Yes, inclusion starts with me. With you.

With us.

There is a growing number of discussions and articles recently about the true meaning of inclusive leadership and its' correlation with employee engagement (and more so, retention). For some, this means satisfaction, retention, and productivity. I agree that these measures are important in the delivery against objectives and targets, however they cannot exclusively provide a sustainable foundation for creating and maintaining sustained engagement, which is underpinned by connection, belonging, and purpose.

When inclusive leadership practice is part of the organisation's culture and is performed mindfully, organisation's will experience:

Improved access to and attracting talent - capable, committed workers and workforce gain new skills and knowledge and diverse experiences
Create belonging at work - encourage diversity of thought, awareness and inclusive opportunities, boosts engagement and employee satisfaction, and increases wellbeing and performance
Enhanced reputation - being known as an employer of choice that is progressive, inclusive and socially responsible organisation with strong corporate citizenship
Elevated innovation - space is created to create, iterate, and test. An inclusive environment encourages people to use their strengths for effective change and continuous improvement.

This all sounds great. Right? Right. Is it easy? Well, it depends.

Let's consider the following inclusive practice self-reflection statements, and thinking about them in a work context, rate them on a scale of 1-5 (1 meaning no, this is not like me, and 5 meaning yes, this is like me all of the time):

I approach people with genuine curiosity
I create trust by sharing important things about me and I listen and remember what others' share with me
I ask people about their preferences, including working style, communication, etc., and consider these when engaging with them
I understand and respect how people want to be recognised and celebrated
I know and understand my biases and share these to keep them in-check
I invest in my personal development and see myself as a lifelong learner.

What story are your scores telling you?

What areas are you role modelling?

What are your areas for development?

If you were to ask your colleagues or team members, how do you think they would rate you?

This is an interesting point for us to pause, reflect and unpack what great inclusive leadership looks like.

When we describe great leadership, we generally describe something that is beyond skill, capability and competence. We use words like integrity, honesty, passion, vision, risk-taking, fearlessness, compassion, courage, authenticity, collaboration, self-awareness, selflessness, purposefulness, humility, intuition, and wisdom.

Leadership has more to do with character, courage, and conviction (inner game) than skills, systems and competencies (outer game).

In considering the concept of the outer vs inner game of leadership, it is vital to understand and acknowledge the things leaders can control or influence and those that they cannot. Much of the outer game of leadership is linked to systems and organisational constructs, including business rhythms, management processes, outcomes linked to behaviours in response to a stimulus. The inner game is where our focus needs to be to be inclusive and increase engagement through our inner operating system - what drives us, how we define ourselves, what is important to us, and our beliefs.

There are four key elements of the inner game:

Mental models used to understand reality, think, act and create; how we make sense of the world around us
Internal beliefs, values and assumptions making up our personal identity
Decision making - how we analyse, decide, and act
Self-awareness and emotional intelligence.

Inclusive leadership in action is having a conscious awareness that the inner game enhances effective action and learning agility. The inner game leads the outer game.

Keen to explore your inner game and take more inclusive leadership action?

Contact us for a complimentary 30 minute strategy session to find the right solution for you.

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