BUS603: Managing People

Dillon and Bourke identified six key characteristics that distinguish inclusive leaders. The first characteristic is commitment.

Champions of inclusive leadership are motivated by their values, including a "deep-seated sense of fairness that, for some, is rooted in personal experience". Inclusive leaders hold themselves accountable to create a welcoming culture in their organizations. They devote time, energy, and resources to nurture an inclusive workforce.

Courage is the second characteristic found in inclusive leaders. They demonstrate courage in challenging organizations to think beyond homogeneous attitudes and practices. Another way they show courage is by not being afraid to exhibit humility; courage and humility allow leaders to accept their limitations and seek guidance from others in overcoming them. They admit to not having all the answers, which for some leaders is a very difficult thing to do.

The third characteristic that distinguishes inclusive leaders is cognizance of bias. Inclusive leaders understand that both personal and organizational biases can negatively impact diversity and inclusion. As a result, they implement policies, processes, and structures to prevent infiltration of such biases in the workplace or any organization. The fourth characteristic found in inclusive leaders is curiosity. This includes being open-minded and having a passion for learning and a desire for exposure to diverse perspectives. "Inclusive leaders' ability to engage in respectful questioning, actively listen to others and synthesize a range of ideas makes the people around them feel valued, respected, and represented".

Cultural intelligence is the fifth characteristic identified in inclusive leaders. These leaders understand that knowledge of other cultures is fundamental in fostering inclusiveness. Cultural intelligence allows a leader to better respond to different cultural norms and behaviors and enables leaders to adjust their style accordingly. Additionally, they understand ways in which culture can shape world views and stereotypes. This is very important in setting and communicating expectations in any organization. Lastly, inclusive leaders are collaborative, which is coupled with an ability to willingly share ideas. Key to successful collaboration is creating a psychologically safe environment in which "people feel empowered to express their opinions freely with the group" "to create an environment that offers psychological safety is a high task", especially "when covering up has been the dominant reaction to contrary or contradictory information". Furthermore, leaders pay attention to team processes to allow a diversity of thinking to take place.