The Power of Inclusive Leadership: Re-Envisioning Showing Up for Our Communities

by Alex Nellis

In times of great social and economic challenges, we need strong leadership now more than ever. It is times like these that we must ask ourselves what it means to be a leader.

Planting People Growing Justice is a nonprofit organization that coordinates a number of literacy and leadership development efforts for youth. One of PPGJ's core tenets is the R.I.S.E. Leadership framework, which is built around five developmental areas. This framework was developed through Dr. Artika Tyner's extensive research on leadership as a tool for community-building.

At one of our recent monthly "Leaders Are Readers" events, a sampling of Planting People Growing Justice's board members, interns, and volunteers were individually surveyed about their definition of leadership. The survey included one simple question: what does being a leader mean to you?

 This question received a diverse set of responses. Despite the varied answers, a few themes were quick to emerge. The themes from this survey provide an excellent picture of what it means to be a leader.

What Leadership Isn't

To understand what leadership is, we first must look at what it is not. Some believe that being a leader means making decisions for others. This understanding of leadership positions the leader to have the final say. They are expected to know what is best for all whom they lead.

Power over leadership makes inclusivity very difficult. The leader is placed in a position where they must identify and resist all bias. Often, this type of leadership involves only limited input from others when it comes to decision-making.

A six year old event attendee named Elijah highlighted the problem with this leadership style perfectly. The first characteristic of a good leader that came to mind is "someone who helps people." This idea was echoed by nearly all PPGJ team respondents.

Centralization of power is a slippery slope that often does not allow for this beyond a surface level. Leadership is not solely about having power. Inclusive leadership means sharing power democratically.

Themes of Inclusive Leadership

Living in a world of diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and abilities necessitates inclusive leadership. Leadership must not be seen only as a position of power, because it is also a position of service. It is a leader's responsibility to serve the people they lead.

Almost everyone surveyed at the event highlighted that leadership is about putting others' needs first. Simply holding a title does not lead to any meaningful impact. Leaders who empower the communities they serve make the biggest difference.

A PPGJ volunteer, Cleo, echoes this sentiment.

"It's a leader's job to inspire and motivate people," she says.

Author and educator Nancy Loewen shared a similar insight: "The visible leadership is what we typically think of, but there are other ways people can contribute. They can lead by example."

Serving as an example for others allows leaders to be an inspiration to their communities. This doesn't mean being the sole bringer of change. A good leader can also teach others to be the change they want to see.

Most responses also highlighted that it's a leader's responsibility to be a support to others. PPGJ board member Laura Esanbock's definition of leadership perfectly encapsulates this idea.

“Leadership means putting others first. As hard as it is to continually think of others, it keeps your decision-making centered." Esanbock says. "[It means] supporting people in your community by making decisions to create a better environment than how you found it."

Visionary leaders view their platform as an opportunity to be a role model. Leaders are in a unique position where they can both make change and inspire it in others. Through being responsible, empathetic, and collaborative, leaders have power to make things better for everyone.

Many members of the PPGJ team also highlighted that leadership means continually learning. Kenneth, who is a community photographer that lends his talents to PPGJ events, sums it up excellently: "a leader is someone who learns by serving."

Although leaders should be knowledgeable about those whom they lead, it is not their role to know everything. Arguably, the strongest leaders understand that learning is a constant and evolving process. Remaining open-minded is a must for any leader. One of a leader's greatest responsibilities is taking initiative to always keep growing, so they can better serve their community.

A Call to Action

Whether you're in a position of leadership or not, ask yourself how you're showing up in your community. When asked about their definition of leadership, none of the PPGJ team's responses highlighted that a formal position of power was necessary to make a difference. In fact, several respondents noted that a leader can simply be someone with a vision to make a positive difference.

While not everyone can be a formal leader, all of us can still take inspiration from the servant-leadership mindset. We can challenge ourselves to continue learning, give back to our communities, and do our best to inspire and motivate others with our ideas. Arguably, the true power of leadership is seeing that anybody can embody the qualities of a leader.