The second sentence of the Declaration of Independence reads:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”

I love those words. I love this country. I also admit that those words were not intended for everyone at the time that they were written. Yet, based on these words, this country began its endless journey towards radical change even though the behavior of the men who wrote those words did not fully reflect that change. We can take a page from the Founding Fathers playbook regarding change, because sometimes as leaders we do not walk the talk. They were imperfect men who drafted perfect words, similar to what we see from leaders of some organizations today. For example, some leaders are accused of lip service when they introduce bold ideas to improve inclusion, form diversity committees, and approve programs but at the same time do not exemplify the spirit of those ideas to make them impactful. In other words, the mere existence of a diversity program does not give it value unless it is supported by leaders in the organization, because effective leadership signals what is important in any organization. Moreover, dynamic leadership signals the continual change needed to achieve inclusion and leverage diversity in ways to positively impact your business.

So what type of leader are you? Are you that type of leader? Have you observed these types of leaders? What is your leadership style? Today I want to discuss inclusive leadership and its importance on affecting positive change in your organizations with respect to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Inclusive leadership is leadership that is exhibited through the lens of inclusion by putting inclusion at the forefront of every decision in your organization. Inclusive leaders understand all of their employees.  They intentionally ask feedback from their employees who are underrepresented. And most importantly, they do it not only when they have a question about diversity. Companies with leaders who are perceived to be inclusive by their employees experience greater productivity and performance. So how do you become an inclusive leader?  There are three important factors  that help you practice inclusive leadership: 1. Exposure, 2. Experience, 3. Empathy.

Exposure. The more aware we are of something in our environment the more likely we will interact with it. That includes our interactions with other people. I recall teaching at a small private school and a student expressed that he had never met another Black person until he attended college. Imagine what kind of leader he could have become without ever having met someone who might possibly have a host of different experiences and unique perspectives. Being exposed to others strengthens our understanding about those we work with and  mitigates potential discomfort.

Experience. Being more aware of people different from ourselves is only the first step. Exposure is not enough. We also have to cultivate shared experiences with others to truly understand who they are and learn about their culture. It is reported that AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson was at a meeting and shared a story about him and his Black friend who was a physician. It was not until after the Black Lives Matter movement began to take notice that his friend began to share with Randall his experiences as Black man. Randall was surprised to learn that after years of friendship his friend never told him about the microaggressions he would encounter or the multiple times that police would pull him over while driving or question because to them he “appeared” like he did not belong in affluent areas. Sharing experiences with others allows us to have more meaningful conversations with others by strengthening engagement causing professional relationships to be more intimate. Once we have shared experiences with others, trust is built so that we can begin learning from one another with transparency and without judgement.

Empathy. The foundation for inclusive leadership is empathy, but it cannot be fully realized until we intentionally gain exposure and experience about others first. As Mary Frances-Winters, a noted author on diversity states, “I cannot have empathy for you if I do not know you.”  Once we truly possess empathy for our employees, we can understand them better, treat them better, and create an inclusive culture where everyone believes they can succeed and be rewarded equitably. The golden rule is to treat others like you want to be treated. But the platinum rule is to treat others like they want to be treated.

Happy Independence Day!

Declaration of Independence: https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript

Inclusive Leadership sources:

• Ferdman, BM,  Prime, J, & Riggio RE. (2021). Inclusive Leadership: Transforming Diverse Lives, Workplaces, and Societies. New York: Routledge.

• Winters, MF. (2020). Inclusive Conversations: Fostering Equity, Empathy, and Belonging across Differences. Oakland, CA: Berret-Koehler.