How to Be an Inclusive Leader

CALLI Book presentation

Presented by Benjamin Brantley, Elizabeth Bush, Maria Withham, Katie Crawford

Introduction

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How To Be An Inclusive Leader- Your Role in Creating Cultures of Belonging Where Everyone Can Thrive

Author: Jennifer Brown

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• Details practical guide
• Good “starting point”
• Framework describes four distinct phases- “Inclusive Leader Continuum”
• Unaware
• Aware
• Active
• Advocate
• Continuum as a concept is appropriate- make multiple passes, new concepts, no one is fully an expert on, can always be doing something more.
• Introduction- gives a pitch on why diversity is important “to business” and how “covering” expends energy that could be spent in other ways in the workplace.
• Defines privilege and code-switching

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Phase One:

Unawareness

• Defined as seeing inclusivity as compliance-focused
• Simply tolerating it, viewing it as someone else’s job
• Focus is on lack of knowledge, oftentimes well-intentioned
• May be coming from a place where if you have not felt excluded before, you may lack awareness of the ingrained inequalities in the workplace

Humility

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• Global study conducted in 2014 by Catalyst sought to determine the perceptions of inclusive leadership across six countries and a key theme emerged- humility
• Their definition- “admitting mistakes, learning from criticism and different points of view, acknowledging, and seeking contributions of others to overcome one’s limitations.”
• Not about you. Shift the focus away from defending yourself as a “good person”.

Deflections

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• These are what keep us stuck in the Unaware Phase
• Statements or beliefs that allow us to attempt to side-step accountability for our words and actions or even inaction.
• “This is the way we’ve always done things”
• “I didn’t mean to offend anyone”
• Use curiosity to break through, give up on the need to be right, and learn how you can ensure others feel welcomed, valued, respected, and heard.

Bias

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• Another root cause of Unawareness is bias, this book barely references the concept of bias- just a couple pages
• Focuses on confirmation bias and self-enhancement bias (also known as Better-Than-Average Effect)
• Acknowledges biases tend to be unconscious and it takes conscious effort to uncover and break them down

Tools

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• Number of practical exercises and suggestions made:
• Flowchart to identify “mansplaining”
• Challenge to branch out and make real connections with people different than you. Ask others questions and listen to understand their thinking.
• Show respect, keep quiet, and challenge assumptions
• Inside Circle Inventory- to identify bias towards those who are “most like us”. Lacks nuance, but it’s a good starting point to “prove the point” if one cannot see the homogeneity of their closest relationships.

Transitioning to Awareness

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• Concept of “knowing what you don’t know”
• Acknowledging discomfort and defining common language
• With humility, reject deflections and put in the work to acknowledge and break down personal biases

Phase Three:

Active

You put your learning into action. You are taking risks in the interests of positive change and embrace a mindset of failing forward.

Hallmarks of the Active Stage

1. You grow your confidence and competence.
2. You embrace vulnerability.
3. Creating and holding space for difficult conversations.
4. You understand the value of DEI in business results.

Diving into DEI

• Get personally involved.
• Align commitment to action.
• Leverage DEI in communication.
• Learn about your ERGs.
• Get your house in order.
• Involve mid-level managers in setting DEI goals.
• Get comfortable speaking about uncomfortable topics.

Phase Four:

Advocacy

How can you leverage your influence and power to propel change?

Hallmarks of the Advocacy Stage

• Lean into a democratic or collaborative leadership styles.
• You are committed to the work of allyship and leverage your power to influence and propel change.
• You question underlying policies, practices, and assumptions.
• You build resilience.

Developing Resilience

• Anticipate pushback.
• Listen, consider, and adjust as necessary.

Leaning into Allyship

Allyship in Action

• Be prepared to lend support and take direction.
• Know when to take a step back to ensure those most affected are included, centered, and prioritized.
• Understand the difference between intent and impact.

• Acknowledge your privilege.
• Listen more and speak less.
• Be an upstander, not a bystander.
• Build your resilience.
• Do not expect awards or special recognition.
• Challenge systems and structures.

Staying Committed

to the Journey

If you only remember one thing from this book, remember that to be an inclusive leader, you need to do something. – Jennifer Brown

Key Reminders

1. The Inclusive Leader Continuum is not a linear journey.
2. The environment we foster can encourage authenticity.
3. Inclusion is a daily practice and with any habit change takes practice.

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