The Super Power of Inclusive Leadership

Leadership has been an integral part of my learning journey throughout my life. From leading church youth groups as a teen to serving as the leadership development chair for my sorority, I never shy away from opportunities to lead and develop the skills of others. Even now, as I work with leaders and executives through The Equity Equation, I find myself motivated to find more ways for them to lean into their leadership capabilities. But not everyone sees leadership in the same way. For me, inclusive leadership is a crucial element of the post-pandemic workplace. It ties together self-awareness, emotional intelligence, trust-building and psychological safety. What are seen as soft skills are essential superpowers for anyone that leads people. 

Inclusive leadership begins with self-awareness and reflection.

As a leader, you are responsible for the culture of your team. And the culture starts with you.

Inclusive leadership begins with self-awareness and reflection. Before leading others, we must spend time working on ourselves. Understanding our core values and beliefs. As a coach, I often ask my clients -

• What do you stand for as a leader?
• What do you believe in?
• What do we want to build?

We can't ask others to be who they are not if we don't know who that is ourselves.

An inclusive leader sees the world through a lens of compassion, appreciation, and respect. They lead with empathy, kindness, and understanding. They don't try to force their way into people's lives but rather work to understand them first before offering support or guidance.

At their core, an inclusive leader understands that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity, regardless of their background or experience level or even if they've made mistakes along the way (which everyone has). They believe that everyone has the potential to grow — no matter what that looks like — and they know there isn't one path to success but many paths toward greatness!

Being an inclusive leader means being open-minded and willing to learn from others' experiences as well as your own mistakes. It means taking risks even when you're scared because there's no growth without risk.

Inclusive leaders cultivate trust.

When I meet with new clients about psychological safety within their organization, I usually conduct 1:1 meetings with those that would be considered the most marginalized. I want to ensure that my work is centered on them being seen, valued, and heard during and after the process. Research shows that everyone benefits if you improve the experiences of the most marginalized.

9 times out of 10, during those discussions, I hear, “I just don’t trust X.” or “I hear one thing, but they do something else.” These employees show up and are great at their jobs but are disconnected as a means of self-preservation. It’s human nature.

Building and maintaining trust is a critical aspect of inclusive leadership and is a key element of psychologically safe workplaces. If employees don’t trust what you say, don’t expect loyalty or 100% dedication. Post-pandemic inclusive leadership requires more commitment to employees' needs and well-being. Trust is the foundation of inclusive leadership.

In my experience, trust is the element of inclusive leadership that people have the most trouble understanding. It could be strange to think about — how can you build trust with someone you barely know? You can't. You build trust through relationships. And to do that, you need to be willing to open up and share yourself with others.

I have seen many leaders fail at this because they fear others will exploit their vulnerabilities for personal gain. They worry about being taken advantage of or manipulated by those around them, so they keep their distance and keep secrets. This makes it impossible for them to build trusting relationships with anyone — including those who report directly to them as managers or supervisors.

Inclusive leaders create psychological safety.

I often speak about Dr. Timothy R. Clark's work on the 4 Stages of Psychological Safety and the tools provided by LeaderFactor as a key aspect of my consultancy. Over time, my practice has evolved to focus on inclusive leadership development. However, I still use the 4 Stages as a foundational work element.

Psychological safety isn't just about feeling safe; it's also about creating an environment where people feel free from judgment and that they can speak openly without fear of being ridiculed or penalized for doing so. In other words, psychological safety means everyone feels comfortable enough around each other to be themselves without fear of judgment or retribution affecting their professional standing or career prospects if they say something “wrong” or make an error in judgment somewhere along the way.

What I appreciate about Dr. Clark's work is his taking the abstract concept of psychological safety and providing tangible recommendations to leaders. It enables them to build trust and immediately increase the team's safety. I found that by adding a lens of DEI, leaders have a manageable plan and develop more inclusive leadership skills. These tools begin to shift the cultures of their teams and organizations.

Becoming an inclusive leader is a journey, not a destination. It involves continuous learning, self-reflection, and a commitment to change. It takes going above and beyond leading employees to the company goal and to their professional goals. Becoming an inclusive leader is a way to create a better team culture, support diversity, equity, and inclusion in your workplace, reduce attrition, improve individual performance, and create more value for your company.

Don't miss out on the opportunity to become an inclusive leader and drive success and cultural change within your organization. Sign up now to learn more about the Equity Leadership Institute.