A manager notices that the same few people speak in every meeting. Inclusive leadership behaviors, such as seeking out different viewpoints and checking one’s own biases, are what shift that pattern.
The checklist below treats each behavior as something colleagues can actually observe. Each item has a before-and-after contrast and a note on what training can and cannot change. The topic sits inside the wider question of how leadership affects workplace culture.
- Recognise your own biases and act to reduce their effect.
- Seek out different viewpoints and share the floor.
- Make speaking up safe so diverse ideas surface.
- Hold courageous conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion.
- Adapt to individual needs so everyone can participate fully.
- Stay accountable with goals, reviews and gap-closing.
What inclusive leadership means
Inclusive leadership is a management approach that promotes and encourages diversity, equality and inclusion within an organisation, according to Simpplr’s leadership guide. The same guide says any leader can be an inclusive leader, so it is not tied to one personality or style. The Institute for Government and Public Policy (IGPP) frames the goal as a culture where everyone feels they belong and can participate fully.
Deloitte research by Juliet Bourke, as described by Boston University Questrom, sets out six key attributes of inclusive leaders. Those attributes are the traits. One of them, cognisance of bias, means being aware of one’s own biases and working to mitigate them. Traits describe how a leader is inclined to think. Behaviors are what a colleague can see and hear: who gets asked, who gets interrupted, what gets measured.
That difference decides how to use the list that follows. A trait cannot be checked from the outside, but a behavior can. Each section below therefore names the observable action first.
Recognising your own biases
Inclusive leaders recognise their own biases and privileges, as Simpplr puts it, and IGPP adds that they actively work to mitigate them. This is the unconscious bias strand of inclusive leadership, and it matters because systemic unconscious biases can undermine employee engagement across a company.
- Before: A manager hands the most visible project to the person who is most like them, and calls it instinct.
- After: The manager notes why each person was or was not considered, then checks whether those reasons would hold for every candidate.
- What training can and cannot change: Training can raise awareness of bias. It cannot decide the next assignment. The visible behavior is the written reasoning and the changed decision.
This behavior suits leaders who make staffing, promotion or workload calls. It is least visible when done well, so pair it with the openness described next.
Seeking different viewpoints and sharing the floor
Inclusive leaders actively seek out and consider different viewpoints, ensuring that all voices are heard, as IGPP describes. The operative word is actively. Waiting for people to volunteer favours whoever is already comfortable speaking.
- Before: The leader asks “any thoughts?”, takes the first answer and moves on.
- After: The leader asks a quieter colleague directly, rotates who runs the meeting, and asks for written input from anyone who prefers it.
- What training can and cannot change: Training can introduce techniques. Only repeated use turns them into a habit people notice.
A rotating facilitation schedule is a practical way to share both voice and opportunity. It suits teams where a few people dominate discussion. If one person is regularly overlooked, a one-to-one conversation about how they prefer to contribute is a better first step than a general rule.
Making it safe to speak up
When people feel emotionally safe sharing diverse ideas and perspectives in open, honest interactions, the status quo becomes easier to challenge, according to Simpplr. Psychological safety is therefore the condition that lets the previous behavior work. Asking for views achieves little if colleagues expect a poor reception.
The detail of building that condition is covered in how leaders create psychological safety. For this checklist, the observable test is the leader’s reaction to an unwelcome idea.
- Before: A colleague raises a concern and the leader responds with defensiveness or a quick rebuttal.
- After: The leader thanks the person, asks a follow-up question and says what will happen with the concern.
- What training can and cannot change: A session can model better responses. It cannot rebuild trust that earlier reactions have worn down; that comes from consistent responses over time.
Holding courageous conversations
Inclusive leaders are comfortable having difficult conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion, per Simpplr. The behavior is raising a topic, or responding when someone else raises it, instead of steering away from it.
- Before: A colleague mentions that a comment in a meeting felt exclusionary, and the leader changes the subject to keep things comfortable.
- After: The leader acknowledges the concern, asks what happened from the colleague’s side, and follows up privately with the person who made the comment.
- What training can and cannot change: Role-play can reduce the discomfort of starting such a conversation. It cannot guarantee the leader will start one when the moment arrives.
This behavior suits leaders who already have some trust with their team. Where conduct has become harmful rather than merely awkward, the pattern may belong with the toxic leadership behaviors that inclusive habits are meant to replace.
Adapting to individual needs
If inclusive leadership aims for everyone to feel they belong and participate fully, as IGPP states, then a single default way of working will sometimes fall short. Adapting means noticing where the default shuts someone out and adjusting the arrangement rather than the person.
- Before: Every request for a different working pattern is treated as a favour, handled case by case with no explanation.
- After: The leader asks what would help the person contribute fully, agrees an arrangement, and schedules a review of how it is working.
- What training can and cannot change: Training can prompt the right questions. The arrangement itself depends on what the role and the organisation allow, so the leader needs to be honest about limits.
Staying accountable for inclusion
Inclusive leaders hold themselves and their teams accountable for promoting diversity, equity and inclusion. Simpplr describes this as setting clear goals, regularly evaluating progress and addressing gaps. Without it, the other behaviors depend on goodwill alone.
- Before: Inclusion is mentioned in a team statement and never reviewed.
- After: The leader sets a stated goal, puts progress on a regular agenda, and names what will change when a gap appears.
- What training can and cannot change: Training can explain why accountability matters. It cannot supply the review rhythm, which the leader has to build into normal management routines.
Effects on belonging and team performance
The supported link runs through belonging and engagement. IGPP notes that when employees feel included and valued, their engagement and motivation increase, and that diverse teams are more innovative. On the other side, Simpplr warns that unconscious biases rooted in organisational culture can undermine engagement.
The practical reading is cautious. Inclusive behaviors support belonging, and belonging supports engagement. Treating any single behavior as a guaranteed performance lever goes further than these sources do. The reliable gain is a team where more people contribute.
Inclusive leadership training: coverage and limits
Training on diversity, equity and inclusion helps raise awareness and build skills for inclusive behaviour, according to IGPP. For leaders, that usually means building awareness of bias first and then practising the behaviors on this list.
Choose training that includes practice, not only information. Awareness explains why a behavior matters, while practice shows whether a leader can actually do it under pressure. After a session, the test is whether colleagues see a change, such as different people being asked, or concerns being followed up. A certificate does not show that. Training also leaves some things untouched: it cannot set the team’s goals, fix a policy that excludes people, or replace the follow-through described under accountability.
A self-check for managers
A manager can judge whether their behaviors are inclusive by asking what colleagues would observe, rather than what the manager intends. Work through these questions in order and note the honest answers.
- Name the last decision where bias could have shaped the outcome, and write down the reasons used.
- List who spoke in your last team meeting, then who did not, and decide how you will invite the others.
- Recall the last unwelcome idea raised with you, and check how you responded.
- Identify a difficult inclusion topic you have avoided, and plan the first conversation.
- Ask each direct report what would help them participate fully, and record any adjustment agreed.
- Confirm that a goal, a review date and a named gap-closing step exist.
Where the answers show gaps, start with the earliest unanswered item. Bias awareness comes first because the later behaviors rely on it.
Frequently asked questions
Is inclusive leadership a specific leadership style?
No. According to Simpplr, any leader can be an inclusive leader, so the behaviors can be added to whatever style a manager already uses.
What is the difference between inclusive leadership traits and skills?
Traits are attributes, such as the awareness of bias in Deloitte’s framework. Skills are practised abilities, such as inviting views or holding difficult conversations, which training can help build.
Why pair diversity initiatives with leadership training?
Simpplr says diversity initiatives need to be paired with inclusive leadership training so that business leaders are prepared to manage diverse teams.
