Practical Insights for Embedding Inclusion Across Your Organisation

As someone deeply involved in fostering equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) within organisations, you are likely familiar with the foundational principles. However, the challenge often lies not in understanding these principles, but in executing them within the unique and complex frameworks of our workplaces. In a recent webinar I delivered, I explored these familiar concepts from a fresh perspective—how shifting to an equity mindset can unlock deeper levels of fairness, innovation, and performance within organisations.

1. Equity vs. Equality: The Foundation of Inclusive Leadership

One of the most common issues I see when working with senior leaders is the confusion between equity and equality. Many leaders still default to equality—treating everyone the same—because it feels intuitively fair. However, this mindset overlooks the structural and individual barriers that people face. To build an equitable workplace, we need to tailor our support to the needs of different employees, recognising that the playing field is uneven.

In the webinar, we used the familiar visual metaphor of three individuals standing on boxes of different heights trying to watch a game of football (pictured below). Rather than giving everyone the same box, an equitable approach ensures that each person has the specific support they need—whether it’s an extra box or a ramp—to fully participate. This practical approach to equity is a fundamental shift that many leaders need to make, moving beyond equality towards individualised support to foster real fairness.

One attendee in our discussions, raised a compelling point around gender diversity in the workplace, noting that women still face systemic barriers, particularly in leadership. Although women may make up 50% of the population, they only represent 27% of senior leadership roles. Her insights reinforced the need to go beyond diversity numbers and truly address the inequities embedded in our systems—from rigid parental leave policies to unequal distribution of unpaid work.

2. Psychological Safety: Moving from Safe to Brave Spaces

Amy Edmondson’s work on psychological safety is a game-changer for teams. It allows individuals to express themselves without fear of repercussions, fostering creativity and collaboration. However, in practice, many leaders I work with struggle to implement it effectively. It’s easy to talk about creating safe spaces, but brave spaces—where difficult, uncomfortable conversations can take place—are the real hallmark of inclusive leadership. Brene Brown’s work on vulnerability is essential here: leaders must not only create environments where others feel safe but must also model openness and candour themselves.

Another attendee highlighted how psychological safety is often spoken about in theory but not implemented. This is a crucial point. We can educate leaders about creating psychological safety, but without the courage to engage in difficult conversations, organisations won’t see lasting change.

3. Bias in Decision-Making: A Behavioural Approach

One of the key topics we delved into during the session was decision-making bias. The NeuroLeadership Institute’s SEEDS model (similarity, expedience, experience, distance, and safety biases) is a framework that helps leaders recognise and mitigate unconscious bias at the point of decision-making. This model is particularly effective because it reframes bias as a challenge in decision-making, rather than focusing on bias towards specific groups. 

An attendees observation about decision-making bias in gender representation in senior roles illustrates how deeply embedded these biases are. For example, proximity to decision-makers often unfairly influences promotions, as research shows that employees sitting close to their CEO are more likely to be promoted. Addressing this type of distance bias requires not only awareness but also the restructuring of opportunities to ensure fair representation.

4. Privilege: Understanding Earned and Unearned Advantages

Privilege is an area that can make leaders feel uncomfortable, especially when discussing it in terms of their own experiences. I find that framing privilege through the lens of earned and unearned dis/advantages helps leaders approach the subject more openly. As I shared in the webinar, privilege isn’t about denying that individuals work hard for their achievements. Instead, it’s about recognising that some people have had unearned advantages that others haven’t. 

In my own life, I’ve experienced both privilege and barriers as a disabled person. While I had access to free healthcare through the NHS, allowing me to lead an independent life, not all disabled people worldwide have this advantage. Understanding privilege helps leaders think about how they can ‘pay it forward’ by using their influence to support those without the same access to opportunities.

5. Inclusive Leadership Behaviours: The Six Key Domains

Leaders who want to create an inclusive culture must develop six key behaviours: empathy, relationship building, learning orientation, open-mindedness, composure, and flexibility. Each of these behaviours can be measured and improved. For example, empathy—the ability to truly understand another person’s experience—isn’t about feeling sorry for someone. It’s about creating space for people to express themselves and showing genuine interest in understanding their challenges. 

In the webinar, we explored the Talogy Perceptions framework, which links these six behaviours to inclusive leadership. One of the attendees raised an interesting point about composure, reflecting on her own leadership style and how, as a composed person, a rare display of frustration can be met with heightened reactions from others. This is a valuable reminder that being too composed can sometimes come across as disengaged or uncaring, emphasising the need to balance this behaviour in leadership roles.

6. Bold Leadership: Challenging the Status Quo

One of the most important qualities of an inclusive leader is the willingness to challenge the status quo. This means addressing not just visible inequities but the hidden power dynamics that perpetuate exclusion. In the webinar, we explored Patricia Hill Collins’ Social Domination Matrix, which identifies four power dynamics at play in organisations: structural, disciplinary, interpersonal, and hegemonic power. By understanding these dynamics, leaders can challenge them, ensuring that inequities don’t go unchallenged in policies, procedures, and workplace culture.

One of our attendees raised a great point about the resistance to change, especially when leaders acknowledge psychological safety or privilege but fail to implement changes. To counter this, I shared a three-part model for understanding resistance: “I don’t get it,” “I don’t like it,” and “I don’t like you (i.e. trusting the messenger).” Recognising these resistance points can help leaders identify where they need to focus their efforts to make change stick.

Final Thoughts

This webinar was a rich exchange of ideas, where the attendees and I were able to reflect on how equity leadership is not just about understanding the principles, but about challenging ourselves to act on them consistently. Whether it’s fostering psychological safety, addressing bias in decision-making, or confronting privilege, inclusive leadership requires both courage and a commitment to continuous learning.

As you reflect on your own leadership journey, ask yourself: What bold steps are you taking to challenge the status quo and embed equity in your organisation?