Leadership Connectivity

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Board and Leader Guidebook

Section 2.3: How Can You be an Inclusive Leader?

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Board and Leader Guidebook

2.3 How Can You be an Inclusive Leader?

You can take the following actions to model equitable and inclusive leadership. These practices can be learned and mastered to help you become an inclusive leader within your organization:

1. Immerse yourself in new and uncomfortable situations to learn from diverse stakeholders (e.g. participate in Employee Resource Groups, sit in different areas of the business)
2. Use more audience-centered language – think about who your audience is and use language that would resonate with them
3. Be authentic to your learning journey – demonstrate openness to encourage others to do the same
4. Recognize and address your own biases through:

• • Discussions with managers who are closer to the day-to-day operation;
  • Speaking at a Town Hall about your learnings and growth;
  • Implementing “inclusion moments” for team members to share what they have learned related to EDI

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Considerations for Intermediate / Advanced Organizations



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These are Guidelines on Inclusive Language



This Guide for Employers written by Great Place to Work and Pride at Work Canada highlights actions and strategies to promote inclusion of 2SLGBTQ+ and/or gender and sexually diverse employees in the workplace

Modelling Equitable and Inclusive Behaviour: Regional and Industry Considerations

Industry: Education

Embed EDI within decision-making to apply an inclusive lens to all decisions. Applying an EDI lens will help ensure decisions reflect the educational institution’s values and allow the institution to better support its community.

Consider the following questions:

• Impact: How will this decision impact individuals based on different aspects of their identities?
• Symbols and Messaging: What messaging does this decision send to our communities?
• Mitigation: How can we mitigate potential negative impacts and provide support as a result of this decision?
• Feedback and Response: How can we keep track of feedback and the impact of this decision on different communities?

This Intentional Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Decision-Making toolkit was developed by the University of British Columbia

Industry: forestry

Leaders play an important role as allies and champions within the forestry industry, which is typically dominated by men. Organizations differ based on the level of leadership support available, which ultimately shapes the experience of women and individuals from priority groups.

Leaders can take the following actions to create an inclusive space:

• Given that fields may be hours away from home, ask employees how to best support them and provide flexibility
• Advocate for employees and encourage them to join groups such as Women in Wood, where women can network, find mentors and seek career advice in the industry
• Recognize and support newcomers to Canada with adjusting to learning Canadian terrain, and find ways for them to leverage skills from their previous experiences
• Be intentional about ensuring employees from priority groups are included, recognized for their efforts, and given consistent feedback to further their development

This tool on allyship was developed by the Centre for Social Intelligence to increase inclusion and diversity within the forestry sector in Canada

Scenario: Checkpoint 1

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