How can Higher Education leaders create a more inclusive leadership development program?

Higher education should be departed in such a manner that it should bridge the gap between companies expectation and the stuff being produced.

Leadership skills at the HE should be developed on a multi discipline and sustainable approach. More conscious leaders need for impactful transformation to improve the community livelihood.

Assessing the current situation is key, but also making sure that your measurement tools are calibrated to absorb the all perspectives, especially those that have historically been marginalized is just as important. When interpreting the results of data collected, it is important to also not interpret the “outlier” data as less important if you really want to create an inclusive environment. These “outliers” tell an important story that must be interpreted and understood by leaders.

Enable all folks, including white males, to have safe places where they can truly explore their questions, their biases. This can help prevent the acting that often occurs in DEI trainings such as saying what is expected or not asking “dumb questions”. Such spaces can help white men be more confident about what needs to happen, use their standing to advance DEI, and truly be allies for DEI efforts.

The Higher education should leverage tasks to multidisciplinary workforce who would generate ideas on innovation and up skill to the new perspectives

A leadership development program serves not merely as a training module but as an embodiment of an institution's vision and values, particularly in fostering diversity and inclusion. Alignment with institutional ethos ensures that the program is not an isolated initiative but a key element in achieving broader strategic goals. This congruence guarantees the program's credibility, impact, and longevity. Moreover, by explicitly integrating diversity and inclusion, the program goes beyond rhetoric to actualise these values in leadership capacities. Such alignment makes it an effective tool for nurturing leaders who will drive excellence, encourage innovation, and enact real social impact within the realm of higher education.

As an academic in tourism management, I've championed 'authentic learning' and 'inclusivity' as guiding principles in leadership development programs. My core mission is to create inclusive, engaging teaching environments for all students, regardless of abilities or location. My teaching approach focuses on crafting meaningful learning experiences and assessments, enhancing employability skills. This involves close collaboration with experts to design curricula rich in diverse perspectives and real-world case studies. Mentorship and coaching are integral, recognizing their impact on program success. My dedication to fostering inclusive and authentic learning experiences drives everything I do.

Strategic Human Resource Management with strong corporate governance perspectives would be the ideal combination.. In my opinion all stakeholders should be taken into consideration as the part of inclusive policy. Be it may be primary stakeholders, secondary stakeholders, social stakeholders and non social stakeholders...All are included.

Aligning a leadership program with an institution's vision and values is vital, but it's equally important to prepare future leaders for workplace success. With a need for more leaders, it's essential to foster critical thinking, empathy, and self-reflection alongside specific skills. Effective leadership development should incorporate realistic, situation-based training that allows individuals to explore a variety of solutions and outcomes. This reflective, non-critical approach encourages participants to learn from their experiences and adapt their leadership styles as needed. By nurturing these well-rounded skills, we can better equip leaders to tackle the diverse and complex challenges they'll encounter in the modern workplace.

"Variety is the Spice of Life" someone once said. This is no different in higher education leadership development initiatives. Diversity adds more 'flavour' and 'spice' to any such intervention. The greater the 'perspectives'. richer the intervention becomes. It also lends itself to making the solution more holistic and inclusive.

Many leadership programs provide a model of “best practices” that is mainly coming from Western leadership cultures. Normalizing the idea that models, frameworks, and best practices can come from various cultures is a must today. Higher education institutions are more diverse today than ever in students, faculty members and administrators. Hence, diverse models and perspectives are needed to be as much of “best practices” as the Western ones.

One thing I find extremely valuable is joining Communities of Practice. These help participants by providing opportunities to connect with field experts globally. The conversations lead to insights that in turn foster innovative approaches.

I would distinguish between "leader development/formation" and "leadership development". We often focus on "leadership development" (ie how to lead others) and forget that we first need to focus on "leader development/formation" ( personal leadership). If we start by the second element, we can understand what diversity and inclusion means for each participant and also the qualities that students need to develop in order to become inclusive and accept diversity. Based on this awareness, we can then design programs that are inclusive and incorporate different worldviews.

I love this perspective. An inclusive leadership program should first fulfill all requirements of inclusive. Depending on the geographical location, it should have a balanced diverse perspectives from Faculty to students. Students should not enroll for a leadership course and they are grappling with a dominant or prevalent culture. An inclusive leadership program should provide immersive learning experiences for students to go back and implement the values and virtues gained from the program effectively without losing any part of their individuality while at the same time, they are equipped with relevant world best principles of leadership.

For any leadership development programme to be effective it has to cater to the needs of the participants. Thus a logical starting point is a 'needs assessment'. It is then that the 'What' (content) and 'How' (mode of delivery) etc have to be worked out. Such a logical apporach will ensure that the planned intervention does in fact deliver the 'results' and 'desired outcomes' in the end.

However, if the support exists, not only recognize the existence of these, but the effectiveness of such support should be measure and aligned with peer leaders learning and teaching strategies focused on a leadership development program to strengthen and replicate in other similar scenarios and minimize the gaps.

Every leadership development program should have measurable outcomes and clear criteria for success that should be shared with the participants at the beginning. A system of periodic reviews by the mentors should be built in as formative assessment. The observations and feedback sessions should focus on both strengths and areas for improvement. The strengths are what enable the future leaders to excel and stand out so it is imperative that we build on them.

Like someone said "What get's measuredm gets done". Thus measuring the results and evaluating the implementation of any programme is of utmost importance to ensure that the programme in fact delivers the desired results. Additionally, evaluating results forces people to focus on 'results' (KRAs) thus helps to keep any programme focussed on measureable tangible results. Evaluating the effectiveness of the programme that was implemented will also provide valuable 'learning opportunities' that help improve the programme going forward.

Evaluating representation at various leadership levels, gathering feedback from team members, and identifying any existing biases are essential to assess the current state. It is good for the organization to ensure EDI in their practice, which includes inclusive recruitment and selection processes. The higher education providers need to promote inclusive leadership models that value different leadership styles and approaches.

Establish mentorship and sponsorship programs that connect participants with mentors who can offer guidance and support, especially from underrepresented backgrounds.

Effectual recruitment and outreach are pivotal aspects of establishing an inclusive leadership development program. This involves arranging virtual or physical information sessions, enabling potential participants to acquaint themselves with the program, seek clarifications, and establish connections with present leaders or alumni. Additionally, offering scholarships or financial aid tailored for candidates from underrepresented backgrounds is essential to eliminate financial impediments to participation. Engaging with student organizations that serve underrepresented populations is another key approach, as these groups frequently possess valuable insights and robust community connections.

To create a more inclusive leadership development program in higher education: 1. Prioritize diversity and inclusion training. 2. Integrate DEI content into the curriculum. 3. Diversify faculty and staff. 4. Establish mentorship programs. 5. Foster inclusive networking opportunities. 6. Review and adapt policies. 7. Ensure resource accessibility. 8. Implement feedback mechanisms. 9. Set diversity metrics and accountability. 10. Provide cultural competence training. 11. Promote inclusive language. 12. Assess program impact. 13. Collaborate with stakeholders. 14. Celebrate diversity. 15. Commit to long-term efforts.

Research and recognize the concepts of leadership development that exists within various cultures and educate on the history of those cultures as well. A common example within the profession is the teaching of the Ubuntu philosophy. Aside from teaching on what it is, recognize the history of where it comes from and its application in the world.