Guidelines For Inclusive Leadership
LEADERSHIP
Leading Diverse Teams Important in Today ' s America
By Alphonse Keasley
In 2015 , a report from McKinsey & Company found when an organization is run by a diverse management team , they experienced 35 % more in financial returns above their industry mean . Additional studies on the impact of diverse management and teams over the last decade have had comparable results – citing benefits such as organizational performance enhancement , minimizing conformity , greater creative thinking , lower likelihood of bias and more .
This was the research and premise of the “ Leading Diverse Teams ” seminar series held earlier this Spring for AAMD members . Each interactive session covered a variety of topics with the following key ideas including
• Essential principles of inclusive leadership and learning how to create an environment where every voice is not only heard but valued .
• Actionable steps for leaders to leverage the unique strengths of each team member , contributing to a harmonious and high-performing work environment .
Our series focused on inclusive leadership which , in essence centers on : leading diverse groups of people , demonstrating respect for each person ’ s unique characteristics and reducing or eliminating bias . Bernardo Ferdman ’ s “ Inclusive Leadership : Transforming Diverse Lives , Workplaces and Societies ” provided an immediately ready tool for implementing the elements of inclusive leadership and guided our discussion .
We particularly looked at the implementation of the first point for Leaders – to hold themselves accountable for creating an inclusive culture . One set of ground rules that have been published and used widely is Eric Law ’ s “ RESPECTful Communication Guidelines .” A few of the guidelines include :
• R – take Responsibility for what you say and feel without blaming others
• S – be Sensitive to differences in communication / cultural styles
• T – Tolerate ambiguity because we are not here to debate . There are no “ winners ” or “ losers .”
These ground rules allow all members of the team to hold each other accountable , and as teams become more high performing , they should be revised to be commensurate with the team ’ s maturation . Of course , such ground rules can be helpful for
• Fostering a workplace culture that celebrates diversity and promotes open communication .
• Embracing the power of curiosity and perspective-taking in driving innovation within your team .
• Gaining practical strategies to encourage team members to explore and appreciate diverse viewpoints , leading to more robust and creative problem-solving .
• Uncovering the essential features of functional team behaviors that enhance collaboration and productivity .
Guidelines For Inclusive Leadership
FOR EVERYONE
1 . Acknowledge , connect and engage with others
2 . Listen deeply and carefully , as an ally , not a critic
3 . Engage on broad range of perspectives
4 . Openly share information , seek clarity and openness
5 . Be curious 6 . Become comfortable with discomfort 7 . Increase your self-awareness
8 . Be willing to learn and influenced by others
9 . Be respectful and demonstrate fairness 10 . Foster interdependence and teamwork
FOR LEADERS
1 . Hold yourself and others accountable for creating an inclusive culture .
2 . Invite engagement and dialogue
3 . model bringing one ' s whole self to work and give permission for and encourage others to do so
4 . Foster transparent decision-making
5 . Understand and engage with resistance
6 . Understand and talk about how inclusion connects to the mission and vision of the organization
22 | TRENDS JULY 2024 www . aamdhq . org