6 ways to be a more inclusive leader

Leadership is, at its core, about inspiring others. What better way to inspire others and build your successful business than by championing diversity and inclusion.

Did you know?

Companies with more diverse workplaces make more money.

Diverse teams make better business decisions, outperformed individual decision-makers up to 87% of the time.

A diverse workforce is important to job seekers.

How do I become a more inclusive leader?

Commitment. Make it a personal goal to make diversity and inclusion a priority. This has a top-down effect – if your team sees the commitment you show to including diversity in all aspects of your business, others will start to hold themselves to account to make it their priority too.

Curiosity. Keep an open mind about others, and take the initiative to learn about cultures you don’t know much about. You will discover new ways of doing and of being yourself, while inspiring your team, particularly managers, to do the same.

Cultural awareness. Learn about cultural differences and seek to keep learning to engage staff and foster a workplace culture of inclusion and respect.

Collaboration. Focus on team unity by empowering others. Take into consideration the diversity of thought in your teams, and choose a range of different perspective, life and cultural experiences, to make the best decisions possible.

Modesty. Be humble about your capabilities and admit your mistakes. Make your company a space where people feel safe to contribute and continue to learn. This will be an ongoing process.

Aware of bias. Show awareness of your own personal biases and work to address them. Sit in on staff training, do online modules, talk to other business owners about their strategies. All of these things will help you to become a better leader yourself, and inspire future leaders at your organisation.