FEATURE INSIGHT
How to lead inclusively
Stephen Frost, of Frost Included, reveals key traits and requirements of leadership
A n organisation can have all the systems and processes worthy of a world class organisation, but they count for nothing if the chief executive officer (CEO) and senior figures in the organisation don’t understand, lead and deliver inclusion. Aristotle developed three artistic proofs of leadership and persuasion: logos, pathos and ethos. These correspond with understanding, leading and delivery. To lead inclusively, the leader has to adopt all three elements. Logos is an appeal to logic, and uses reason to generate buy-in. Pathos appeals to peoples’ emotions and touches their own sense of self, in order to create followers. Ethos is an appeal to ethics, and relates to the character and credibility of the leader. As professionals we claim to like diversity, but as human beings we still prefer sameness. This is essentially confusion between self and role. Self is who we are as human beings. Diversity is a mixture of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), social context and accumulated life experience to date. Who we have as close friends and colleagues (our ‘in-group’), where we live, and whom we love, all come together to make us who we are as individuals. They reinforce our sense of self and give life meaning as well as define our own sense of place in the world. Being aware of this is essential if you want to lead inclusively. If you are not aware of your own in-group then you can’t consciously include people from your out- group. Role is what we choose to do with our
time on this planet. It could be a train driver, a photographer or a CEO. Within those professions we may have choice over how to fulfill our role. It could be to look out for oneself or it could be to work as part of a team. It could be to remain within the comfort of our existing in-group or to
intentionally flex your role so that they have more chance of remaining in their self, being happier, more authentic and more productive. Think about your role and what it is that you want to get done. It is not contradictory to be a white, straight man in one’s being and yet advocate plurality in one’s role. Indeed for the CEO or senior leaders of a modern organisation this tension (as opposed to contradiction) is an important one to hold. The tension is between your own self and role, their self and role and your in-groups and out-groups. How you can hold this tension will help you make your mark as an inclusive leader. What does leading inclusively (pathos) look like? Inclusive leadership is personal, sometimes messy and is about having the courage to make ourselves vulnerable. It is about adapting and absorbing risk so that people can bring their whole selves to work rather than remaining rigidly in their role. It’s about being transparent, authentic and mobilising others. It’s about appealing to heart as well as head. Are you adaptable in terms of flexing your role so that others can be themselves? Are you transparent in your decision- making so that information does not rely on face-time and ‘who you know’? Are you authentic, in terms of being yourself? Leadership is a group process and the more you can role model inclusive behaviour, the more others will mimic it, especially if you have more power than they do. Delivery (ethos) is dependent on behaviour – do as I do, not just as I say. In the chapter on leadership in our book Inclusive talent management: how business can thrive in an age of diversity
...without recognising our
reach out to the out-group. In this sense we can superficially embrace inclusion, or truly achieve real inclusion by consciously moving out of our comfort zone. Our self is sacrosanct. Who we are as individuals is hard-wired. A one-hour training session on diversity cannot even hope to change minds in regard to self. Indeed, it may confirm and exacerbate existing biases. But without recognising our in-groups, without knowing our self, we cannot lead inclusively. If you only talk to someone in their role, rather than as a person, you will be stuck in a transactional relationship. This could be valuable to the extent of their pay cheque, but you will miss out on discretionary effort. In order to gain discretionary effort from the employee we have to allow them to be themselves. Furthermore, they may have to flex their self considerably to fit into the role you are prescribing, which would be inefficient. Far better for you to in-groups, without knowing our self, we cannot lead inclusively
| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward | September 2016 | Issue 23 48
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