By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The last kid picked.
If you were ever in that position, you probably remember what it was like. Being out of the loop, the last person tapped, the one left out, none of this feels good – whether you’re a kid or an adult and an employee. So how do you ensure that your team belongs? Read the new book “Lead Bigger” by Anne Chow, and choose it.
She began to expand her outlook into what she calls “leading bigger,” which is “really about inclusive leadership…” DEI leadership, she says, is “more narrow” than leading bigger, and the latter seems to work better for employees and stakeholders (a term Chow prefers). Leading bigger isn’t a “task,” but “a refreshing and revitalizing way to approach work…”
The first step to leading bigger is to know your company’s purpose and identify those who have a stake in its success. Bring your team together and be curious about their viewpoints. Define the values you want your company to reflect. Look hard at the places in which you’re selling, including online and on social media.
Be flexible, but intentional.
Knowing that you may lead several generations of workers, be aware of the differences you’ll face, including their well-being, physically and mentally. Know that inclusive support is more than just for LGBTQ individuals and those of other races, but also for those needing childcare and eldercare. Connect with your employees often and ask for feedback but don’t allow derogatory comments. Remember that we all have unconscious bias. Give employees room to be authentic. And finally, remember that you’re not just leading today’s workers.
You’re setting up employees for the future.
At first glance, you may think “Lead Bigger” is quite wordy. You’d be right on that. There’s a considerable bit of repetition, too, and a lot of the commonsensical. And yet, find this book and you’re about to be schooled.
Being inclusive may feel like a minefield these days, but author Anne Chow offers useful, usable guidelines that may need some outside buy-in but that can be implemented right now, today. Her ideas are carefully curated and may surprise readers who aren’t used to thinking in a bigger circle; they cover a wide variety of concerns and cautions, and present things to think about. This gives the savviest of readers the chance to take the process further by tailoring it to their business and by including cultures and issues that aren’t addressed.
If an old-school style of management isn’t working, or if you’re struggling with inclusion or being included, you may find the solutions you seek here. If you need a book to help, “Lead Bigger” should be the first one picked.
