A-Model for Inclusive Leadership

Do you want to be an inclusive manager? Do you want your manager to be inclusive? Yes? Follow/show what I call the “A-Model for Inclusive Leadership”.

The A-Model is split into 3 passive and 3 active components.

• Passive: Assumption — Alignment — Accommodation
• Active: Allyship — Advocacy — Action

Assumption

Inclusive leaders try not to jump to assumptions and signal this.

Example: your team member’s private life remains private and they disclose only voluntarily. When they do, you can ask about pronouns of their partner and children in case it’s not explicitly mentioned.

Other example: Don’t automatically assume that colleagues are healthy, neurotypical or cis.

If in doubt, don’t ask and just work with what they provide as information. Only if and once they talk about you you can ask “are you comfortable if I ask you about xyz?”.

Alignment

Inclusive leaders make agreements with team members about terminology, identity and preferences.

Example: a colleague uses he/they pronouns, but generally prefers they. You can then…