Inclusive Leadership: The Power of Workplace Diversity

Do you want to promote diversity and inclusion? This course will empower and equip you to develop inclusive cultures where everyone feels valued and respected. You will learn how highly inclusive leaders from around the world use processes of social influence to interact effectively with individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds. You will deepen your understanding of the benefits of diversity. And, you will explore a wealth of perspectives and practices to help you to reap those benefits. This course is for current or aspiring leaders in ANY type of workplace, in ANY leadership role - a CEO of a corporation, a head of a department, a manager of a workgroup, a team leader, a chair of a committee, you name it! Course highlights include studying signature traits of inclusive leadership (based on global research), strengthening self-awareness, developing your communication skills, and improving your ability to help others feel a strong sense of belonging. Course content covers traditional and timely topics -- from listening, feedback, and collaboration, to privilege, implicit bias, microaggressions, and micro-affirmations. The instructor for this course is nationally recognized educator, leader, and public speaker, Dr. Brenda J. Allen (Communication Professor Emerita). Dr. Allen is a retired Chief Diversity Officer who offers highly-rated workshops, consultations, and presentations on topics such as inclusive leadership, racial equity, strategic planning, respect in the workplace, and diversity recruitment/retention practices. She has a proven ability for explaining complex and sensitive topics in non-threatening ways. She clearly explains concepts and offers compelling real-life examples - including her own experiences.

• Inclusion Matters
• This module provides perspectives on inclusion. We will explore the meanings of inclusion and why inclusion is important for promoting workplace diversity. The lessons will provide a foundation for becoming a highly inclusive leader. The first lesson defines inclusion. The second and third lessons describe and give examples of four factors of inclusion (belonging, uniqueness, equity, and non-discrimination). The fourth lesson discusses diversity in the workplace. It also explains how organizations benefit from inclusion. And it clarifies the relationship between inclusion and diversity. The module concludes with a Spotlight on The Workplace (Lesson 5). The Resources section of our course has: 1. A glossary of key concepts from this module 2. A Next Steps list to help you apply what you've learned in each module 3. An Inclusive Leadership Self-Assessment, and other materials to enhance your learning. Please check the Resources section regularly because I will periodically add and update materials.
• Inclusive Leadership Matters
• In this module, you will learn perspectives on inclusive leadership. The first lesson reviews traditional theories of leadership and offers the definition of leadership that we will use in our course. The second lesson explains how we define inclusive leadership. The next two lessons delve into self-awareness, a crucial aspect of inclusive leadership. The module concludes with a lesson on the benefits of inclusive leadership and a Spotlight on Privilege. Please note that the Resources section of our course has a glossary of key concepts from this module. The Resources section of our course has: 1. a glossary of key concepts from this module, and 2. a Next Steps list to help you apply what you've learned in this module, and a variety of other materials to enhance your learning. Please check the Resources section regularly because I will be adding and updating materials.
• Six Signature Traits of Highly Inclusive Leaders
• In this module, we will explore six signature traits of inclusive leadership. Researchers Bernadette Dillon and Juliet Bourke conducted a large-scale international project to study how leaders around the world were responding to changes related to inclusion. They identified six signature traits of highly inclusive leaders. The first lesson provides an overview of the six traits. The next lessons offer an overview of each trait and explain how inclusive leaders enact those traits. The module concludes with a Spotlight on Implicit Bias. The Resources section includes: 1. a glossary of key concepts from this module, and 2. a Next Steps list to help you apply what you've learned in this module. Please check the Resources section regularly because I will often add and update materials.
• Communication and Inclusive Leadership
• In this module, we’ll explore a variety of communication practices related to the six signature traits of inclusive leaders. Communication refers to the wide variety of ways that humans share meaning with one another, including communicating with oneself! Each lesson in this module provides information and ideas for how to communicate inclusively - how to show others that they are valued and respected. First, we will explore a few communication topics that are especially relevant to members of non-dominant groups in the workplace. Then, we'll delve into intrapersonal communication, listening, microaggressions, micro-affirmations, feedback, and inclusive meetings. The module concludes with a Spotlight on Power. The Resources section of our course has: 1. a glossary of key concepts from this module, 2. a Next Steps list to help you apply what you learned in this module, and 3. a reading entitled, Power Matters.