Inclusive Leadership: Definition and Characteristics

Inclusive leadership is a kind of leadership that values team members, invites diverse perspectives, and creates an atmosphere where people feel their opinions and contributions improve the company’s well-being. In workplace culture, inclusive leadership is emerging as a popular and necessary form of company growth.

In previous generations, many leading businesses had homogeneous staffs and a clear hierarchy of power. Those older mindsets are beginning to shift. Today, companies have a greater self-awareness around the demographics of who they employ and serve, as well as how the diversity and inclusion of employees and ideas can offer a competitive advantage.

The traits of inclusive leadership put importance on leadership behaviors that create a more egalitarian workplace where employees’ competencies and gifts can excel alongside one another’s. Some of these traits include:

1. 1. Cognizance of bias: This is one of the signature traits of inclusive leadership. Leaders bring their own experiences to their work, which offer a specific and, simultaneously, limited view of consumers’ preferences and the world. Inclusive leaders, however, involve and rely on the opinions of others from different backgrounds, limiting their own biases and blind spots to strengthen the messaging and positioning of the brand.
2. 2. Cultural intelligence: A strong cultural intelligence allows a leader to easily move between various cultural settings and, as such, communicate and market effectively in those spheres. Respected inclusive leaders will pay attention to the words and experiences of others, and some companies will even hire a chief diversity officer to ensure that diverse talents are employed, heard, and activated.
3. 3. Collaboration: Decision-making should not be guarded as a privilege only upper management enjoys. Instead, in inclusive workplaces, all employees have a more equal say in initiatives. This will make for a more unified team and one in which the inclusive leaders are seen as role models, not feared bosses.
4. 4. Mutability: Part of the uniqueness of inclusive leadership is that it has the capacity to change: New waves of ideas will emerge, leadership development will shift, and more employees will come into the fold. Part of the individual human capital of each new worker is bringing their own opinions to the table. Inclusive leadership is about maintaining the integrity of a brand while also knowing the people who uphold it will present their own thoughts and strategies.

Implementing an inclusive leadership structure can help open up companies to a wider variety of viewpoints, fostering a work environment that is more empathetic. Companies can achieve inclusive leadership by activating a number of different channels:

1. 1. Notify stakeholders. Identify those who have a financial investment in your company and keep them abreast of new company developments, and let them know that the switch to inclusive leadership is an exciting and lucrative one. Lead with what research shows, invigorate stakeholders with what inclusive leadership means, and frame this shift as an empowering one for everyone involved.
2. 2. Keep communication open. Clean lines of communication are key to inclusive leadership, which goes for both junior and senior staff. Leadership assessments are an opportunity for employees to speak up about how they feel about their work experience. Leaders should have one-on-ones with team members, checking in on their professional and emotional well-being. If leaders hear about their unconscious biases, they can view them as opportunities for growth, not rejections.
3. 3. Aim for a diverse workforce. Engendering an inclusive environment means strategically seeking out workers from unique backgrounds. This will offer a wider understanding of the world and market at large, letting companies more easily understand their base. Just as important is putting such workers in leadership positions and ensuring all feel a sense of belonging.

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