READING 5 - What Makes an Inclusive Leader? – Wei Zheng

Question 1

Core Message

Answer 1

Inclusive leadership drives innovation, retention, well-being, and team performance. Through structured interviews with 40 recognized inclusive leaders, the authors identify five core behaviors that define inclusive leadership in action. These behaviors are not personality traits—they are deliberate, practiced actions embedded into everyday leadership and organizational systems.

Question 2

Authenticity Over “Leadership Presence”

Answer 2

• Inclusive leaders value authenticity and vulnerability, not projection of power.
• They model curiosity, humility, and openness, creating psychological safety.
• Examples: Sharing failures publicly, inviting dissent, and modeling fallibility.

Question 3

Challenging and Redefining Rules

Answer 3

• They question outdated norms and revise exclusionary practices.
• Examples:

Updating dress code policies to remove bias.
Removing full/part-time status from promotion criteria.
Embedding clear definitions of “culture fit” into hiring.
Rotating meeting roles to ensure equitable voice and participation.

Question 4

Active Learning and Consistent Implementation

Answer 4

• Inclusion is a learned and maintained discipline.
• Leaders build DEI goals into:
  Hiring pipelines
  Performance metrics
  Manager accountability systems
• Examples:
  Tracking representation across the employee lifecycle.
  Holding quarterly strategy reviews around inclusion.
  Informal practices: promoting cultural holidays, book discussions, inclusive messaging.

Question 5

Focusing on Equity and Equal Opportunity

Answer 5

• Inclusive leaders offer differentiated support based on individuals’ needs.
• Examples:
  Giving first-generation professionals more coaching and prep time.
  Training marginalized employees in how to advocate for their development.
  Amplifying underrepresented voices in executive meetings.
• They manage pushback by helping others understand why support is not always identical, but must be fair.

Question 6

Making Inclusion Everyone’s Job

Answer 6

• DEI is not owned by HR—it is a core value and shared responsibility.
• Inclusion is embedded in:
  Strategy, hiring, compensation, promotion, communication.
  Expectations for leadership across all levels.
• Examples:
  Inclusion ambassadors.
  Leadership messaging and visibility.
  Organization-wide norms and values.

Question 7

Relation to Unit 7: Leadership

Answer 7

• Leadership Behaviors: Inclusive leadership focuses on observable, trainable behaviors rather than fixed traits.
• Transformational Leadership: Aligns closely—encourages individualized support, motivation, and modeling values.
• Authentic Leadership: Shared focus on vulnerability, self-awareness, and value-driven behavior.
• Ethical Leadership: Inclusive leaders focus on equity, fairness, and dignity—moral imperatives that align with ethical leadership.
• Servant Leadership: High overlap—support, listening, humility, and empowerment are foundational.
• Systems Perspective: Leadership is not only interpersonal, but also about shaping structures and norms that scale inclusion.