Improved Engagement, More Innovation, and Higher Performance
As our world has evolved, has your approach to leadership development evolved with it? “Inclusive leaders have the confidence and capability to move beyond mere buzzwords and truly drive business results by leveraging the synergy of multiple viewpoints, values and perspectives,” says Dan Rust, Head of Global Leadership Development. “Inclusive leadership doesn’t mean that everyone gets a ‘vote’ on every decision. It means that everyone has a ‘voice’ and feels valued, relevant and vital to the success of the organization.”
You can hear more of Dan’s comments in the video linked at the bottom of this article.
In today’s business environment, organizations are competing for the best talent, and an inclusive leadership approach has been proven to attract and retain high-performing employees. Inclusive leadership elevates organizational performance, drives innovation, and boosts employee motivation. According to Deloitte’s Global Human Capital Trends research, 70% of employees believe that diversity and inclusion add to an organization’s competitive advantage and 69% of executives consider diversity and inclusion an important issue(1). Inclusive leadership development enables organizations to stay competitive during these uncertain and disruptive times.
Infopro Learning has developed a complete suite of experiential facilitated programs to provide leaders and their teams with the essential skills, expertise, and competencies to work collaboratively and leverage inclusion as a strategic business asset.
Inclusive leadership development is designed to help leaders at all levels of an organization evolve their skills, strategies and perspectives – to embrace a new way of leading that doesn’t view the leader as the sole “fountain of wisdom” and instead recognizes that great ideas, knowledge and insights can come from a broad range of individuals within the team.
Inclusive leaders don’t just appreciate diversity, they embrace and leverage inclusion as a business approach to drive employee engagement and productivity.
What is it that makes a workforce feel involved and truly engaged in an organization? A company’s culture, vision, communication and work practices of course have a big impact on this, but the most important factor is leadership. According to the Harvard Business Review, 70% of employees indicate that what leaders say and do is the main determinant as to whether or not an individual reports feeling included. An inclusive leadership approach makes people feel involved, energizes them to go the extra mile, to engage more with their peers, which ultimately accelerates organizational performance(2).
In today’s complex and rapidly changing business environment, inclusive leadership development is recognized as a unique capability, helping organizations meet the diverse requirements of their customers, employees, and markets. Here are some of the core competencies of inclusive leaders:
- Open-minded
Inclusive leaders prioritize listening to different perceptions, ideas, and experiences to improve business results. By listening to and integrating different views into their thinking, inclusive leaders become more capable of connecting with diverse talent and fostering a constructive exchange of ideas.
- Culturally Intelligent
Inclusive leaders have the knowledge and insight needed to manage cross-cultural conversations and to understand how their own culture impacts other people’s expectations. Moreover, inclusive leadership promotes tolerance to ambiguity, enabling leaders to manage stressful situations in different or changing cultural environments.
- Resilient
Mistakes will happen. Misunderstandings will occur. And inclusive leaders have the confidence and resilience to not let challenges derail the ultimate goal: an environment where everyone feels they can bring their authentic self to work as a valued contributor. When missteps occur, it is vital for an inclusive leader to keep moving towards the desired goal and show their commitment to stay the course.
Adapting to change and reshaping the future of any organization is at the core of every leadership development strategy, and inclusive leadership is no exception. Inclusive leaders follow an effective approach to create a healthy environment, allowing people to bring their energy, creativity, and passion into their work. In a nutshell, the biggest benefit of inclusive leadership is that leaders hold the potential to unlock organizational performance and create a culture where everyone can grow and thrive.
To watch the full video, click Inclusive Leadership.
