Are you a Role Model for Inclusive Behavior?

I’m sitting in my hotel room traveling for work missing my family and reach for my phone to face time my 7 year old daughter Isabella.

She picks up and I ask her “Isabella how was your day?”

She responds, “Mommy I was just like you today."
Wondering what she meant, I asked her, “Oh really? How so?”

She says, “ Mommy, today there was a boy at the playground who was crying because a group of boys didn’t want to play with him. They were saying he is weird and yelling at him wierdo, weirdo! I told the boys that they need to be inclusive of him. The boys said to me what is inclusive mean? I said you need to include him in your game. They still wouldn’t do it mommy so I made sure to sit with him on the swings and be his friend.”

After hearing her story I couldn’t help but laugh at first imagining Isabella using the word “Inclusive” with other 6-7 year olds but then I quickly began to think what enabled Isabella to be this incredible change agent in the moment to ensure that someone who was clearly different than the group feel like they belong?

I began to evaluate what has Isabella been witnessing and absorbing unconsciously from me a mom who’s mission is to build a world where humanity is celebrated in a way that everyone’s uniqueness belongs.

I then began to think deeply about leadership within our organizations. What types of behaviors do we learn from those leading us?

Role modeling inclusive behaviors as a leader of an organization will create the ripple effect unconsciously because just like a child remembering to act like a change agent in the moment, employees can also become change agents in time when they have witnessed their leaders do the same.

So I’ll leave you with one question…..

How are you creating the ripple effect of role modeling inclusive behavior within your organization?