Diversity and how to promote Inclusive Leadership

Guest post by Paul Anderson-Walsh is the CEO and co-founder of The Centre for Inclusive Leadership.

“Where are you from? No, where are you really from…?” 

Diversity is a fact. Inclusion is a feeling. When people feel that they are included, without the need to be inauthentic, the key psychological need for belongingness – that is to feel a part of the whole – is met.  When absent, it signals to us that we are apart from the whole or, that we can only show-up here in part in this whole.  

Why Diversity is so important

The reason for the preamble is that in our experience, most organisations are not populated by bad actors, they are staffed by busy people. Busyness begets thoughtlessness, and thoughtlessness is the enemy of inclusion. Inclusive behaviours are born out of thoughtfulness. Typically, what we seek to do is to help people transition from unconscious-unintentional-exclusion to conscious-intentional-inclusion. One success indicator is a reduction in the incidences of micro-aggressions.  

Micro-aggressions are subtle, yet harmful snubs, insults, or banter, which can be verbal or non-verbal. They are often glossed over as being innocent and innocuous interactions. Micro-aggressions are typically directed, without conscious awareness, toward marginalised individuals or groups. They occur in everyday interactions with individuals who may have no harmful intentions but may not realise the impact of their behaviour. 

For example, someone asks a person of colour “Where are you from?” to the member of the in-group the question is innocuous, but to the person in the out-group the dog-whistling message is loud and clear: You are a foreigner. For many people that renders them feeling homeless at home, aliens in their own land. Or how about the backhanded compliment, “You are so articulate” to the out-grouper, its message is an expression of surprise, because sub-consciously the speaker doesn’t ascribe intelligence to people like them (pick any ‘them’ for yourself). 

Research by the Gottman Institute suggests it takes five positive interactions (micro-affirmations) to overcome every negative interaction. Whoever came up with the idiom ‘sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me’ may like to reflect on that. As the Proverbs say, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Pr. 18:21. Micro-aggressions can cause psychological harm and create a hostile and unwelcoming environment. Micro-affirmations are a balm to us all but especially to people from marginalised groups.

So, think, what do you want the words you are about to say to do to the person(s) who is going to hear them? If we took a moment to think about our intention, we could avoid any unintended impact. Micro-aggressions not only leave people feeling psychologically unsafe, to quote Jeremy D. Franklin, “they impair performance in a multitude of settings by sapping the psychic and spiritual energy of recipients creating inequities.”   

In an inclusive culture, inclusion is for all, by us all. Each of us has a responsibility to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. By becoming more aware of micro-aggressions and actively working to minimise their occurrence, we can build a more inclusive and productive workplace. Remember, the journey towards inclusivity is continuous, and every step taken is a step towards a better work environment for all.

Paul Anderson-Walsh is the CEO and co-founder of The Centre for Inclusive Leadership, who are specialists in inclusive leadership development, organisational behaviour and executive coaching. TCfIL work with organisations to enable them to create working environments in which people can be their best self and do their best work.

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