Inclusive leadership
Inclusive leadership is a leadership approach that emphasizes the importance of seeking and valuing the ideas and opinions of all individuals involved in a project or organization. This style encourages leaders to engage with employees and stakeholders at all levels, fostering a sense of contribution and belonging. By doing so, inclusive leaders create an environment where workers feel valued, which can enhance productivity and innovation. Essential traits of inclusive leaders include a commitment to diversity, courage to challenge the status quo, awareness of biases, curiosity about differing perspectives, cultural intelligence, and collaboration skills.
The practice of inclusive leadership has become increasingly relevant in the context of a diverse workforce, particularly in a globalized world where varying viewpoints and experiences enrich the workplace. Inclusive leadership not only helps in resolving conflicts and tensions but also supports employee retention as individuals who feel included are more likely to stay engaged with their organizations. Ultimately, inclusive leadership aims to improve decision-making and uplift employee morale, contributing to the overall success and cohesiveness of the workplace.
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Inclusive leadership
Inclusive leadership is a form of leadership in which the ideas and opinions of everyone involved in a project or event are sought out and taken into account. Inclusive leaders seek out and listen to the thoughts of every employee or stakeholder in a particular business or project. This allows the people involved, at all levels of a group or organization, to feel as though they contributed to the project or business as a whole. The main component of inclusive leadership is that the person or people in charge do things with others, not to others. Overall, studies have shown that businesses practicing inclusive leadership are more likely to see better productivity and innovation from their employees because the workers feel that their managers and bosses appreciate their opinions and contributions.
Background
An increase in globalization, particularly since the 1970s, also meant an increase in diversity in the workforce. With the influx of more diverse workers also came an increase in new opinions and ideas. In many cases, however, the opinions of these workers were never sought out or taken into account. Whether due to gender, race, or other factors, many workers were not treated as equals in the workplace. This often led to tension, which became a problem for the people in charge.
Although relationships between leaders and their employees had improved somewhat by the twenty-first century, tensions and problems brought on by a lack of inclusion in the workplace still existed. One example of such problems occurred on June 21, 2013, when Chip Starnes, an American and the chief executive officer (CEO) of Specialty Medical Supplies, was taken hostage by the company's local employees in the Huairou district on the outskirts of Beijing, China. The workers were worried about layoffs and were demanding severance packages similar to those given to coworkers in a phased-out department of the plant. The dispute was eventually resolved, and Starnes was freed after six days.
The hostage situation at the plant in China is an extreme example of what occurs when workers feel that they have little say in what happens at a company. Workers in the twenty-first century want their voices and ideas heard, and inclusive leadership is one method that allows management to take their needs and ideas into consideration.
Overview
Inclusive leadership in the workplace can lead to employees feeling more valued and can allow them to be more innovative. If employees' thoughts and ideas are sought out and appreciated, then they are more likely to want to contribute to a project or the overall success of the business. Inclusive leaders share many of the following traits:
a commitment to diversity
courage
an awareness of bias
curiosity
the ability and willingness to collaborate
Inclusive leaders are committed to keeping diversity in the workplace. Being more inclusive and gathering the opinions of everyone involved takes more time than simply seeking the ideas of fellow managers. However, leaders who are committed to having an inclusive workplace are willing to spend that extra time because they believe it will pay off in the end by creating happier, more productive employees.
Courage is another common trait among inclusive leaders. Managers who are committed to having an inclusive and diverse workplace often need to challenge the status quo. Just as the general workplace was not always as inclusive, the same applies to individual businesses. Inclusive leaders may need to challenge long-held beliefs and ideas to promote and maintain inclusion among workers.
Leaders who are inclusive are also cognizant of their own biases or those of the organization they work at. If leaders are mindful of areas in which they or the business may not be as inclusive, they can work on finding ways to try to change that.
Inclusive leaders are also curious and have a desire to hear new ideas and listen to different opinions. Managers who are inclusive or who are working to bring more inclusion to their workplace have to keep an open mind. They want to see how others view the world, and they respect employees who have different ideas. Inclusive managers want to hear the opinions of all their employees, not just the opinions of those in upper management positions.
Cultural intelligence is also an important trait among inclusive leaders. As workplaces become more global and diverse, inclusive leaders know they need to adapt to learn more about the cultural backgrounds of their employees. For example, an inclusive leader would take the time to learn which greeting is appropriate for a business meeting with an employee from another country. This allows everyone involved to feel welcome and included, thus leading to more content and dedicated employees.
Those in inclusive leadership roles also have the ability and willingness to collaborate, or work together, and share ideas. Inclusive leaders know how to empower their employees so they feel valued. By allowing employees to feel as though they are truly part of a team, an inclusive leader can motive workers to be more productive, which helps bring more ideas and opinions to the table.
The goal of inclusive leadership is to improve decision-making and boost workers' morale. Employees who feel included in the process and believe that their opinion is important are more likely to want to stay with their company and contribute to its success. Inclusive leadership respects the opinions and ideas of all involved to lead to the betterment of the workplace as a whole.
Bibliography
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MacLeod, Calum. "U.S. Exec Chip Starnes Freed from China Factory." USA Today, 27 June 2013, www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/06/27/china-factory-chip-starnes/2462705/. Accessed 2 Jan, 2017.
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