How would you describe an inclusive leader in one sentence? We have given it some thought.
What are the characteristics of an inclusive leader?
Harvard Business Review has already asked itself the same question and, in order to answer it, surveyed 3,500 employees about 450 leaders. The following characteristics of inclusive leaders were defined from the survey:
- Visible commitment: they care about diversity and question current rules and practices. Inclusion and diversity are a high priority.
- Humility: They are humble about their abilities, admit mistakes and leave room for others to contribute.
- Awareness of limits and gaps: They recognise their own knowledge gaps and limits and see problems in the system.
- Interest in others: They are open and curious about other people, listen without judgement and use empathy to understand.
- Cultural intelligence: You recognise other cultures and adapt to them with consideration.
- Efficient collaboration: They encourage others, emphasise psychological safety and promote team cohesion.
Inclusive leaders should be less directive and more coaching. They should help when employees are stuck and create an environment in which employees' opinions are valued. They should also act as part of the Team. To achieve this, empathy, openness, humility and admitting your own mistakes are essential.
Why do we need inclusive leadership?
Due to the large number of employees, a company can draw on a huge amount of knowledge within the organisation. Wouldn't it be foolish to only rely on the knowledge of managers when making decisions? All employees should be encouraged to think and question existing approaches - and this works best with inclusive leadership. If employees have the feeling that changes have to come exclusively from the top and that managers have to be perfect and omniscient in their job, this can even have a paralysing effect on a company. As we all know, it is easier to criticise than to change. This is precisely where inclusive leadership comes in: It strives for leaders to relinquish responsibility and involve employees more.
So how would we describe inclusive leadership in one sentence?
We believe that it is the task of managers to support employees in their tasks, to take their fears seriously and to support and encourage them. That's why we look after our employees and give them room for courage and personal responsibility. We prioritise relationships and friendships. This is how independent, committed individuals with different skills come together to form innovative, strong teams.
Employees should not have the feeling that changes come exclusively from above. The company should act as a team and not as a hierarchy. Managers take on the role of coaches.
In a nutshell: inclusive leaders are leaders who work for their employees.