Are you an inclusive leader?

Big thank you to Management School of The University of Waikato for hosting me yesterday. My keynote was focused on inspiring the future business students to take the lead in their future career and businesses. I believe coaching as an inclusive leadership style is what the world needs more of.  Below are 5 core skills to start with. We will explore inclusive leadership more in the coming weeks.

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Let’s face it; it takes a great deal of work to be a leader. I’m not just talking about the hard work you do every day in the business world, but the work you do on developing yourself.

An inclusive leader demonstrates a set of skills, attitudes and behaviors which can be both natural and learned. Congratulations to those of you who were born with some of these. For the rest of us, we have to work at developing some of them as we grow into our leadership styles.

The list is long, so I’ll touch on the following five for today’s post.

Communicate

Communication is more than just the words that come out of your mouth. As a leader you must listen…a lot! Ask yourself, “Do I easily understand the needs of others?” If you are unsure, start asking more questions and consider all options. You just might discover that your leadership ability is closely connected to how well you communicate.

Delegate

We may be the superheroes of our industry, but there aren’t enough hours in the day to accomplish everything. Let go of the, “If I want something done right I should just do it myself,” mentality. Everyone around you has a particular set of talents. Learn what others are skilled at and use it to your advantage.

Be creative

Sometimes the answer is not directly in front of your face. Sometimes you’ll have to think outside the box, using every resource available, even less common ones. Perhaps you may even turn to your team for guidance, and they will learn from example.

Be a coach

Inclusive leaders will rise to the challenge of coaching versus a command and control style of leading. This allows creativity and innovation to flow. Whether you are in government, corporate, community, study, business or leading the way for your family to thrive, we need to listen more and ask open questions to allow people to find their way. It’s an art and a skill set for life. Watch this space for our new coaching programme launch in November.

Be confident

Not everything goes according to plan. You’re going to get stressed. You’re going to worry. It’s important not to panic. Keep up that “can do” attitude, and show your team that you’re confident. They’ll take cues from you, and your positivity will keep everyone moving ahead.

Inclusive leadership takes practice. And by effectively communicating, delegating tasks, being creative, confident and being a coach you’ll be starting off well. Together you’ll work as a united, unstoppable force.


1 Comment

  • Leonel Gilden

    Reply Reply 28 July 2016

    I really like your writing style, great information and facts, thanks for placing up : D.

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