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Are You an Inclusive Leader?

February 11, 2020

1. A team member isn’t sure how to tackle a project and asks for your advice. You say:

“Tell me some of the solutions you had in mind.”

“I’d do it this way.”

“There’s no one way to do this, but here are some approaches that have worked in the past.”

2. Your manager gives you a new project, and it’s not clear how you should approach it. You:

Brainstorm on your own and tell your team what you’ve decided.

Encourage team members to come up with new ideas.

Brainstorm on your own and ask your team which approach they prefer.

3. You’ve asked your team members to complete a new long-term project with many moving parts and deadlines. To make sure the job gets done, you:

Create a timeline of deliverables and tell team members to check in with you twice a week to assess their progress.

Request that team members deliver a timeline with specific, measurable goals and a strategy for how they will get you updates and discussion in a timely manner.

Ask team members to create the list of deliverables and check in with them regularly.

4. How do you generally approach the annual review process with your team?

There won’t be any surprises. Each team member knows exactly what’s expected of them, and you’ve held weekly one-on-one meetings all year long so employees can check in and address successes and challenges.

You hope it goes smoothly—after all, you’ve explained your expectations and held periodic check-ins throughout the year.

Yikes! Review time is here already? You work to gather up goals for each team member—stat!

5. A member of your team comes up with a unique idea for a project that she’s really excited about but that has never been tried before. You think it’s promising, but it goes outside of what works around here and you think the higher-ups will be critical of this approach. You:

Tell your team member she can get started on it, but you may have to pull the plug.

Shoot her down. You’d rather not stick your neck out for something that may not turn out perfectly.

Tell your team member to go ahead. Have her keep you in the loop and work with her to craft a compelling argument in favor of her project in case you encounter pushback.

6. You’ve recommended one of your team members for a managerial position, even though they’ve never supervised anyone before. Your boss would rather bring in someone they know well from outside the organization. You:

Don’t push it, figuring your boss will have the last word anyway.

Actively advocate for your team member by providing your boss with tangible examples of what they have accomplished and explaining how they can help the organization going forward.

Arrange for your team member to be interviewed and hope management will be impressed enough to give them a chance.

7. A project you spearheaded was not as successful as you had hoped, and your boss points this out in a departmental meeting. How do you react?

Acknowledge that it didn’t work, saying you don’t understand why—it seemed like such a good idea.

Admit it didn’t work, and work with your team to find out what could have been done differently.

Share that it was due to factors out of your control.

8. Everyone’s talking about your team’s great presentation. When colleagues congratulate you, you say:

“Thanks, I appreciate that!”

“I can’t take all the credit—our team worked hard to make it happen and I’m really proud of all involved.”

“My team put in a lot of effort.”

9. You are on the team interviewing for a new important position at your company, one that you’ve struggled to fill. Reflecting on the slate of candidates you’ve interviewed so far, you realize that most of them are white. How do you react?

You’ve interviewed several candidates and the job needs to be filled ASAP, so you recommend the best person out of those you’ve interviewed.

You tell the hiring team that it would be better to have a more diverse slate, but it’s been difficult to find the right candidate, so you proceed with hiring anyway. At least you tried!

You tell the hiring team that you will not make a recommendation until at least two of the interview candidates are people of color. You recommend that HR reaches out to more diverse sources in their recruiting.

10. You hear several team members laughing after one of them makes a joke about another team member that stereotypes their ethnicity. You:

Let them know that the joke wasn’t funny and that it is out of line with your company’s values—and that you expect everyone will check their behaviors as well.

Let them have their fun—it’s nothing serious.

Change the conversation topic to something else.

11. In a group meeting, most of the team agrees on a new approach to your project, but one team member hasn’t said anything. You:

Assume that if that person had any concerns, they would say so, and move to make a decision.

Ask the team member for their thoughts on the matter, expressing that you’re interested even and especially if they disagree with others. If that person still does not say much, connect with them later one-on-one to ensure they feel safe to speak up, and to understand why if they do not.

Take a vote on the decision to compel the team member to either raise their hand in support or not.

12. You always thought that your team members all felt valued, but you’ve heard through the grapevine that a few people may not. You:

Ask your team members to one-on-one coffee breaks (in person or virtual) and inquire about their experiences on their team. Ask questions to learn and understand and use what people share with you to change your behavior leading future team activities.

Proceed as normal. If it’s only a few people, they’re outliers.

Reach out to the person you feel most comfortable with to reflect on why some people might not feel valued. Is there something you could be doing differently?

Are You an Inclusive Leader?

Room to Improve.

Cropped shot of a businesswoman making notes at her desk in a modern office.

Your score indicates there are some areas for improvement. Focus on both leading outward and leading inward by taking small steps daily to learn from others who may be different from you or to show you value your colleagues’ contributions. Keep notes on your progress. You’ll benefit too! For example, lead outward by holding people accountable. Check in regularly and reevaluate goals as situations change. Lead inward by showing curiosity to learn from those around you, particularly those with differing views and experiences. Read our report and infographic for more tips and tools to help you become a more inclusive leader.

Challenge Yourself More.

You’re on the right track, but you still have some blind spots worth paying attention to. Challenge yourself to do one thing outside of your comfort zone. Focus on self-reflection and actively seeking feedback from those you trust (and those with whom you may be uncomfortable). Encourage team members to do the same. For example, lead outward by being an ally and amplifying the voices of underrepresented or marginalized groups. Lead inward by showing humility. Seek feedback and encourage team members to tell you the truth. Read our report and infographic for more tips and tools to help you become a more inclusive leader.

Great Job! Keep Going.

Congratulations! You’re working toward creating an inclusive culture, in which employees experience being in an atmosphere where they can belong, contribute, and thrive. Keep practicing leading outward and leading inward each and every day! For example, lead outward by encouraging ownership. Share the broader purpose and context of the work, creating a clear line of sight. Allow people to identify and solve their own problems. Lead inward by acting with courage. Create a one-day leadership challenge for you and team members where you pinpoint one thing you each can do differently. Track and discuss missteps and progress. Read our report and infographic for more tips and tools to help you become a more inclusive leader.