584: The Starting Point for Inclusive Leadership, with Susan MacKenty Brady

Jun 13, 2022

Susan MacKenty Brady, CEO of the Simmons University Institute for Inclusive Leadership and an authority on leadership wellbeing, shares her insights on fostering inclusivity. She emphasizes the shift from being an ally to an upstander, advocating for proactive action in addressing inequalities. The conversation highlights the need for self-awareness through implicit bias assessments and the importance of relationship-building in leadership. With a focus on personal responsibility, Susan encourages leaders to engage in meaningful actions that create lasting change.

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ADVICE

Upstanding

Respectfully address non-inclusive behaviors in the moment.
For example, if someone is interrupted, say, "Were you finished?"

INSIGHT

Leading with Curiosity

Leaders must acknowledge their limitations and be open to learning.
Check in with others, asking "How did that land?" or "Did I make you uncomfortable?"

ADVICE

Address Unconscious Biases

Address unconscious biases by taking implicit association tests.
These tests reveal hidden biases that influence behavior.

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Susan MacKenty Brady: Arrive and Thrive Susan MacKenty Brady is the Deloitte Ellen Gabriel Chair for Women and Leadership at Simmons University and the first Chief Executive Officer of The Simmons University Institute for Inclusive Leadership. As a relationship expert, leadership wellbeing coach, author, and speaker, Susan educates leaders and executives globally on fostering self-awareness for optimal leadership. Susan advises executive teams on how to work together effectively and create inclusion and gender parity in organizations. She is the coauthor, along with Janet Foutty and Lynn Perry Wooten, of The Wall Street Journal bestselling book, Arrive and Thrive: 7 Impactful Practices for Women Navigating Leadership*. In this conversation, Susan and I discuss the reality that while we may intend well on inclusion, real change starts with us first. We explore how implicit bias assessments can be useful in discovering where they bias is that we don’t see in ourselves. Plus, we examine some of the key actions we can take on relationship building and repair in order to get better. Key Points Most of us intend well, but we often miss the opportunity to move from being an ally (alignment) to being an upstander (taking action in the moment). Utilizing an assessment can help us understand where our implicit biases diverge from our conscious thoughts. Curiosity and relationship-building isn’t just for the moment — it’s the before, during, and after of conversations to discover how we get better. When we make a misstep, move quickly and purposefully to repair the relationship. Resources Mentioned Arrive and Thrive: 7 Impactful Practices for Women Navigating Leadership* by Susan MacKenty Brady, Janet Foutty, and Lynn Perry Wooten The Inclusive Leader's Playbook by Susan MacKenty Brady, Elisa van Dam, and Loe Lee Project Implicit: Implicit Association Tests Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes What You Gain By Sponsoring People, with Julia Taylor Kennedy (episode 398) How to Build Psychological Safety, with Amy Edmondson (episode 404) How to Be More Inclusive, with Stefanie Johnson (episode 508) How to Reduce Bias in Feedback, with Therese Huston (episode 510) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.