6 traits you can develop to become an inclusive leader

Over the years, I have done a lot of reading around how to be an inclusive leader which I try to put in to practice on a daily basis. So I wanted to share with you some of the interesting things that I've learned along the way..

I personally believe that you can have really high intelligence quotient (IQ) and not be successful, inspiring or an inclusive leader. What I believe is that if you use your IQ, train your Emotional quotient (EQ) and build your cultural awareness it can be your secret sauce to becoming and inclusive leader.

Emotional quotient (EQ) also known as Emotional intelligence (EI) is the capability of individuals to recognize their own emotions and those of others, discern between different feelings and label them appropriately, use emotional information to guide thinking and behaviour, and manage emotions and adapt to different environments.

An example of this can be seen by incredible leader Indra Nooyi (CEO of PepsiCo) who believes that loyalty and gratitude is the way of building an empowered and inclusive culture. She said that “You need to look at the employee and say, I value you as a person. I know that you have a life beyond PepsiCo, and I’m going to respect you for your entire life, not just treat you as employee number 4,567".

So what are 6 traits of an inclusive leader?

1. Cognizance: Highly inclusive leaders are mindful of personal and organisational blind spots, and self-regulate to help ensure "fair play"

2. Courage: Highly Inclusive leaders speak up and challenge the status quo, and they are humble about their strengths and weaknesses

3. Commitment: Highly inclusive leaders are committed to diversity and inclusion because these objectives align with their personal values and because they believe in the business case

4. Curiosity: Highly inclusive leaders have an open mindset, a desire to understand how others view and experience the world, and a tolerance for ambiguity

5. Cultural Intelligence: Highly inclusive leaders are confident and effective in cross-cultural interactions

6. Collaboration: Highly inclusive leaders empower individuals as well as create and leverage the thinking of diverse groups

Always think EQ as your superpower, never forget the 6 C's and always change things up to become a better leader!