Effective leaders understand that their power is not absolute; rather, their role is to include others instead of merely promoting themselves. For a team to be inclusive, leaders must ensure that the voices of all members are acknowledged and considered.
How can you acknowledge and value the voices within your team?
Inclusive leaders can demonstrate their respect and appreciation for others’ contributions in the following ways:
Give room
Individuals can only share their ideas when they have the opportunity to do so and feel safe expressing their honest opinions without fear of retribution or being ignored. Inclusive leaders actively create space for voices beyond their own (or any one individual or group) to be heard and valued.
Acknowledge contributions
When a team achieves success, leaders often receive much of the recognition. However, inclusive leaders make a conscious effort to acknowledge and celebrate everyone whose ideas and contributions contributed to that success.
Make actual changes
In addition to amplifying and recognizing other voices in discussions, inclusive leaders take actionable steps that demonstrate they have genuinely listened to what has been expressed.
The exercise
Consider the following questions and reflect on your current approach to leading your team:
- How do you foster open and honest sharing within your team?
- What opportunities do you provide for team members to express what matters to them?
- How do you ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to speak during group discussions?
- In what ways do you acknowledge individual contributions to team successes?
- How do you publicly recognize and give credit to your team members?
- How do you follow up after someone has shared their ideas, views, or concerns with you?
- How frequently do you seek out other perspectives before making significant leadership decisions?
Now, reflect on your “ideal” leadership self and revisit the questions. How would you approach these actions if you were embodying that version of yourself?
Consider the differences between your responses in these two rounds. Which of the “ideal” leadership behaviors feel realistic for you to adopt? What changes could you make, and what aspects would you like to incorporate into your leadership style?
Bring It to Coaching
These reflections are essential for becoming an inclusive leader who values and integrates input from all team members. To turn your insights into actionable steps and gain a clearer understanding of which practices should be part of your ideal leadership style, consider discussing them with your coach.