How Can Inclusive Leadership Help Your Enterprise Thrive?

Inclusive leadership creates an environment where all team members feel valued and respected. Practicing it is more than the right thing to do. It is also essential to the success of your enterprise. The far-reaching benefits of inclusive leadership include fostering an open environment, increasing employee loyalty, and improved problem-solving.

What is Inclusive Leadership?

Inclusive leadership is a leadership style and approach that fosters a work environment where every individual, regardless of their background, identity, or perspective, feels valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their unique insights and talents. Inclusive leaders recognize the diversity of their teams and actively seek to create a sense of belonging and equity among their employees.

Why is Inclusive Leadership Important?

Inclusive leadership is essential because it fosters a workplace environment where every individual, regardless of their background or identity, feels valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives and talents. This approach acknowledges the richness of diversity and harnesses its potential to drive innovation, creativity, and better decision-making. Inclusive leaders build trust, enhance employee engagement, and create a sense of belonging among team members, ultimately leading to higher productivity and organizational success.

Today’s workforce is more diverse than ever. Consider the following: 

• In 2018, the millennial generation – the largest in today’s workforce – was 44% minority. It is the most diverse adult generation in American history. 
• The post-millennial Generation Z is even more diverse.  
• Forty-seven percent of millennials seek diversity in the workplace, 

Read on to learn more about the benefits of inclusive leadership and how it can help your company succeed.

1. Increased engagement leads to greater job satisfaction, resulting in more loyal employees.

Employees who are engaged and feel their opinions matter are happier in their roles and perform better. Seventeen percent of teams with inclusive leaders are high-performing and realize 10% less absenteeism. 

In a recent survey, 39% of respondents said they would leave their current employer for a more inclusive one. 

The converse is also true. Team members who are included feel more valued, which makes them more loyal to their employers and more likely to stay on, providing a more stable workplace. Retaining top employees can be more challenging than recruiting. In this era of the Great Resignation and quiet quitting, you ignore inclusivity at your own peril. 

2. Team members with different experiences and backgrounds enhance creativity and improve problem-solving.

Inclusive leadership builds a diverse team. People from varied backgrounds have different ways of looking at the world. That allows them to approach problem-solving differently, providing opportunities for novel ideas and solutions. 

Putting oneself “out there” can be risky in a team that doesn’t reward innovation. Inclusive leadership ensures employees feel safe to share their ideas. They are more likely to participate in creative activities, encouraging their subordinates to do the same. The results speak for themselves – a study revealed that 85% of enterprises said diversity provides the most innovative ideas. Diverse thinking enhances innovation by 20% and organizations with inclusive cultures are six times more likely to be agile. 

3. Inclusive organizations have better communication and a more open and trusting environment 

Leaders must be able to communicate with team members from all different backgrounds and listen as much as they talk. Communication is naturally stronger in an inclusive workplace because leaders and team members respect diverse views, even if they disagree. Open communication creates an atmosphere in which every exchange is an opportunity to grow and learn. Encouraging transparent and robust discourse allows employees to discuss problems and grievances before conflicts escalate. Leaders who keep their teams informed are more likely to gain support and commitment.

Your Roadmap to Inclusive Leadership

At AchieveNEXT, we can help you gather data and create a strategic road map that can show you how to incorporate inclusive leadership elements throughout your organizational culture.  We are experts in helping executives, teams, and enterprises achieve their next level of growth, and we can do the same for your organization. Our other services include: 

• Workforce planning 
• Succession planning
• Talent management strategy
• Executive coaching
• Business relationships
• Sales team effectiveness
• Career services
• Leadership development
• Management development
• DEI/Culture

Learn more about our inclusive leadership training.