Getting Real About Inclusive Leadership Catalyst Research Looks Inward and Outward to Provide Actionable Guidance for Leaders

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Nov 21, 2019, 08:00 ET

NEW YORK, Nov. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The latest Catalyst research, Getting Real About Inclusive Leadership—Why Change Starts With You, has uncovered a model of inclusive leadership—Leading Outward, Leading Inward—that boosts an employee's experiences of being valued, authentic, trusted, and psychologically safe at work.

In this study of 2,164 employees across the globe, Catalyst tested the outward-inward model to examine how leaders build inclusive workplaces through both actions that support their teams and an inner focus on learning and personal reflection.

The report also identifies hallmarks of inclusion — capturing employee experiences of being valued, trusted, authentic, and psychologically safe at work. Importantly, it shows that 45% of employee experiences of inclusion can be explained by managers' ability to lead inclusively.

"It's time to ask hard questions of ourselves and those around us to bolster inclusion, which has a direct impact on employees' experiences," said Dnika Travis, Ph.D., who leads and manages Catalyst's research content development, and co-authored the study with Catalyst researchers Emily Shaffer, Ph.D., and Jennifer Thorpe-Moscon, Ph.D. "Our model of inclusive leadership is a call to action to take a hard look at how we lead and who we are to drive inclusion."

This new model of inclusive leadership updates signature research from Catalyst, the global expert in accelerating progress for women through workplace inclusion.

The report, which suggests managers have the power and responsibility to lead with inclusion, defines inclusive leadership as:

Leading outward: The actions managers take to ensure team members are treated fairly, empowered, and able to flourish. Core behaviors: accountability, ownership, and allyship.
Leading inward: Taking a hard look at who you are and your inner ability to act courageously, learn, and self-reflect. Core behaviors: curiosity, humility, and courage.

The study also found that when employees experience inclusion at work, organizations benefit from enhanced team problem-solving, more work engagement, increased likelihood to stay at the company, and heightened employee innovation.

Catalyst researchers also found that women employees recorded statistically significantly lower scores than men on two aspects of inclusion — the ability to be trusted as contributors and influencers in decision-making and feeling psychologically safe to take risks.

"Inclusive leadership is crucial to creating fair and equitable workplaces," said Catalyst President and CEO Lorraine Hariton. "Catalyst's research is providing insights and actionable strategies for teams, managers and executive leaders at all levels within their organizations."

Learn more about Getting Real About Inclusive Leadership—Why Change Starts With You at www.catalyst.org.

About Catalyst
Catalyst is a global nonprofit working with some of the world's most powerful CEOs and leading companies to help build workplaces that work for women. Founded in 1962, Catalyst drives change with pioneering research, practical tools, and proven solutions to accelerate and advance women into leadership—because progress for women is progress for everyone.

Contacts:
Naomi R. Patton
Vice President, Media & Public Relations
Catalyst
[email protected]

Stephanie Wolf
U.S. Communications Consultant
Catalyst
[email protected]

SOURCE Catalyst