June 2021 Female Tech Leaders Magazine

HOW TO GET BETTER RESULTS
WITH ‘INCLUSIVE THINKING’
This article was written by Marissa Ellis, Founder and CEO of Diversity and was originally published in
www.diversily.com blog as part of a 6-part Inclusive Leadership series. In Part 1 I shared why knowing yourself is
the first step to becoming an inclusive leader. In, this article, Part 2 we’ll ask, why now? In Part 3, we’ll explore
the inclusion awakening. In this article Part 4, we'll talk about ‘Inclusive Thinking’
Learning to think inclusively will profoundly change the way you see the world. It will change
the actions you take and the decisions you make. Plus, once you start doing it, it is very difficult
to go back. It is something that becomes intrinsically part of everything you do.
The business case for diversity and inclusion is solid. The research is conclusive — there are
huge benefits to diverse and inclusive teams. Here are some examples:
Leadership commitment to diversity and inclusion nearly doubles employee’s sense of
inclusion and engagement (Bain Research).
High levels of engagement increase profitability and productivity by 20% (Bain Research).
All the data you need to put together the “business case” (Awaken).
Leaders in the future will need to have diversity and inclusion built into the way they operate.
“Whilst there is a wave of world’s momentum towards the creation of inclusive work culture,
diversity and inclusion initiatives are still falling short. Leaders need to be comfortable being
uncomfortable, having thoughts challenged, and embracing an environment that promotes,
supports, and listens to all voices. Forming an inclusive culture is imperative to a successful
business and society.”
Priya Guliani, Head of Operations, GBA-UK and WBAF Senator-UK