In previous blog posts, we explored the definition of inclusive leadership and outlined the compelling business case for adopting this approach. Inclusive leadership fosters equity, belonging, and innovation, empowering organizations to thrive in an increasingly diverse and interconnected world.
In this post, we take the conversation a step further by comparing inclusive leadership with other popular leadership styles, such as transformational, servant, situational, transactional, and authoritative leadership. By understanding these comparisons, you’ll see what sets inclusive leadership apart and why it is uniquely suited for today’s workplaces.
The essence of inclusive leadership
Inclusive leadership emphasizes creating environments where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives. It involves recognizing and addressing systemic barriers, promoting equity, and actively valuing diversity. Central to this leadership style are behaviors such as empathy, cultural intelligence, collaboration, and addressing unconscious bias (Bourke & Dillon, 2016).
How inclusive leadership differs from other leadership styles
To highlight the unique strengths of inclusive leadership, let’s examine how it compares to five widely known leadership styles, supported by real-world examples.
Inclusive leadership vs. transformational leadership
Transformational leadership focuses on inspiring and motivating teams to achieve extraordinary outcomes. It emphasizes vision, innovation, and personal development (Bass, 1990). While inclusive leadership shares the transformational focus on empowering individuals, it takes additional steps to ensure equity and belonging by dismantling systemic barriers. Transformational leadership, on the other hand, may inadvertently overlook marginalized voices in its pursuit of high performance.
Example of transformational leadership: Former Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson led a transformational shift in the company by introducing the “Greener Stores” initiative, which aimed to reduce the company’s environmental impact. While visionary, this initiative initially lacked the diversity of input from frontline employees, highlighting a gap that inclusive leadership could address (Starbucks, 2019).
Example of inclusive leadership: Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella embodies inclusive leadership by transforming the company’s culture to prioritize empathy, collaboration, and inclusivity. Nadella actively promotes diverse hiring and creates psychological safety, fostering an environment where innovation thrives through inclusion (Hogan, 2020).
Key distinction: Inclusive leadership prioritizes equity and belonging, whereas transformational leadership emphasizes inspiring collective achievement.
Inclusive leadership vs. transactional leadership
Transactional leadership is task-oriented and focuses on structured processes, clear expectations, and performance-based rewards (Burns, 1978). While effective for short-term goals, this style often neglects relational and emotional aspects of leadership. Inclusive leadership bridges this gap by creating equitable opportunities and addressing systemic inequities, ensuring that all voices are heard and valued.
Example of transactional leadership: Jeff Bezos employed transactional leadership at Amazon by setting clear performance metrics and creating a high-pressure environment to achieve efficiency. While this approach delivered financial results, it has been criticized for fostering a competitive culture that may exclude vulnerable employees (Stone, 2013).
Example of inclusive leadership: Airbnb’s former CEO Brian Chesky demonstrates inclusive leadership by embedding diversity and belonging into the company’s core values. In response to incidents of bias on the platform, Chesky launched initiatives like Project Lighthouse to track and mitigate discrimination (Airbnb, 2020).
Key distinction: Inclusive leadership values diversity and equity, while transactional leadership emphasizes performance metrics and structure.
Inclusive leadership vs. servant leadership
Servant leadership, popularized by Robert K. Greenleaf, centers on serving others and prioritizing the well-being and growth of team members. Like inclusive leadership, it emphasizes empathy, empowerment, and listening. However, inclusive leadership goes a step further by explicitly addressing systemic inequities and fostering diversity as a strength (Greenleaf, 1970).
Example of servant leadership: Howard Schultz, the former CEO of Starbucks, practiced servant leadership by focusing on employee welfare, such as offering healthcare benefits and educational opportunities. However, his approach has been critiqued for not addressing systemic barriers faced by underrepresented groups (Koehn, 2011).
Example of inclusive leadership: Rosalind Brewer, CEO of Walgreens and one of the few Black female CEOs in the Fortune 500, actively promotes equity and diversity. Brewer emphasizes creating spaces where women and minorities can succeed, exemplifying how inclusive leadership addresses systemic inequities (Fortune, 2021).
Key distinction: Servant leadership broadly focuses on serving others, while inclusive leadership specifically aims to create inclusive, equitable spaces.
Inclusive leadership vs. situational leadership
Situational leadership, introduced by Hersey and Blanchard, adapts to the needs of team members based on their competence and commitment levels (Hersey et al., 2007). This style offers flexibility and responsiveness to immediate circumstances, but it doesn’t address systemic inequities or prioritize fostering belonging. Inclusive leadership complements this by embedding equity and inclusion into the culture, ensuring that all individuals feel empowered and valued.
Example of situational leadership: General Colin Powell often used situational leadership in his military career, adapting his leadership style to fit the needs of his team during dynamic and high-pressure situations (Harari, 2012). While effective in achieving short-term goals, this approach didn’t explicitly focus on long-term equity or diversity.
