Inclusivity

This mini blog series is about what makes a good leader – particularly in health and care/public sector organisations.

So far, we’ve explored curiosity and humility. This time it’s inclusivity.

The best kind of leaders of teams are inclusive. Inclusive in 3 ways.

Firstly, because they are empowering and nourishing, the best leaders want to include people in the learning and decision-making process. So, for example in shaping the vision and values of an organisation they want people across their team, from all backgrounds and roles to be able to participate and contribute to the process. This is because inclusion creates ownership. It’s amazing when we look at problems from different angles, perspectives, and backgrounds, how frequently solutions come from surprising people. This is because they see things which others cannot. The more inclusive we are, the more welcoming we can be to fresh perspectives.

Secondly, because they are kind and compassionate, the best leaders want to ensure that teams don’t become cliquey or exclusive. Inclusive leaders value the notion of belonging. When team members feel like they belong, they have more skin in the game. Relationships are strong and every contribution matters. This leads to great accountability and agency – because each team member knows that who they are and what they do really matters. Even more importantly, inclusive teams are diverse and celebrate this, because it makes them more effective. When leaders value difference it means there is more equality and diversity, better representation and therefore wiser, kinder decisions are made.

Thirdly, because they are curious and humble, the best leaders listen to, involve and include local communities in co-creating solutions to complex issues. They understand when it comes to finding solutions to wicked problems, the importance of addressing both intrinsic and extrinsic gaze. Intrinsic gaze focuses on recognising what is strong about a community, rather than what is wrong – that there is innate goodness and power within communities and incredible assets that needs to be built on. Extrinsic gaze focuses on how leaders and their teams can join with communities to highlight the systems of injustice which hold communities in places of disempowerment and disadvantage. This kind of inclusivity ensures that people get to be involved in challenging and changing these structures, dismantling and reforming them to bring about meaningful change. The work of inclusivity in communities breaks down our dividing lines, heals our fractures and welcomes everyone around the table. It creates the interstitial spaces necessary for our society to be made new, in which human relationships can really flourish.

So, if you’re a leader – don’t be a cock! Be a chicken!

C – Curiosity

H – Humility

I – Inclusivity

C – Compassion

K – Kindness

E – Encouragement

N – Nourishment

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Don’t be a COCK! Be a CHICKEN!

I’ve not been blogging for a while…… because I’ve been writing my first book. Whoop!

“Your first BOOK?!” you say.

That’s right, people! – It’s called ‘Sick Society: Reimaging How we Live Well Together’ – it’ll be out in the Autumn and I’m pretty excited about it! I’ll let you know when you can pre-order, but they’ll be a book launch and everything…..not long now…..

In the mean time, I’ve been thinking quite a lot about leadership and culture. I’ve written on here before about how we create a culture of joy and what it takes to do so. I’ve also blogged about how to build a culture of kindness which is something I believe lies at the heart of all good health and social care (something that evidence supports hugely – including better outcomes in cancer).

Everyone knows a COCK when they see one. Am I right?! If I asked you to describe the behaviour of a cock, I imagine you’d come up with a list like this:

Strutting – Cocks have a particular kind of walk – you know the kind of walk I mean

Crowing – Cocks love to brag about their accomplishments but fail to honour their team

Puffing – Cocks puff their chest out to make themselves seem bigger than they are

Dominating – Cocks have an over developed sense of self-importance and dominate spaces rather than making room for others

Bullying – Cocks are often real bullies and don’t know how to apologise

But Cocks don’t actually make good leaders. They don’t develop the kind of cultures in which everyone can thrive. Rather, it is they who want to be noticed and fussed over. They like to be known to be in charge. They don’t listen well. They don’t include others. In the end, it is all about them – the top of the pyramid.

But chickens….chickens are where it’s at! Chickens are values-led leaders who create the kind of cultures in which everyone gets to become their best self. Chickens create an environment where everyone keeps learning. I think these are the core values of CHICKEN leaders:

C – Curiosity

H – Humility

I – Inclusivity

C – Compassion

K – Kindness

E – Empowerment

N – Nourishment

Each leadership value deserves its own post to unpack it a little more. But in the mean time, if you are leading, don’t be a cock. Be a CHICKEN.

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Why The Loss of Public Health England Really Matters

Tweet Yesterday, I tweeted that I think Dido Harding, the Chair of NHS Improvement and newly appointed head of the newly established National Institute for Public Protection (NIPP), which is to replace Public Health England (PHE), is a good leader. I say this, having met her and few times, through the NHS Assembly and her genuinely humble [Continue Reading …]

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How Does Change Happen?

Tweet How does change happen? This has become an incredibly important question to me over the last few years, and I am still on a big learning journey in discovering some answers. There is so much that needs to change – so much that is currently going on in our communities that simply doesn’t work [Continue Reading …]

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Authentic, Loving Leadership

Tweet Over the last year, I’ve had the privilege of spending some time on a leadership programme with the NHS Leadership Academy. One of the things it has helped me to do is talk more openly and honestly about what is important to me, what shapes me, what makes me – me! I have spent [Continue Reading …]

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Building a Culture of Kindness in the NHS

Tweet My morning surgery began today with a patient of mine, who works as  Health Care Assistant (or Band 3) in our local acute hospital trust. As we find across the board in the NHS right now, there are pressures in her department with under-staffing and a very high and demanding work load. She started [Continue Reading …]

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