As a senior leader, it’s your role to listen to your teams, internalize what is top of mind for them, and develop strategies to create a more inclusive organization. According to a survey conducted by the Harvard Business Review, “teams with inclusive leaders are 17% more likely to report that they are high performing, 20% more likely to say they make high-quality decisions, and 29% more likely to report behaving collaboratively.”

Diversity is a given, but inclusion is a choice. Inclusive leadership must be intentional to remain innovative and successful. In other words, it should be conscious. Conscious inclusion means deliberately cultivating systems and mindsets that produce both a positive working experience and equitable outcomes for all employees.

Let’s break that down.

When people have positive working experiences:

• They feel comfortable being themselves
• Their team and manager care about them as a person
• They can express their opinions freely, and
• Their input and ideas are valued.

Equitable outcomes means that, for example, people:

• Are fairly recognized for their accomplishments and potential
• Receive clear, regular feedback and input on their performance and goals
• Are evaluated consistently and fairly, and
• Have equitable opportunities for learning and growth.

There are three steps to begin working toward conscious inclusion in your organization: