Inclusivity - Culture

Inclusivity is an important aspect of leadership. It allows everyone to be a part of the group, to have a voice that would not otherwise be heard. Leadership without the active implementation of inclusivity would leave many feeling isolated, alienated within their group. One reason for this isolation caused by lack of inclusivity is due to culture. In contemporary American society, we function under an individualist banner. That means that everyone is looking out for themselves only, and we promote independence and competitiveness. This isn’t altogether good, or bad. On the opposite side of the spectrum is Collectivism. Collectivism promotes development of the group as opposed to the individual alone. It also promotes shared leadership and trust, as well as a spirit of collaboration. There are many things that make this a mind set to have, but it is not perfect. I have seen watered down versions of both on a small scale in one of my friends. When she was a full blown individualist, she was always trying to dress in ways that made her stand out, that would set her apart. She also wanted to do things (like clubs, activities, etc) to bolster herself up, as opposed to primarily benefitting the community. Individualism in this way sounds very selfish (she wasn’t that selfish, I swear!). However, she recently decided to join a sorority, and so she is in the process of abandoning her unique style in favor of what everyone else is wearing, in order to blend in. And she is interested in the fate of the group (the sorority) as whole. So, in some respects, she now has a collectivist view. One value that should be developed to promote a more multicultural leadership style is the value of “Mi Casa Es Su Casa”. This is the idea of generosity that is lacking from the dominant leadership styles of today in which generosity is almost frowned upon as a weakness. I have seen the power of generosity at work. At my church back home in Gilbert, there was a couple where the husband had been laid off from his job, and they were living off of the wife’s salary (who is a teacher). Needless to say, they were desperately looking for work for him. He searched for months and months to no avail. But many in our church stepped up to help, my mom included. In one instance I was aware of, my mom had called the place where the couple went to get haircuts, and she paid for their next appointment, including all the extras (like highlights, styling, etc.). It is small acts of generosity like that that kept the family afloat in their troubled times, till the husband could find a new job. And it also bound everyone in the church group more deeply together, because we have trust that we will be looked after if things ever go wrong for us, for the collectivist attitude provides security.