Even as an IC (Individual Contributor),  a good understanding of inclusive leadership is of value.  A solid grasp here helps you better follow and support your leaders.  As such I am completing a course in Becoming a Successful Leader.  This is one of three courses in the  Inclusive Leadership professional certificate from CatalystX.  You will see part of one handout mixed in with my commitment here.  The last task to complete for the first course is to post to social media on what action I will take to be a more inclusive leader.

So as an IC, what can you commit to in Catalyst’s EACH framework that helps inclusive leadership for your team or organization?  If you aren’t familiar, EACH stands for Empowerment, Accountability, Courage and Humility.  These core inclusive behaviors allow teams to accomplish more while having a higher level of work-life effectiveness.  Having invested hours into the courses for this certificate, I could write an article on each of the 4 behaviors.

Humility

When I took a step back, I could see where one article really stood out for me.  It listed several items to concentrate on if you want to be a better listener.  This fell under the topic of Humility.  Several of the items are ones that I already try to be conscious of.  After all, listening is so important as a Sales Engineer.  Even as an IC, by putting more effort into these items you will set a good example for the rest of your team.  There is still more for me to do on my Personal Leadership Plan.  I expect the 13 pages to grow to 20 before I move onto the next course.  Either way, this is an area I can work on and my team will benefit from.

The List for Listening

If you have time, I urge you to read the original article – Humility: Your No. 1 Leadership Asset for 2016.  Even better, if you have time, take the courses.  You can audit them for free if you want!  If you are in a rush, here are those items:

• Do not interrupt others.
• Really focus on understanding the other person.
• Suspend judgment.
• Do not think about your response while the other person is still talking.
• Do not automatically advocate your views in your first response.
• Ask questions to make sure you understand the other person.
• Ask if you can paraphrase what the other person said to make sure you heard them correctly.
• Really try to understand the reasons the other person believes what they believe.

Source: IndustryWeek

My Pledge

I’ve printed up a larger copy of this.  It is taped to one of my monitors.

During the next 6 months, I pledge to review it every work day.  I will work this into my daily routine as a remote worker.

I pledge to increase my Humility by doing my best to exemplify these tasks.

Lastly, I have the Courage to share this on LinkedIn.  I urge you to do the same.

#CatalystX #InclusiveLeadership

About Catalyst
Catalyst is a global nonprofit working with some of the world’s most powerful CEOs and leading companies to help build workplaces that work for women. Founded in 1962, Catalyst drives change with pioneering research, practical tools, and proven solutions to accelerate and advance women into leadership—because progress for women is progress for everyone.