Inclusion is Integral
It’s an essential part of any organization. Inclusion, as part of DEI, is not a program or a policy. It’s part of leadership.
A study by Deloitte on inclusive leadership emphasizes that employees experience inclusion largely through their interactions with managers and leaders—from how meetings are conducted, how feedback is delivered, to who receives stretch assignments and opportunities to contribute—leaders influence whether employees feel heard, are treated fairly and are able to participate fully.
If all of this sounds familiar to our readers, it should. We’ve been saying this long before Deloitte’s study. The employee experience is the “I” in DEI.
As the world and the economy becomes more diverse—customers with different expectations, global markets, broader talent pools and wider range of perspectives to drive innovation—leaders need to demonstrate more inclusive behaviors and develop inclusive traits.
Behaviors that define inclusive leaders. Six interconnected traits that distinguish inclusive leaders are:
Commitment: Holding themselves accountable for being inclusive and creating a positive employee experience. This includes supporting peers and team members in their efforts.
Collaboration: Creating an environment where participation is encouraged and diverse viewpoints help shape decisions. This includes leading meetings and not dominating them or allowing others to dominate, and making sure all voices are heard. Collaboration skills require disciplined communication.
Curiosity: Seeking out different experiences and remaining open to learning from perspectives that differ from their own. New and different perspectives drive innovation for the organization. They also help individuals to learn and grow. Curiosity and leadership should be tightly woven together.
Courage: Challenging assumptions, acknowledging mistakes—being vulnerable and accepting criticism, and speaking up when difficult conversations are necessary. This trait complements good conflict management skills and builds trust.
Cultural intelligence: Adapting effectively when working across different backgrounds, cultures and situations, and bringing diverse teams together. Cultural intelligence is recognizing all the dimensions of diversity that each individual possesses. It’s understanding what diversity really is.
Cognizance of bias: Recognizing personal biases and understanding how those biases can influence decisions. Let’s face it, everyone has biases. It’s part of being human. A leader who self-reflects and knows theirs, can avoid being blindsided by them. And recognizing them is part of being vulnerable.
In The Big Book of HR, we stress that inclusion is not about counting people. Rather it’s always about making people count—how organizations put action into their policies, practices and culture. Part of any DEI strategy should be developing inclusive leaders.