Fostering a Culture of Inclusive Leadership Urged
The CEO of Leadership Fiji, Sharyne Fong, has urged businesses and companies to adopt an inclusive leadership style. She emphasized on embracing diversity and inclusivity, as it strengthens the decision-making process and can give the organization a competitive advantage.
Inclusive Leadership Values
Fong clarified that inclusive leadership means ensuring that all employees have a voice and that their views and ideas are recognized and valued. This leadership style encourages an environment where everyone feels a sense of belonging, and their unique skills, knowledge, and experiences are leveraged.
The Role of Leadership Fiji
As an organization, Leadership Fiji is committed to nurturing leaders who possess inclusive values. Through its various programs, it endeavors to enlighten participants about the importance of leading with empathy, understanding, and an appreciation for diversity.
Embracing Diversity
Fong accentuated that valuing diversity not only promotes a positive work culture but also drives innovation. Multiple views arising from different backgrounds lead to better decisions making and thus, improves the overall performance of an organization.
Advocating for Inclusive Leadership
Inclusive leadership is also the focus of the Centre for Creative Leadership (CCL), a renowned institution based in the US. CCL underlines that such leadership style signifies that leaders are supposed to appreciate the uniqueness of their followers and adjust accordingly to leverage their capabilities.
Advocates for inclusive leadership argue that such approach gives room for diverse thought, creativity, and makes employees feel respected and involved, contributing to an engaging and productive work environment.
Overcoming Unconscious Bias
However, the road to building an inclusive leadership culture isn’t without obstructions. One of those significant challenges are unconscious biases. These inherent or learnt prejudices often impede the process of inclusivity. To overcome this, Fong recommends training and open conversations, which can help individuals understand and address their unconscious biases better.
Embracing Inclusive Leadership for Organizational Prosperity
Fong concluded by encouraging all organizational leaders to embrace an inclusive leadership style. She stressed that organizations that successfully foster an inclusive culture stand to gain significant benefits in today’s globally competitive landscape. Such benefits include improved team collaboration and increased innovation, which translate into overall organizational success and prosperity.
Source: https://www.fijitimes.com.fj/embrace-inclusive-leadership-culture/