What is an inclusive leader? And why aren’t there more of them?

Along with sustainability, DEI has become an unavoidable issue.

As we reported last year, some companies are early adopters driving this new paradigm, whilst others lag behind.

German chipmaker Infineon is a very public example of progress. They were awarded Number 1 in the latest Financial Times Diversity Leaders ranking, when the employees of 850 companies within Europe were surveyed.

We know that Boards and CEOs have consistently been increasing the volume of their messaging and commitment to diversity, inclusion and sustainability over recent years.

Our data shows that trust in the leadership team, in improving inclusion and diversity, is relatively high at 34%. So the message is getting through, which also leads to increased expectations. However, 54% of respondents still expressed only moderate confidence.

Confidence is one thing, action and progress is another.

The picture on actions towards diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) was less clear. For example, in the eyes of employees, when it came to the actual rates of inclusion and diversity improvement over the past two years, only 24% were highly positive. The largest majority fell below that standard. Clearly, actions are lagging behind words.

Leadership is key

We know that leadership is key to changing those numbers. If we are to effectively foster an environment and business that encourages DEI, leaders have to prioritize and actively invest in DEI. They must be the executive sponsors.

So, could we simply not have the kind of leaders that can effectively make change? And what would that leadership actually look like?

"Well, the first thing to say is there is no standard, one size fits all approach to diverse leadership", says Michael Proft, Partner at Odgers Berndtson Germany.

It stands to reason that something that is so dependent on the individuality of each person will be felt and expressed differently by each and every leader too. It is, if you like, a personal mission.

Where is a common view, is that most leaders will agree that the rationale for pursuing diversity falls into the twin tracks of believing their companies needed it to stay competitive, and it was also a moral imperative driven by values.

Inclusive leadership is first and about treating people and groups fairly. Based on their unique characteristics, not on stereotypes.

Secondly, it is about understanding and valuing the uniqueness of diverse others while, and this is clearly important for culture, also accepting them as members of the group.

Finally, it involves leveraging the thinking of diverse individuals within different groups that leads to better ideas, innovation, and decision making.

With all that in mind, what characterizes an inclusive leader?

Well, as we said above if the motivation for diversity is about values, then the leader must be truly committed to those values. And if those values are challenged, as surely, they will be, the inclusive leader has the courage to stick to their commitment.

Having the courage to speak up and in so doing to challenge others and the status quo, is a critical  behavior of an inclusive leader. That challenge can happen at multiple levels: with others, with the system, and with themselves.

The latter point brings us to the important ability for inclusive leaders to challenge their own blind spots and bias, unconscious or otherwise.

This dovetails nicely with the humble nature of good inclusive leaders. If someone points out a bias to a truly inclusive, they are not defensive, but embrace the news with a ‘thank you for helping me learn’ attitude.

As DeLoitte point out, “Inclusive leaders accept their limitations and hunger for the views of others to complete the picture. This thirst for continual learning helps to drive attributes associated with curiosity—open-mindedness, inquiry, and empathy.”

Culturally literate collaborators

Highly inclusive leaders also look to become more literate in cultures that are not their own, and are acutely aware that their own views and values are formed by their own particular cultural upbring and are not in any way universal.

Finally, if a leader is to reap the very real rewards of DEI, they must be skilled collaborators and be able to support and facilitate collaboration amongst and between diverse groups.

Underlying any valuable collaboration between diverse groups or individual is the understanding that people are most collaborative when they feel safe to contribute without fear of embarrassment or punishment.

So, an inclusive leader will be alive to the power dynamics, dominating styles, and how some people’s low tolerance of differences can stop team members from speaking up.

The leader’s job is to focus on building trust across the group, putting in place a set of guiding principles that will. encourage people to contribute without fear.

Then, the benefits of different minds concentrating on a single problem will begin to flow.

Finding leaders who can lead successfully will separate success from failure

Our LeaderFit profile model can help provide just such a picture of those who might have the potential to succeed as an inclusive leader. By using a unique leadership assessment methodology that combines personality data, behavioural patterns and leadership experts’ judgement, we can paint a picture of individual performance in targeted senior roles.

We have experience of assessing and developing leaders across publicly traded companies, privately funded companies, and government/not-for-profit organizations.

To discuss your current talent plans, or your individual career trajectory and ambitions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We’ll be keen to hear from you.