Do you agree that your time in this role will leave a legacy for the organisation you work in? Do you think you will leave your mark? Will you leave an impact when you, inevitably, will move on?
It is every leader's responsibility to consider the legacy they leave. You could be a C-Suite executive, board member or even a chief audit executive - as a leader you are an influencer, your position will give you authority and with that authority comes power.
"With great power comes great responsibility"
It is incumbent on you to create a living legacy that addresses inclusion and belonging in the workplace. There is a real opportunity to make a difference, to start the generational legacy change that is needed, to see lasting effective equality and fairness. It is a personal and organisation responsibility that should not be swept under the carpet. Equality Pioneers and Culture Lab Consultancy have made it easy for you. In this extract we (Ishreen and Kami) talk about what leading with personal and organisation responsibility means, specifically:
Organisation culture is important and leaders cannot be complacent [0.03]
Inclusion is not about acting fairly to just one group, but all the different non-dominant groups [0.37]
The importance of creating an open and trusting environment where there is psychological safety, a sense of value for the individual, social group and organisation, creating a shared sense of connection between everyone [1.01]
Start by making inclusion and belonging a key business objective, and consider what resources are needed as well as the core values around it [1.30]
At the individual level, the importance of listening, encouraging participation so that people experience that they are being heard, while not putting stress on them [2.24]
The importance of working on self-empowering people to find their voice, helping them speak up, so that they have a sense of personal value [4.40]
Research that supports the need for recognition, values and to be heard [5.39]
Think about language - shared language is an important vehicle for making lasting change [7.42]
Leaders do need to be brave, but so does the environment. Organisation responsibility is about making inclusion a business priority, following it up with an action plan, and bringing in the right people, implementing the right tools to help you transform your culture so that the environment becomes a safe place for people to speak their truth. Complacency is not an option - are you one who continues to contribute to a culture of silence or will you do what is necessary?
