There are many different types of leadership and you can consider what kind of leader you want to be to optimize workflow in your team. Inclusive leadership is one such type and it’s important for any business or organization. Inclusive leadership can help an organization grow over time. In this article, we review the traits of inclusive leaders and how to become one.
What is an inclusive leader?
An inclusive leader is someone who encourages bringing new ideas to a team. They are aware of their own personal preferences and biases and work to minimize these. Inclusive leaders see diversity, whether it be in nationality, socio-economic background or ideas, as a competitive advantage for their organization.
Also, an inclusive leader is someone who not only wants a diverse workforce but wants them engaged with the business. They actively take steps to involve everyone and encourage the sharing of new ideas.
Why be an inclusive leader?
While many workforces are diversifying, not all of them are taking advantage of their diverse talent. Inclusive leaders help their organizations in many ways, including:
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Giving a voice to everyone on the team
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Increasing employee happiness by making them feel valued
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Helping their team adapt to changes quickly
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Employees are more likely to show up to work
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Increasing efficiency by utilizing everyone’s best abilities
Inclusive leaders are people who work to get everyone on the team involved. They not only like hearing new ideas from different people but they are willing to try them out. This makes for a more enjoyable workplace, as every team member feels more valued and like they are part of the team. Diverse workplaces can lead to better businesses, but only if there are inclusive leaders at the top to encourage and implement best practices.
How to be an inclusive leader
To become an inclusive leader and improve your organization, there are six steps that you can follow:
1. Create a supportive environment
An inclusive leader needs to create a supportive environment. Each member of the team should feel emotionally supported. To do this, you should engage in active listening and encourage your team to share their current struggles. This isn’t only about the struggles they are facing at work, but in their personal lives as well. Creating a warm environment for your team helps them to feel more at ease with their leader and like they are included in a group.
2. Diversify the team
A big part of inclusive leadership is having a diverse team. To get a diverse team, you need to actively strive for it. If you look around you and everyone on the team is from the same background or has a similar way of thinking, then you need to do some work to diversify. You can do this by changing your hiring and promotion practices, and also encouraging those already on your team to think differently. You may already have a diverse team, but because of the environment, they are reluctant to share their opinions.
3. Establish clear communication
Clear communication is essential in any inclusive team. There should be a communication process in place so that everyone involved finds out information at the same time. You can start by talking to your team members and learning their preferred method of communication. By brainstorming ideas together, you can figure out a process in which you can quickly give out information to those who need it.
4. Encourage collaboration
Once you have your diverse team you need to encourage them to share their ideas. As an inclusive leader, you need to actively encourage everyone to share their ideas and to work together. A good way to start doing this is by asking for some help on something you’re working on. Pick out a teammate and ask them to collaborate with you on the task, explaining the benefits for both of you. If you lead by example and encourage team collaboration, others begin to follow.
5. Educate yourself
To become a better and more inclusive leader, you need to regularly educate yourself. Adding in one or two inclusivity methods isn’t enough. You should always be on the lookout for new information that can make you a better leader. Read blog posts and books, attend seminars or listen to podcasts. As you learn more about the best ways to be an inclusive leader, you can keep putting those lessons into practice.
6. Have the right attitude
The attitude of the leader impacts those below them. An inclusive leader needs to show up every day with an attitude that is positive and energetic. If the inclusive leader can remain positive and encouraging, the rest of the team will do so as well. Also, inclusive leaders need to remain humble. If someone knows a better way of doing things, embrace it. The point of gathering a team of diverse individuals is because the leader doesn’t know everything and wants to learn.
7. Ask for feedback
The last thing you need to do is ask for feedback. One of the hardest parts of being a leader is recognizing our own biases and preferences. You must get feedback from your team and ask how you can be more inclusive. Schedule regular meetings with your team where you ask for feedback or send out a survey. Team members appreciate being asked for their feedback.
Exclusive vs inclusive leaders
An exclusive leader is the opposite of an inclusive one. Below are some common traits of exclusive leaders:
Decision-making
An exclusive leader is someone who does all of the decision-making. While they may ask for input from others, the final decision is theirs alone. The reason for this is typically to make faster decisions at the cost of making the best decision. Inclusive leaders are more likely to take the time to gather suggestions from their team and factor these into their decision-making process.
Growth potential
Working under an inclusive leader offers more potential for growth. Since exclusive leaders do not seek out new opinions, their employees do not always get the opportunity to push themselves and take on new responsibilities. Without an environment that encourages their input, employees must look elsewhere to grow their skills.
Resistance to change
Inclusive leaders thrive on new ideas, whereas exclusive leaders are more likely to get stuck in their old habits. If a better method comes along for doing something, an inclusive leader is more likely to hear about it because they are always seeking input from others. Organizations with exclusive leaders may find that they are slow to adapt or falling behind their competition.
Communication
Since exclusive leaders rely on themselves more, they may overlook communication. Inclusive leaders want to hear more from their team members and as a result, put effective communication systems in place. An exclusive leader may not have a system in place for notifying team members of important information, or they may simply forget to do so.
Article From https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/inclusive-leader