Inclusive Leadership, a 21st Century Challenge

Business vector created by rawpixel.com - www.freepik.com

If the past 12 months of a public health crisis and major changes to the economic landscape have shown us anything, it is that the ability to collaborate effectively, be brave and deal with uncertainty, are skills that 21st Century Leaders must embrace to survive.

Inclusive Leadership as a concept has grown as a strategy to address the challenges of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). However, I believe that it is more than just an EDI tool. The core traits of Inclusive Leadership chime with the need to navigate today’s challenges more generally, build a greater sense of belonging and harness the power of collective intelligence and action.

One of the greatest challenges that leaders face is taking an objective view of what is happening in their organisations in relation to diversity and inclusion. This can be particularly so in construction where the lack of diversity of lived experience, knowledge and background can feed into a pernicious type of groupthink on what it means to create and maintain a more inclusive work environment.

In addition 20th Century Leadership styles which have tended to focus more on process than people, hierarchy as a definition of success, and “command and task”, do not easily lend themselves to building an inclusive culture.

A Fresh Perspective

Inclusive Leaders understand and embrace uncertainty, knowing that the journey to an inclusive workplace is not linear. This ability to work with an adaptive mindset sets them apart, enabling them to apply strategies to a wide range of contexts. I believe this is key to a 21st Century style of Leadership, one which uses collaboration and values diverse voices as a way of addressing today’s challenges.

Here are just three of the activities and attributes that 21st Century Inclusive Leaders embrace:

People-centred business approach. Whether we are undertaking development, design, constructing or maintaining the built environment, top-down approaches do not make the most of teams’ inputs into work streams and strategies and can sometimes leave staff members feeling undervalued and excluded. Inclusive Leaders prioritise collaboration and seek input from a wide range of stakeholders because they see feedback as critical to the success of the business. 

Courageous - Inclusive Leaders are able to articulate the ‘why’ of the business case for change, using their voice to challenge and transform biased systems, and persevering when met with resistance to new ideas. They also understand that being a pioneer takes bravery, and that risk is a central element to making change, by shifting behaviours and cultures. 

Awareness - Inclusive Leaders understand, accept their limitations and strengths, and continue to do the work to seek new knowledge as a way of understanding the challenges faced by marginalised identities, backgrounds and communities.  They work towards increased cultural intelligence and demand that the teams that they work with learn as much as possible about different cultures and lived experiences. Inclusive Leaders also work to address their own biases, as they know how much their language and behaviours impact their teams and stakeholders.

By honing these three attributes leaders can and do address change that is both inevitable and unexpected, thereby taking a proactive approach to fostering social sustainability and growing an inclusive environment.

At Built By Us we have been working with a number of amazing organisations, through discovery, learning and guidance, to uncover and develop Inclusive Leadership skills. Contact us to find out more and join the movement.