Every day, it’s becoming more challenging to foster a culture of inclusion and create spaces where everyone’s views can be spoken. Polarization around nationality, color, religion, sexual orientation, and political views is becoming a burden. We are scared to touch this or that topic, to be perceived in this or that way, not to step on anyone’s toes, not to upset anyone, not to be perceived from this side or that side. We want to be safe from all that.
The challenge is that when people try to be ‘safe’ in this way, people become so careful and guarded that conversation becomes unsafe. In her new book, Stumbling Towards Inclusion: Finding Grace in Imperfect Leadership, our colleague Priya Nalkur writes: “The middle-aged white guy doesn’t feel qualified to speak about racism. The young Black woman doesn’t want to sabotage her career by being seen as ‘the angry Black woman’ or as constantly ‘playing the race card…’” So we start filtering ourselves, which only contributes to increasing the sense of unsafety.
We may try to avoid talking about certain issues at work, but it often backfires. Our feelings are just beneath the surface and affect the way we perceive, hear, and make stories about situations. Our sensitivities become a lens through which we see the world.
Creating an Inclusive Workplace: The Role of Leaders
What is our role as leaders in charged environments in which people are afraid to voice what is important? Priya explains: “You as a leader have to make it safe for them to not play it safe. The best way you can do that is by modeling fearlessness, authenticity, and vulnerability.” But there is a challenge in this practice: When you are authentic and speak fearlessly, you will be vulnerable. The things you say could provoke emotions. You will likely find yourself in some tense moments. After all, when you speak the very things people have been trying so hard not to say, it causes instability. However, “those challenging moments are not obstacles in your inclusive journey. That’s leadership!” explains Priya.
Inclusive Leadership and Deep Democracy
It might seem daunting to become an inclusive leader. Priya found her way with Lewis Deep Democracy, which she encountered years ago, and which profoundly informs her DEI practices. Priya explains what makes it so unique and valuable: “At the heart of Deep Democracy is the mindset that—in the right context, with the right leadership—tension is a good thing. The Lewis Method calls for leaning into tension, and leaning into it hard, rather than shying away from it or trying to smooth it over or tamp it down… If as a group you dig deeply and fearlessly enough, you
will find gold.”
How does Lewis Deep Democracy help you dig for gold? It helps you see early signs that the real issues are not being raised. It provides methods of surfacing those issues in ways that are productive rather than destructive. It offers tools to ‘lower the waterline’ and help bring ‘the unspeakable’ to the group consciousness. It helps shift perspectives from convincing those who disagree to seeing differences as opportunities to expand perspectives and make wiser, more inclusive decisions.
Inclusive leadership is about tapping the potential of the system. It serves leaders with smarter decisions by tapping the collective intelligence. It serves team members where they feel heard with an increased sense of belonging. Organizations becomes smarter, more collaborative and creative. And Lewis Deep Democracy offers a profound perspective with practical tools to walk this challenging and very promising path of inclusion.
To learn more about Deep Democracy: https://deepdemocracyusa.com
To attend our next Foundations of Deep Democracy training: Deep Democracy Foundations April 2024
To read the chapter on Deep Democracy in Stumbling Toward Inclusion: Stumbling Towards Inclusion on Deep Democracy – Nalkur
