Parent Post
What makes people feel
What makes people feel included in organizations?
Feel that they are treated fairly and respectfully, are valued and belong?
Many things, including an organization’s mission, policies, and practices, as well as co-worker behaviors.But mostly it comes down to leaders.
What leaders say and do makes up to a 70% difference as to whether an individual reports feeling included.
The more people feel included, the more they speak up, go the extra mile, and collaborate — all of which ultimately lifts organizational performance.
HumilityPeople want to see
Humility
People want to see that their leaders are determined to address their biases.
In contrast, leaders who are humble acknowledge their vulnerability to bias and ask for feedback on their blind spots and habits.
Research shows that when cognizance of bias is combined with high levels of humility it can increase peoples’ feelings of inclusion by up to 25%.
Why are humility and
Why are humility and empathy so important in this context?
Humility encourages others to share their feedback.
Empathy and perspective taking gives people hope that a leader cares about them and takes their views into account, rather than barreling on with preconceptions or a narrow set of ideas about their perspectives.
Moreover, it creates a sense of personal connection between leaders and a diverse set of stakeholders, making it easier to make and implement shared decisions.
A third tactic is
A third tactic is for leaders to immerse themselves in uncomfortable or new situations which expose them to diverse stakeholders.
Exposure, combined with open-ended questions, helps to expand horizons and disrupt preconceived ideas
Curiosity about others: They
- Curiosity about others: They demonstrate an open mindset and deep curiosity about others, listen without judgment, and seek empathy to understand those around them.
- Cultural intelligence: They are attentive to others’ cultures and adapt as required.
- Effective collaboration: They empower others, pay attention to the diversity of thinking and psychological safety, and focus on team cohesion.
Inclusive leadership is a
Inclusive leadership is a critical capability to leverage diverse thinking in a workforce with increasingly diverse markets, customers, and talent.
Becoming more aware is critical to self-development, but awareness in isolation is not sufficient.
Without humility and empathy/perspective taking, it’s difficult for leaders to gain deep insights into the nature of their blind spots or remedial strategies and, therefore, to grow.
For those working around
For those working around a leader, the single most important trait generating a sense of inclusiveness is a leader’s visible awareness of bias.
While all six traits are important and operate as a cluster, a leader’s awareness of personal and organizational biases is the number one factor that people care most about.
But this is not all. They care about awareness of bias coupled with two additional behaviors.
Empathy and perspective taking People
Empathy and perspective taking
People aren’t looking for their leaders to try to understand their viewpoint and experience as a dry intellectual exercise, but empathically.
That means understanding others deeply and leaving them feeling heard. The leader’s empathy in interacting with others, makes the leader approachable, trustworthy and shows their eagerness to work with and/or support peers, colleagues and superiors.
When cognizance of bias is combined with high levels of empathy/perspective-taking, it can increase peoples’ feelings of inclusion by up to 33%.
It requires effort, but
It requires effort, but fortunately, the circle of learning is virtuous.
Leaders who are humble and empathetic will be open to criticism about their personal biases, and greater self-insight into personal limitations prompt greater humility, empathy, and perspective-taking.
Not only are these behaviors critical for leaders’ personal development, but they also serve to make others feel more included along the way.
Inclusive leaders share a
Inclusive leaders share a cluster of six signature traits.
- Visible commitment: They articulate an authentic commitment to diversity, challenge the status quo, hold others accountable, and make diversity and inclusion a personal priority.
- Humility: They are modest about capabilities, admit mistakes, and create the space for others to contribute.
- Awareness of bias: They show awareness of personal blind spots, as well as flaws in the system, and work hard to ensure a meritocracy.
Putting the traits to
Putting the traits to work
One tactic is to establish a diverse personal advisory board (PAD) — a group of people, often peers, who have regular contact with the leader and whom the leader trusts to talk straight.
These trusted advisers can give leaders granular feedback on everyday interpersonal behaviors that support or inhibit inclusion.
Because a PAD is ongoing, leaders can receive feedback on whether the changes they make are hitting the mark.
A second tactic is
A second tactic is for leaders to share their learning journey about recognizing and addressing biases.
Leaders do this by discussing their 360 assessment results with their manager, speaking at a town hall about their growth, or creating a standing item in weekly team meetings (“inclusion moments”), during which they or a team member identifies what they have learned that week about diversity and inclusion.
These actions express humility, help leaders to test and build on their insights, and role model the importance of humility in addressing biases.
