Inclusive Leadership
Chapter from the book:
Durmuş,
G.
(ed.)
2024.
Research on Leadership Dynamics I.
Synopsis
Inclusive leadership is a leadership paradigm that accepts the differences of individuals and groups, evaluates these differences as richness and encourages equal participation of all individuals. This approach aims to shape decision-making processes by creating a participatory environment and taking into account the talents, experiences and opinions of team members. The main characteristics of inclusive leaders are empathy, openness, accessibility and participation, and these elements allow leaders to understand the needs of their employees more deeply and develop more effective strategies by integrating different perspectives. In addition, inclusive leaders create trust and cooperation among team members by adopting mentoring and coaching approaches in order to support the development of their employees. The increasing diversity due to the impact of globalization and demographic changes emphasizes the necessity and importance of inclusive leadership. In this context, inclusive leadership increases the innovation and adaptation capacities of organizations, facilitates individuals to express themselves and contribute; as a result, it reinforces job satisfaction and organizational commitment levels. The principles of inclusive leadership are based on concepts such as justice, respect, transparency and cooperation, and these principles encourage leaders to establish trust-based relationships with team members. In this section, theoretical frameworks related to the concept of inclusive leadership, inclusive leadership characteristics, the importance and development of inclusive leadership, inclusive leadership principles, comparisons with other leadership styles and the results of inclusive leadership will be discussed.