6 Key Attributes of Inclusive Leadership

One of the most prominent features of a good, successful organization is inclusivity—the feeling of being included in decision making, the feeling of belonging, value, and respect. But mostly, inclusivity comes down to leadership. A leader can ensure that all employees feel like they have been included in all matters of the company. 

Inclusivity is very important for any organization as it makes the workers feel like they are a part of something bigger, so they work hard with commitment, which ultimately increases the performance of the organization. Therefore, inclusive leadership has emerged as a unique feature that has helped companies to adapt to different situations like diverse customers, markets, and ideas.  

Signature characteristics of inclusive leaders 

Leaders must create an inclusive workplace environment that ensures room for talent growth and good experiences. Research shows that inclusive business teams are better at decision making and make profitable decisions 87% of the time.  

Prominent attributes of inclusive leaders: 

1. Commitment To Be a Leader

A good leader is committed to diversity and challenges the status quo. Only a leader with dedicated commitment can cultivate an inclusive workforce with diversity. These leaders are driven by their strong values and a deep sense of fairness and sound judgment of right and wrong.  

A committed leader knows his role in creating a welcoming workplace culture as they possess a strong responsibility and desire for change. A true leader’s actions signal a true commitment when he decides to invest his time, resources, and energy to nurture an inclusive environment.  

2. Humility

An inclusive leader has high regard for individuality, so he is always open to new ideas and propositions. Such a person is modest concerning their capabilities and creates space for others to foster and contribute. A humble and modest leader does not expect all employees to be the same because he recognizes the value of different skills and points of view.  

Kristie Rogers, a management professor, explained the benefits of individuals being respected at the workplace. She said: 

“Employees who say they feel respected and more satisfied with their jobs and more grateful for – and more loyal to – their companies. They are more resilient, cooperate more with others, perform better and more creatively, and are more likely to take direction from their leaders.”

3. Adaptability of Change 

We see many businesses failing because the administration has created rules and regulations that do not practically suit the nature of the work. A good leader will not only be equipped with the pros and cons of the business but also be flexible enough to adapt it to the employees so that maximum benefit can be taken. This will not only encourage good communication between the workers and the leader but also invite suggestions to make the business better in terms of quality and quantity. 

4. Cultural intelligence

For multinational organizations, cultural intelligence is a crucial quality. A leader must have good knowledge of different cultures of people working with him. This intelligence should be beyond “textbook” knowledge. Cultural intelligence equips a leader to be flexible enough to change his styles in response to diverse cultural norms. For example, people in East Asia have a culture of bowing to others at certain degrees, depending upon structural hierarchy and age.  

An excellent and inclusive leader possesses excellent adaptability and can easily regulate their verbal and nonverbal gestures like speech, body language, and facial expressions in context to different cultures. As UAE hosts a wide range of people from all parts of the world, one of the most accessible approaches to ensure cultural intelligence is getting your employees trained by companies offering leadership training in Dubai. It will ensure your success in the corporate industry.  

5. Effective collaboration

Inclusive leaders empower employees and focus on team solidarity.  They understand the importance of inclusivity for cooperation to be successful. Hence, they share their perspectives to make others more comfortable with expressing their ideas and opinions freely with their team.  

The most crucial component of effective collaboration is the aspect of diversity among individuals. Thus leaders pay close attention to team composition and open communication. They instil the idea of “one team” and “shared goal” in their teams to prevent them from breaking into subgroups and creating conflicts.  

An inclusive leader possesses an open mind-set and true curiosity about other people. True leaders seek empathy to understand people around them, and listen without judgement. Effective leader understand how personal biases can prevent them from making sound and objective decisions.  

These leaders seek to identify different biases fostering around them and learn and implement ways to stop them from influencing their work. A good leader can effectively take newer approaches and implement policies to prevent organizational biases from endangering inclusivity. These individuals are better equipped at handling workplace issues without any biased judgment.  

6. Putting leadership to work! 

Above mentioned are some of the important traits in a leader generating a sense of inclusiveness in the workplace. Leadership is not hereditary – it is not something you are born with. Therefore, get your employees trained by experts providing leadership training to maintain a healthy, inclusive workplace environment.  

Always remember Vince Lombardi’s quote: 

“Leaders are made, they are not born. They are made by hard effort, which is the price all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile.”