“To reap the benefits of inclusion, you must recognize that mediocrity is not enough to drive meaningful impact. As a leader, you must take proactive and intentional action.” This conclusion is featured in the compelling articled titled Getting Real About Inclusive Leadership: Why Change Starts with You posted on Catalyst.org. The authors Dinka J. Travis, Ph.D. Emily Shaffer, Ph.D. and Jennifer Thorpe-Moscon, Ph.D. discuss a leadership approach that fosters inclusion by leading outward and leading inward. The authors define Leading Outward as “what you do to ensure team members are treated fairly, empowered, and able to flourish.” Leading Inward “requires a hard look at who you are and your inner ability to act courageously, learn and self-reflect.”

From their research and experience, Travis, Shaffer and Thorpe-Moscon identified six core behaviors that contribute creating workplaces where people feel they can belong, contribute, and thrive including:

• Leading Outward Core Behaviours: Accountability, Ownership and Allyship

• Leading Inward Core Behaviours: Curiosity, Humility and Courage

These core behaviours are then discussed in terms of their relationship to five hallmarks of Inclusive workplaces where people experience feeling valued, trusted, authentic, safe, and secure enough to take risks.

The article discusses the interconnection between inclusive leadership and Inclusion and identifies the benefits of inclusion based on the experiences of employees who participated in the study.

This article is a must read for any corporate leader, manager and post secondary student. 

To read the full article, click here.