The Discipline of Leadership - Framework for an Inclusive Leader

How disciplined are you? 

That's the question I pondered last week as I prepared to serve as a speaker for the 2019 United States Military Academy (USMA) Diversity and Inclusion Conference. USMA, better known as West Point is identified by many as one of, it not the premier leadership development institution in the world. To say they are an elite place of higher -learning is an understatement; they have graduated 89 Olympians, 83 Medal of Honor Recipients, 20 Astronauts and 93 Rhode Scholars (United States Military Academy West Point, 2019). So, you might understand why I was a little intimidated to address West Point students (known as Cadets), Faculty and other professionals about the challenges all of us face trying to be inclusive leaders and effectively create and sustain a winning intergenerational leadership culture.

Though I was there to teach, I quickly realized that I had an additional calling - I was to be a student and absorb the insights, energy and innovative thinking that was permeating the room. Some of the most profound lessons I learned, I now share with you.

Always Set the Bar High, Focus Relentlessly on Results 

Inclusive leaders must be unapologetic about what can be possible in an organization that's committed to success. They must believe in setting the bar high and moving everyone in the direction of equality and inclusivity, even the traditional late adopters need to be included and encouraged to get on board. Everyone matters, every job matter, everyone has an important contribution to the mission. West Point preaches the values of duty, honor and country. They don't let the bar slip - they stay the course and ensure that every cadet is equipped with the character to lead during times of great challenge, and they are laser focused on achieving results.

Think of Humility and Empathy as Your Left and Right Hand

Inclusive leaders must be able to put themselves in the shoes of others and help advocate not just from their perch of leadership but from the perspective of an employee, regardless of their level of experience. They must see themselves having a left hand of humility that puts others first, and a right hand of empathy that listens and doesn't let someone go it alone. The West Point Leader Development System (WPLDS) is a 47-month purposeful integration of individual leader development and leadership development experiences within a culture of character growth. Principle two of the WPLDS systems says cadets will demonstrate the empathy, loyalty, respect, and humility that enable an individual to treat others with dignity and to display selflessness (United States Military Academy West Point, 2019).

Pause, and then Choose Inclusion

Diversity is all around us. We find it at the grocery store that stocks 15 different kinds of mustard; we find it in the hundreds of podcasts, cable TV shows, and satellite radio stations that are at available on-demand, at our fingertips. Being inclusive? Now that is a choice.

Inclusive leaders must not only advocate for greater inclusivity from a macro-level, but they should be the champions of celebrating at the micro-level employees who make a choice of greater inclusion in the workplace.  People respond to authentic praise, encouragement, and acknowledgement - it is the fuel that gives one reason to keep doing the right thing, the right way for the right reasons. West Point hosted this Diversity and Inclusion Conference because they were willing to learn new things from different leaders from around the country, they made us all feel like we belonged, they practiced the behaviors of an inclusive leader.

I encourage you to seek to become an even greater inclusive leader and find ways in your daily practice of leadership to set the bar high, be committed to humility and empathy and pause, and then choice inclusion.

Related Articles: 

• Racial Equity and Workforce Development 
• The Future of Work: A Tale of Multiple Americas 
• Special report: Higher education's existential crisis 
• Elite Private Schools Helps Keep Insiders At The Top And Outsiders Below
• The Workforce Is Calling, Higher Education, Will You Answer?
• The Future of Work in America: People and Places, Today and Tomorrow

Each session is based on how things get done, key stakeholders, measurements and ability to bring about change at scale. Participants do not spend time talking about their background; time should be devoted to unique, innovative work and what it has achieved. Sessions will be selected based on the following criteria: 

2019 Biennial of the Americas Empathy in Action Festival

September 25-28, 2019 - Denver, CO

At the 2019 Festival we will convene renowned experts and leaders from throughout the Americas for four days of events, workshops and performances designed to inspire critical thinking, accelerate and transform our business and social connections and promote action. This year's festival theme is "Empathy in Action" and will showcase the people and ideas across North and South America that are moving beyond divisions to build solutions to the most important issues we face together. 

Entertainment For Change creates original song and dance (#SDGGROOVE) to educate young people on the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Like any meaningful social change, the original song and dance is a collaborative effort between more than 20 singers, dancers, writers and choreographers. Lauded vocalists Natalie Weiss and Antonio Cipriano lend their voices to the powerful lyrics, while each SDG is  danced by performers of all calibers.

The National Academy of Medicine defines "gender" as a person's self-representation as male or female based on social interactions and "sex" as based on one's genes. The environment can impact gene expression which is known as "epigenetics."

Gender/sex impacts every aspect of our daily lives. The same dosage of medication, for example, has different effects on men compared to women, resulting in a need for us to understand these differential effects in the research and development process before doctors can effectively dose their patients. Similarly, although some products (such as shoes, sports equipment, or cars) seem to have separate designs for men and women, it is important to distinguish between a simple change in aesthetics and a design that actually addresses the biological factors (ie, body composition, bone structure, metabolism) that cause men and women to experience these products differently. Each small detail and seemingly insignificant change in design can heavily impact how we perform at work, school, or in our leisurely activities.

GUIDELINES

Participants:

The challenge is open to all students

Design Requirements:

The design elements can include:

Programs (ex: an educational symposium);

Policies (ex: a policy on inclusion);

Protocols (ex: athletic training protocols or medical guidelines); or

Products (ex: sports equipment, clothing, tools, hardware and machine-human interfaces).

Solution Requirements:

The solution should:

Demonstrate the impact of gender/sex on a design element.

The concept for the design element needs to be clear, concise and actionable.

Submissions (approximately 1-2 pages in length) are due November 7 to [email protected]. We look forward to your ideas!