Dimensions of Diversity: Developing an Inclusive Leader

Our reality is changing. Companies are facing existential threats and are struggling to adapt to increased complexity and disruption. To survive, organizations need talent that matches the complexity of the world they operate in. To thrive, organizations need to unlock the power and potential of ALL talent. Diversity and inclusion (D&I) are the key. Developing inclusive leaders who take accountability for their D&I strategy can help prevent future wrongs and drive long-term impactful change.

What is Diversity, Inclusion & Engagement?

Diversity is a fact. It is the full range of differences and similarities, visible and non-visible, that make each individual unique.

Inclusion is a behavior. It is recognizing, valuing, and fully leveraging different perspectives and backgrounds to drive results.

Engagement is an emotion. It is the emotional connection people have with their job, and is the driver of discretionary efforts.

The diverse world in which we live is a composite of many cultures, values and ways of interacting with one another. The dimensions of diversity include gender, religious beliefs, race, martial status, ethnicity, parental status, age, education, physical and mental ability, income, sexual orientation, occupation, language, geographic location, and many more components.

Dimensions of Diversity

Leaders have to be able to activate and engage those diverse teams; they have to be inclusive of the multifarious viewpoints, perspectives and styles that diverse teams offer. Inclusive leadership is what makes diversity work. Inclusive leaders are essential to closing this gap between policy and practice. These leaders are able to leverage the wealth of knowledge, insights, and perspectives that diverse teams offer through creating an open and trusting workplace. By truly valuing diversity, these leaders unlock the competitive advantage that inclusive workplaces generate, becoming a magnet for the very best talent.

Moving towards inclusion is a challenge in itself. Even leaders who fully embrace the business case for diversity—understanding that homogeneous teams, although easier to manage, are more likely to result in “group think”—often feel unprepared to be inclusive. But facing into this challenge is the only way to unlock the potential that diversity offers.

So how do we start developing inclusive leaders?

Start with Behavioral Inclusion: It is about leading individuals on a journey of self-discovery, alerting them to the biases that hamper their decision-making, and equipping them to act on this new-found self-awareness by behaving in a more consciously inclusive way. Behavioral inclusion helps individuals to internalize inclusive behaviors.

But what if the organizational structures they operate in are preventing them from acting in a truly inclusive way?

Structural inclusion* is about putting equitable and transparent systems and processes in place that prevent unconscious-bias from occurring—and correct it when it does. To put it simply, structural inclusion is what makes behavioral inclusion stick.

Behavioral inclusion without structural inclusion will not change the status quo.

For structural inclusion to be effective, it must address three separate but interrelated issues: equality, equity, and inclusive design.

Inclusive Design: It’s about preventing future wrongs through a structural inclusion approach. Inclusive Design is a design of process, practices, and products that considers the full range of human diversity with respect to ability, language, culture, gender, age, race/ethnicity, etc.

How do organizations develop an Inclusive Leader?

My recommendation is to focus on 3 key areas of assessment:

• Deepen leaders’ awareness of who they are as inclusive leaders and strengthen their understanding of their cultural influences and preferences.
• Enable leaders to promote a global mindset, bridge cultural gaps, and improve interactions with diverse colleagues, customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders.
• Provide leaders with strategies to both role- model inclusive behaviors and to become true “inclusion architects.”

Facets of an Inclusive Leader

• Authenticity: Building trust; having humility.
• Emotional Resilience: Having composure and situational self-awareness.
• Self-Assurance: Being confident and optimistic.
• Inquisitiveness: Openness to differences; leading with empathy and curiosity.
• Flexibility: Being tolerant of ambiguity and embracing adaptability.

Inclusion is the skill that makes diversity work, and diversity is proven to make companies more successful. So therefore, embracing inclusivity isn’t only the right thing to do as a human, but the smart thing to do as a leader. 

I leave you with one question -- what steps will you take to become an inclusive leader?

*Reference: Korn Ferry Inclusive Design For Talent Systems