Leaders
leverage inclusion to attract and retain talented people. Inclusive
organizations are 73% more likely to witness revenue growth driven by
innovation. Additionally, such companies are 70% more likely to diversify into
newer markets, improve decision-making by 50%, and 36% more likely to enjoy
higher than average industry profits.
What
is Inclusive Leadership?
Inclusive
leadership recognizes, values, and leverages diversity in all aspects. It aims
to foster an organizational culture where every individual feels a sense of
belonging driven by motivation and higher engagement. Inclusive leadership
eliminates all barriers to inclusion to promote an open culture ensuring
everyone’s opinions are heard and respected.
6
Traits of Inclusive Leadership
According
to Deloitte, the six traits of inclusive leaders include:
§
Commitment:
They are very committed to inclusion and diversity. Additionally, inclusive
leaders value diversity and show their commitment through advocacy and actions.
§
Collaboration:
They foster a collaborative organizational culture and understand team
diversity can result in better outcomes ensuring every employee has an
opportunity to contribute.
§
Courage:
Inclusive leaders are open to challenging the status quo and addressing and
confronting biases to create a positive work environment.
§
Cultural Intelligence:
They can navigate through cultural differences are sensitive to diversity and
use their awareness to drive an inclusive environment.
§
Cognizance of Bias:
Inclusive leaders are aware of their biases and work towards their mitigation
to create an equitable and fair work culture
§
Curiosity:
They are curious and have an open mind to seek different perspectives and value
the input of their team members.
Strategies
to Develop Diverse and High-Performing Teams
Promote
Inclusive Culture
§ Leaders
must regularly communicate the importance of inclusion and highlight how it
aligns with the overall organizational goals and values
§ Offering
leadership team coaching programs to address unconscious biases, and
cultural diversity, and teach inclusive practices
A
partner in a law firm recognized the challenges faced by first-generation
lawyers from underrepresented backgrounds in comparison to their peers. They
offered additional support to these lawyers by sharing more examples and
allocating more time to study the cases, ensuring they participated in client
meetings and included more details in their performance reviews.
§ Companies
must formulate and implement policies that support inclusion, such as diverse
hiring, work flexibility, anti-discrimination, and others
Diversified
Recruitment and Retention
§ Management
must use diverse panels and standardized interview questions to reduce bias in
their recruitment process
§ Offering
team coaching programs to support the development of their people
§ Regular
review and adjusting retention strategies based on honest and open feedback
Fostering
Inclusive Environment
§ Employee
Resource Groups (ERGs) offer a platform for people to connect and share their
experiences
§ Offering
inclusive leadership programs emphasizing inclusive strategies and preparing
future leaders to manage diversified teams effectively
§ Celebrating
and recognizing achievements of employees from different backgrounds using
awards, events, and internal communication
Measuring
and Improving
§ Organizations
must establish measuring metrics to determine the progress of the various
inclusive strategies and make required adjustments through regular reviews
§ Providing
open channels for employees to offer feedback on the company’s efforts to
create an inclusive environment and continuously improving strategies for
higher effect
§ Sharing
the challenges and progress across all levels ensures accountability and
transparency
The
HR leader in a manufacturing company offered a training program to managers.
The program focused on developing the listening skills of the participants.
They were then asked to share ideas on how they would modify their behaviors
based on their team members' feedback.
Impact
of Inclusive Leadership
Inclusion
creates diverse and high-performing teams that offer innovative ideas and
different perspectives driving organizational growth. Such diversity offers
several benefits, such as:
Higher
Innovation
Diverse
teams are innovative as they bring different perspectives and ideas resulting
in out-of-the-box thinking and creativity. Teams driven by inclusive leaders
are 17% more likely to improve their performance.
Enhanced
Decision-Making
Almost
20% of teams led by inclusive leaders make better decisions. Such leaders
encourage and respect different viewpoints resulting in thorough and
well-rounded decisions.
Increased
Employee Retention
Inclusive
organizations foster a sense of belongingness where employees feel valued,
which increases their involvement and motivation. Even a 10% improvement in
employees’ perception of inclusion increases attendance, which reduces
absenteeism. It also reduces attrition by 76%.
Improved
Organizational Performance
Inclusive
teams are 29% more likely to collaborate reducing conflicts and stress. Driven
by innovation, enhanced decision-making, and highly performing employees,
organizations can witness significant growth in their revenue and
profitability.
Leaders
committed to inclusion offer a better workplace and ensure the long-term
success of their companies. In the evolving world, the importance of inclusive
leaders will continue growing. To know more about this and to foster an
inclusive environment, join CoachMantra’s coaching program today.
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