Example of inclusive leadership: Jacinda Ardern, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, exemplifies inclusive leadership by embedding compassion and equity into her leadership. During her tenure, she implemented policies promoting diversity and belonging, such as addressing pay equity and creating inclusive immigration policies (McGuinness Institute, 2020).
Key distinction: Situational leadership focuses on task-specific needs, while inclusive leadership addresses the broader systemic challenges of diversity and equity.
Inclusive leadership vs. authoritative leadership
Authoritative leadership relies on clear directives and centralized decision-making, often positioning the leader as the primary authority. While this can be effective in crises or situations requiring strong guidance, it stifles collaboration and can alienate diverse voices (Goleman, 2000). Inclusive leadership thrives on collective intelligence, leveraging diverse perspectives to foster psychological safety and innovation (Bourke & Dillon, 2016).
Example of authoritative leadership: Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, is an example of an authoritative leader. His bold vision and decisive leadership led to Apple’s unprecedented success, but his autocratic style often discouraged collaboration and alienated some team members (Isaacson, 2011).
Example of inclusive leadership: Shantanu Narayen, CEO of Adobe, demonstrates inclusive leadership by prioritizing collaboration and diversity. Adobe’s commitment to pay equity and initiatives to foster inclusivity reflect Narayen’s focus on empowering all employees (Adobe, 2021).
Key distinction: Inclusive leadership encourages collaboration and shared decision-making, while authoritative leadership centralizes control.
Inclusive leadership in today's world
Inclusive leadership is particularly well-suited for our dynamic, diverse, digital, and dispersed world:
- Dynamic environments: Inclusive leadership fosters collaboration and psychological safety, enabling teams to quickly adapt and thrive in uncertainty.
- Diverse workforces: By creating equitable opportunities, inclusive leadership allows organizations to harness the full potential of their talent pool.
- Digital transformation: Inclusive leaders ensure that technology is implemented equitably and prioritize the upskilling of all employees for the digital future.
- Dispersed teams: Inclusive leadership builds trust and belonging, ensuring connection even when teams are physically separated.
By addressing these challenges, inclusive leadership is not just a leadership style—it’s the future.
In other words
Inclusive leadership is a leadership style designed to meet the needs of our dynamic, diverse, digital, and dispersed world. While other styles such as transformational, transactional, situational, and servant leadership offer valuable tools, they often overlook systemic inequities, issues of belonging, and the full potential of diverse teams.
Inclusive leadership stands out because it integrates equity and collaboration at its core, ensuring not only that organizations achieve their goals but that they do so by empowering all voices. As workplaces continue to evolve, inclusive leadership is not just relevant—it is essential for creating innovative, resilient, and sustainable organizations. Whether you’re a leader or aspire to become one, embracing inclusive leadership means building a better, more equitable future for everyone.#
Our roadmap for leaders: BELONG to include
Inclusive leadership requires deliberate effort and continuous learning. Our BELONG framework offers a practical guide for leaders to cultivate inclusion in their teams and organizations:
- Brave space: Create environments where individuals feel safe to express themselves, share ideas, and engage in honest conversations without fear of judgment or retribution.
- Equity: Commit to addressing systemic inequities by ensuring fairness in policies, opportunities, and decision-making processes.
- Listening: Practice active listening to understand diverse perspectives and experiences, building trust and empathy.
- Our (inclusive language): Use mindful and inclusive language that reflects respect for all identities, histories, and lived experiences.
- Noticing: Pay attention to power dynamics, biases, and microaggressions within the workplace, and take action to address them.
- Good at repair: Acknowledge mistakes, apologize sincerely, and take steps to rebuild trust and relationships when harm occurs.
References
- Adobe. (2021). Diversity and inclusion at Adobe.
- Airbnb. (2020). Project Lighthouse: Tracking discrimination and promoting inclusion.
- Bass, B. M. (1990). From transactional to transformational leadership: Learning to share the vision. Organizational Dynamics, 18(3), 19–31.
- Bourke, J., & Dillon, B. (2016). The six signature traits of inclusive leadership: Thriving in a diverse new world. Deloitte.
- Burns, J. M. (1978). Leadership. Harper & Row.
- Fortune. (2021). Rosalind Brewer’s equity-first approach to leadership.
- Goleman, D. (2000). Leadership that gets results. Harvard Business Review, 78(2), 78–90.
- Greenleaf, R. K. (1970). The servant as leader. Center for Servant Leadership.
- Harari, O. (2012). The leadership secrets of Colin Powell. McGraw-Hill.
- Hogan, M. (2020). Satya Nadella’s empathetic transformation of Microsoft. Forbes.
- Isaacson, W. (2011). Steve Jobs. Simon & Schuster.
- McGuinness Institute. (2020). Jacinda Ardern’s leadership during challenging times.
- Starbucks. (2019). Starbucks Greener Stores initiative.
- Stone, B. (2013). The everything store: Jeff Bezos and the age of Amazon. Little, Brown.
