Six steps to become an inclusive leader.

Inclusive leadership might sound like a hastily thrown-together cliche, but in reality, it’s a proven-successful approach to leadership that companies are quickly adopting. But what is it? According to diversity expert T. Hudson Jordan, director of global diversity and talent strategies at Pitney Bowes, inclusiveness is “creating an environment of involvement, respect and connections where the richness of ideas, backgrounds and perspectives are harnessed to create business value.” Inclusive leadership is not “diversity” of people. It’s diversity of people, thought and attitudes. Research has shown that teams with inclusive leaders can positively impact a company’s bottom line. These leaders are more likely to be high performing, make high-quality decisions and report behaving collaboratively. Research also found that inclusion increases work attendance, which reduces the cost of absenteeism. (Bourke and Espedido, HBR, March 2019). 

Inclusive leadership works, but it’s not easy to achieve. With the right approach and a good deal of patience, though, companies can create inclusive cultures that lead to happier employees and more financial success. The following six steps are a framework for how to create truly inclusive cultures: