WHITEPAPER: Developing Inclusive Leaders

by: Summit Leadership Partners March 13, 2023

Business leaders today are under increasing pressure to manage employees who represent a variety of different generations, genders and cultures to find the best ways to bring diverse perspectives together to create common goals, innovations and better work environments for all employees. With more women entering and staying in the workforce, as well as earning Master’s and Doctoral degrees at a higher rate than men, including their diverse perspectives in the workforce is no longer optional but imperative for the survival of a business.

At Summit, we believe that we must first prepare our leaders to be inclusive first, then hire diverse talent. Our inaugural 2023 Global DEIB Report, “Developing Inclusive Leaders,” co-produced with our partner, Signature leaders, provides new insights into the critical development phases leaders go through in their careers during their journey to becoming more inclusive leaders, and gives actionable steps that can guide them as they progress. Our survey gathered responses from a global group of female leaders to provide their unique perspective on how they think leaders should be developed to lead inclusively as well as provides their experiences in exclusion within the workplace.

Highlights from the Summit Leadership Partners and Signature Leaders 2023 Global DEIB Report, include:

• Inclusive Leaders Benefited from Similar Experiences such as traveling for extended periods within different cultures, connecting with minority and diverse groups around whom they may not generally interact, recognizing biases and assumptions, and participating in cross-organization initiatives.
• Respondents Shared Incidents that Led to Feeling Excluded such as working in male-dominated teams or industries, not being taken seriously, and the results of speaking out when the exclusion is occurring.
• Despite DEIB Benefits, Companies Share Common Barriers to Inclusion such as specific experiences of exclusionary actions by men, a lack of diverse representation, and a common resistance to change.

Download the 2023 Global DEIB Report to find out how to coach and develop inclusive leaders to retain employees and create an inclusive workplace environment for all.

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