What are the benefits of inclusive leadership – for an organisation, an individual and employees?
Dr Allán Laville AFBPsS, Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology explores the benefits of inclusive leadership for organisations, individuals and employees.
14 October 2022
By Guest
We are all likely to have experienced different types of leadership in our careers with some approaches being more positive than others. It is also likely that we have a sense of what leadership should not be, but it can be difficult to describe what leadership should be.
The sense of what good leadership looks like can often be developed by a range of positive experiences including your own leadership journey. For me, I have been mentoring and leading staff for over 10 years now and have engaged in much reflection on what works well for different colleagues at different career stages. From these reflections, I have identified themes within my own leadership style, which has been supported by feedback from colleagues. One of the most prominent themes is that colleagues have felt heard in the meetings that I chair and that they have had opportunities to contribute to activity in a meaningful way.
For colleagues to feel included in a meaningful way is of paramount importance to me as it significantly supports positive working environments and a colleagues' sense of belonging within the organisation. This in turn supports staff retention and subsequently, progression and leadership planning. Ultimately, a sign of a good leader is someone who supports growth in colleagues, which also supports the organisation to develop.
From feedback on my leadership style, I was keen to work with the BPS to develop their new Inclusive Leadership CPD programme as I had not come across a similar programme before. In the working group meetings, it was very interesting to reflect on what inclusive leadership actually is and why it is important. To answer these points, I will focus on three key aspects of inclusive leadership and the benefits they bring:
Humility
As a leader, we can often feel as though we need to know everything! We do not. In my experience, acknowledging what you know and the experience you have is only part of the picture. In my opinion, it is fair more beneficial for yourself and colleagues to acknowledge the individual contributions that all members of a working group bring, which opens up many opportunities for collaborative working. The final project outcome will certainly be stronger, which supports the organisation's reputation.
Curiosity
Linked to the point on humility, it is OK not to immediately know something. I am genuinely intrigued to engage in a conversation that contains points of view that I have not come across before. By doing so, you are valuing diverse viewpoints, encouraging varied discourse and developing the wider conversation across the organisation.
Creativity
By being humble and curious, you will also support creativity. Creativity will support new and innovative approaches within an organisation and these approaches are exciting for colleagues and leaders. These approaches are also more likely to promote and support continued engagement with an organisation, which also supports staff retention. Innovative approaches are also more likely to receive external recognition.
So why inclusive leadership? Because it benefits you, your colleagues and your organisation.
Want to be an inclusive leader in your workplace?
We've developed our Inclusive Leadership programme to equip you with the tools you need to create a psychologically healthy workplace. Made up of eLearning modules and online workshops, you can enrol on this programme at a time and place that suits you.
Harness all the benefits of being an inclusive leader today.