Welcome back. In this lesson, we will explore one of six signature traits of inclusive leadership commitment. As I explained in another lesson, researchers who conducted a global study found that highly inclusive leaders demonstrate six signature traits. Those traits are commitment, courage, cognizance of bias, curiosity, cultural intelligence, and collaboration. The project covered a wide variety of organizations, and included results of surveys and interviews with employees about their relationships with leaders. In a report about that project, researchers Bernadette Dylan and Juliette Bork discuss attitudes and behaviors associated with each trait. In the following six lessons, I will refer to their findings, plus information from various other sources to describe each trait. I will connect each trait to our definition of inclusive leadership. That is, processes of social influence that strives to value and respect everyone involved in achieving a goal. Let's dive into commitment. When I say the word commitment, what do you think about? A dictionary definition of commitment is the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc. Successfully cultivating diversity and inclusion in the workplace depends greatly on commitment from its leaders. A diversity consulting group surveyed over 16,000 people in 14 countries to identify effective diversity and inclusion measures. They found that lack of commitment from leadership was a key obstacle to success. Employees want leaders to do more than just say they are dedicated to diversity and inclusion. They want to see actions. Here's an example of commitment in action. PepsiCo, Australia and New Zealand, A&Z established a flex program to allow employees to adjust their work schedules. Initial adoption of the program was low. One reason for limited participation may have been the perception that only mothers with young children should enroll. And some women did not participate because they feared that their path to leadership would be blocked. The company implemented a project called One Simple Thing for Managers to Learn Each Employee's Top Priority for a Flexible and Sustainable Work-Life Balance. Based on their findings, they designed a reason neutral program that is not limited to women, or only one situation. As a result, mothers and fathers may opt to come in late after dropping off their children at daycare, or school, or to leave early to pick them up. Or an avid surfer may take time off to hit the waves. Notice how this example corresponds with our definition of inclusion by considering the needs of members of non-dominant and dominant groups. PepsiCo A&Z encourages senior leaders to be visible role models for flexible ways of working. They created an initiative that tells leaders to leave loudly. That is, to make it known when they dip artwork for personal reasons. The company credits this approach as one reason the program has become successful. Highly inclusive leaders are committed to cultivating diversity and inclusion, because, a, that commitment aligns with their personal values, and b, they understand its potential benefits to their organization. They realized that focusing on diversity and inclusion can give their organization an advantage over their competitors. Highly inclusive leaders understand the benefits of inclusion that I described in another lesson, in terms of personal values. Highly inclusive leaders tend to have a deep sense of fairness. They want to treat others equitably. PepsiCo A&Zs flex program became more successful after its leaders considered, and then communicated their understanding that employees have different needs. They did not take a one size fits all approach. Highly inclusive leaders visibly demonstrate their commitment in many ways. First and foremost, they consistently show that they take personal responsibility for making their workplace more inclusive. They try to treat everyone fairly and respectfully. They strive to understand individuals uniqueness. They work to help everyone feel connected and valued. They solicit input and feedback, focusing inclusively on members of non-dominant groups. They incorporate their findings into policies and processes. They adapt work processes to meet employees needs, and they are transparent. They let others know what they're doing and why. PepsiCo A&Zs leadership applied many of these actions to enhance their flex program. Ways that highly inclusive leaders illustrate their commitment based on achieving organizational goals include they treat diversity and inclusion as a top priority. This point is stressed in many articles about diversity and inclusion. These sources often advise leaders to approach diversity and inclusion like they do other important priorities, such as increasing their client customer base, and using technology effectively. Highly inclusive leaders use processes such as developing and implementing a strategic plan, including accountability and assessment methods. Collecting and analyzing information and data from various sources, and building a clear case based on their organizations mission. Diversity and inclusion is one of PepsiCo A&Zs strategic priorities. They state on their website we believe that an inclusive culture that recognizes and values the unique attributes and experiences of every employee is critical to the sustainable growth of our business. To achieve this priority, they develop work life quality initiatives such as their flex program. Highly inclusive leaders frequently and consistently state their commitment to diversity and inclusion. To quote Marsha Page, co-founder of a leading global alternative investment group, you need leadership to walk the talk, and make clear that diversity is a business imperative, and not an HR, or human resources initiative. Page advised leaders to always know that your people will immediately see inconsistencies between messages and behaviors. Similar to how leaders in general addressed top priorities, highly inclusive leaders allocate a variety of resources to diversity and inclusion. In addition to money, these resources include leaders time and energy. For example, leaders participate in professional development along with other employees. They talk about what they learned, and how they are applying what they learned. They take time to know their employees. They serve as mentors and sponsors. One final point, highly inclusive leaders realize that their efforts, and therefore, their commitment must be ongoing. An article about Lessons Learned from Five Global Companies cautions readers, learning to leverage global workplace diversity is far from simple, and learning to manage, maintain, and measure your efforts will take time. To conclude, commitment is one of six signature traits of highly inclusive leaders for inclusive leaders. Commitment aligns with their personal values, even the business case for diversity. The good news is that along with the other traits, commitment can be cultivated. Please note though that commitment is critical. Without it, leaders cannot fully develop the other five traits. In other modules, I will provide practical guidance for how to work on all of the traits to become a highly inclusive leader. Next, I will describe the inclusive signature trait courage.
