Inclusion Starts (Or Can Stall!) Within Organizational Leaders

Organizations want to be inclusive, but most are not. It’s widely known that workplace inclusion results in higher profits, greater retention, and increased innovation. However, organizations still struggle to build inclusive cultures. In fact, 71% of North American companies aspire to have an inclusive culture where employees feel involved, respected, and valued. Yet only 11% of organizations report actually having such a culture in place.

So, how can organizations transform into more inclusive environments for all?

We may think that developing an inclusive mission, implementing carefully thought-out policies, and establishing norms around inclusive behaviors would be enough. But while company policies and organizational structures are important, research shows that inclusion mostly comes down to the individual leaders. Even well-coordinated inclusive practices may actually make things worse, adding confusion and inviting cynicism throughout the organization when they are not in tune with leadership mindsets.

How can executives, supervisors, and managers begin to leverage their own potential and boost their organizations’ future success through inclusive leadership? The answer lies in embracing the deeply personal work of inclusive leadership development.

Inclusive leadership means better performance–for everyone.

The first step to helping leaders recognize the need to develop inclusive skills is to educate them about the impact inclusion has on business results and the powerful role in promoting the kind of workplace culture that drives achievement. Research tells us that organizations with inclusive cultures are six times more likely to be innovative and agile and eight times more likely to achieve better business results than those that are not. At the same time, studies suggest that an inclusive culture is not attainable without the right leadership–nearly 50% of employee experiences of inclusion are attributable to leadership behaviors. Inclusive leaders have been shown to generate a 70% increase in the proportion of staff who feel highly included.

Showing leaders the overriding evidence that inclusion enhances company performance that such success rests on their shoulders and this kind of approach reflects positively on their leadership–will often motivate them to invest time and energy into becoming an inclusive leader.

Identifying blind spots & building self-awareness

The realization that inclusive leadership will be lucrative and beneficial to the leader’s stature and their entire organization is one important facet that drives individual leaders to change. However, personal development is another compelling force that can inspire a leader to do the foundational personal work of introspection. A hallmark of inclusive leadership is practicing “leading inward,” requiring a compassionate analysis of the self. Leaders need to be aware of their personal patterns, attitudes, and opinions and cognizant of prevailing interpersonal and cultural patterns so that they naturally model the work they are asking others to do.

Actions are powerful. It’s this evolving self-knowledge that allows good leaders to be non-judgmental, curious, humble, good listeners, and open to new perspectives. Many leaders tend to overrate their own capacity to foster diversity and inclusion, so it is important for them to reflect objectively on ways that their orientation to inclusion actually shows up in their work and how it is regarded by those they lead. Self-assessments for implicit bias, leadership style, and inclusive leadership competencies are excellent tools for revealing personal blind spots, affirming strengths, and prioritizing areas for improvement on the path to becoming a strong, inclusive leader.

Research shows that the role of inclusion in a leader’s personal history–their experience with diversity and adversity–is reflected by their commitment to fostering inclusivity at work. 1 Simple self-reflection practices help a leader identify ways that their life experiences influence their outlook today. There are myriad ways for leaders to engage in safe self-discovery, even those hard-pressed to pinpoint influential experiences in their past. It distills down to personal initiative and desire. The rewards are many to those who take the initiative to invite new challenges and diverse learning situations. One route is seeking 360-degree performance feedback to support their learning by recruiting the perspectives of others.

Finding the pain points and opportunities that are most pressing

Cultivating self-knowledge lays the groundwork for inclusive leadership. Leaders must then pivot their focus to the complementary process of “leading outward.” A related strategy that helps leaders sharpen their inclusive skills is taking the pulse of the existing level of inclusion in their workplace by administering a DEI culture survey. This data can be a wake-up call for leaders, revealing inclusion issues among different identity groups and uncovering problems that they’ve been overlooking or may have thought they were preventing. Leaders can then make informed decisions about deploying DEI strategies that are optimally focused on their employees’ most pressing needs and specially tailored to the dynamics of their organization.

Turning the inward outward

Inclusive leadership is a matter of personal and professional development for individual leaders with wide-reaching implications for performance, employee satisfaction, team productivity, and company success. Leaders adept at nurturing an inclusive workplace culture aren’t born that way–they are the ones who do the work of cultivating self-awareness, aren’t afraid to seek consultation, and are willing to put effort into figuring out what their employees really need from a DEI strategy. Inclusive leadership development is worthwhile and mutually advantageous for leaders and employees alike because when inclusion is truly realized within an organization, benefits beyond inclusion come within reach.

Interested in learning more? Be sure to check back for our next blog post on concrete strategies for developing and strengthening inclusive leadership skills.
Don’t wait to unlock the inclusive leadership potential within your organization and enhance your workplace culture! We educate, train, and provide opportunities for your leaders and your organization to grow through diversity, equity, and inclusion. Learn more about our services and how we can help you deepen your impact as an inclusive leader committed to driving equity for all.