Secure Leaders Demonstrate Inclusive Communication
By Michael J Griffin
5 minute read
We hear a lot about being inclusive today but I don’t read much about the skills that secure leaders employ to foster inclusivity. Let me be clear – inclusivity is about actively nurturing a team culture that is consistently trusting, transparent, and inspiring by respecting others – even when you may not agree. The secure leader is inclusive by communicating those diverse viewpoints, ideas, suggestions, and creativity are crucial for the team to be more productive. A diverse, trusting team is a team of winners.
I have been leading diverse teams for 45 years starting as a US Peace Corps volunteer in Malaysia and today having worked with over 80 ethnic groups across the world. I have made many stupid mistakes along the way but have learned there are attitudes and skills that every secure global leader must cultivate to be a secure and successful leader who gets results through “inclusive diversity.” Let’s summarize them here.
It starts in your mind.
Research by Dr Eduard Spranger confirmed that attitudes are learned and cluster into motivators or values that impel us to act – speak, fight, flee, collaborate, reject or explore. Our mind creates a “values” roadmap from the cultures we are immersed in on how we interact with others, solve problems, and get on with life. When you are confronted with people different from you, how do you react? Fear, judgment, disdain? Or with curiosity, respect, giving others the benefit of your possible doubt?
Action step: Read Dr Fon’s Trompenaars book “Riding the Waves of Culture” or get a summary of his Seven Dimensions of Culture from Google.
Limit your “Cognitive Load.”
BBC states “Cognitive Load Theory” (CLT) was first developed by the Australian educational psychologist John Sweller. Put simply, CLT characterises our minds as information processing systems. When we’re working on a problem, especially an unfamiliar one, we depend on our “working memory”, which is very limited both in its capacity and the length of time it holds information. The less familiar you are with a task (or relationship), the more you depend on your working memory (your values and experiences) to help juggle the relevant information.” In the global world of incessant information, we can be overwhelmed by the amount of information we must process each day. Too much “diverse information” can cause us to “fight or flee” putting up both mental and even physical barriers to those that are different from us. Algorithms that are built into the internet pages we read daily can feed and cement what we see and believe.
Action steps: Take a vacation/volunteer trip to a region or country different from where you live. Evaluate what daily news feeds you are receiving and eliminate those that may be prejudiced or fake news. Limit your cognitive load by reading information that grows you as a global leader. For more read this BBC article on CLT here
Improve your listening skills by assuming good intent.
When you find yourself in an unfamiliar situation or a new relationship, react by proactively listening. Remember nobody wakes up in the morning thinking how they are going to make your life difficult. Give others the benefit of the doubt and assume good intent. Then focus on what the person is saying: words, face, voice, and body language, not your rebuttal. You have two ears and only one mouth for a reason! Show it to your attention.
Action steps: Ask your spouse or close friend about how well you listen. If necessary, go to YouTube and view podcasts on listening.
Ask good questions.
Find out the what why and how of what others are saying. Be curious. Explore other points of view. Be humble and remember you are not the “expert of the universe.” You may find new ways to do things, a helpful relationship, or dispel a prejudice or incorrect assumption. Open questions work best. They build trust and collaboration: “Tell me more. What do you think? That’s interesting, can you elaborate? Why do you think that way? How do you see things?”
Action step: Read Dr Maxwell’s book “Good Leaders Ask Great Questions.”
Demonstrate secure, caring interest.
Combined with asking proactive listening and asking good questions is demonstrating interest and care. You best do this by intentionally moderating your face, voice, and body language to show you care. Dr Maxwell says “People don’t care how much you know until you show you care.” Do this by speaking with a pleasant tone, volume, and pace of voice. Do this by having a face that smiles as a host who welcomes. Do this with body language that signals interest and not defensiveness.
Action step: Be aware and proactively signal positive voice and body language when in diverse situations. A good “host” shows it! Read Dr Tim Elmore’s Habitudes “The Art of Connecting to Others.” There is also a video.
Learn to adapt your communication style.
DISC communication alerts us that each us of has a default communication style that we use when under no stress or a lot of stress. Being aware of and appreciating different styles of communicating can help us put aside defensiveness and possible prejudice. Learn your default style, begin to recognize other styles and adapt your style to serve others.
Action step: Contact me for your free DISC Communication Style Profile and a virtual consultation on communicating with inclusivity. See my email below.
If you want to find out more on how ELAvate helps leaders communicate across diversity for inclusivity, contact me at michael.griffin@elavateglobal.com
Have a great week becoming the secure inclusive leader you can be!
Michael J Griffin
Founder ELAvate
Diversity through Inclusivity Trainer
THT Cross-Cultural Consultant