouldn’t merely be something they’re mandated to do.
3. Demonstrating Humility and Learning from Mistakes
With the above stated, it’s important to remember that people will inevitably make mistakes—yourself included!
As Jennifer Brown writes for Fast Company, “For those of us with more privileged backgrounds, it can be hard to grasp the extent to which the playing field is skewed in our favour.”
Sometimes, especially in a position of power, a knee-jerk reaction is to stand your ground and reassert power or knowledge over others. But, especially when it comes to experiences other than your own, there is so much we can learn from others.
Brown continues, “Humility is really the jumping-off point in the inclusive leader journey—it means learning to check your ego at the door and admitting you have a lot to learn about the systems and people around you.”
Being an inclusive leader, then, requires admitting fault and being open about making mistakes. It’s the first step in showing others that you’re open and dedicated to doing better in the future.
What are some of the ways you’re working towards inclusion in the workplace? How do you work on your inclusivity as a leader every day? What are some lessons you’ve learned in your process of being a better, more inclusive leader?
Share your thoughts with us in the LinkedIn post for this blog. We’d love to hear what you have to say!
