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Education Development Toolkit

Collaboration with staff: Inclusive Leadership

This page introduces you to the core principles of inclusive leadership, considering a range of models of leadership which demonstrate that anyone can lead and support others in developing inclusive learning and teaching. It is for anyone who is dedicated to developing inclusive pedagogy, and to supporting peers and colleagues in their practice, not just for those in formal management or leadership positions.  

Aligned to PSF: V1, V2, V5

You can develop your understanding of leadership of learning, and inclusive leadership, by engaging with our Fellow or Senior Fellow programme, and our collaborative workshops: World Cafe and the Teaching Excellence Seminar series.  Find out more on the Cardiff LTA CPD page.

Definitions of Leadership

Leadership concerns the ability to influence others. Whilst leadership has traditionally been seen as a transactional approach of managing the work of others, leadership on particular aspects of education, such as inclusion, can be undertaken by anyone with a passion for social justice and effective change for diverse staff and students, through collaboration and co-construction. 

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Inclusive Leadership 

Inclusive leadership has been defined as “Behaviours that collectively facilitate all group members’ perceptions of belongingness to the work group and that encourage group members contributing their uniqueness to achieving positive group outcomes” (Randel et al. 2018: 195). In addition, inclusive leaders are believed to show appreciation of diversity, and recognise and acknowledge achievements, both on an individual and on a team level. They also support organisational initiatives towards diversity and inclusion (Korkmaz et al. 2022). 

The different purposes of inclusive leadership can be categorised into four themes in which the focus is either on diversity, democracy, inclusive education or an inclusive society (Schiltmans and Davies 2023: 12). The purpose of inclusive leadership thus varies from enabling a diverse workforce to function well, to safeguarding democracy, or to creating inclusive learning environments and ultimately to the realisation of inclusive societies. Although related, these purposes differ in focus, which may imply that the approach towards the realisation of these aims would also be different.  

Literature on inclusive leadership has been critiqued as being predominantly about how to facilitate inclusive workspaces. However, we need to consider whether an inclusive workspace may simply lead to inclusive education or whether it might have the purpose of influencing on a broader scale, leading to a more sustainable, inclusive society (Schiltmans and Davies 2023: 15).

Transformative Leadership is one model which addresses this, as it is focused on both values of justice and democracy, and outcomes: ‘it critiques inequitable practices and offers the promise not only of greater individual achievement but of a better life lived in common with others’ (Shields, 2010, p. 559). 

Reflect: Diamond ranking activity

Consider the following 9 leadership qualities, and place them as a grid, following the ‘diamond ranking’ diagram below.

Passionate: organised: charismatic: precise: diplomatic: empathetic: persuasive: honest: challenging

Decide which are in the top three and are therefore essential, which are in the middle and supporting, and which are in the bottom three are underpinning.

There is no right answer – this activity helps you reflect on what values you see as important, and to reflect on where others may differ.

Diamond shapre with essential top three items, supporting middle three and useful bottom three

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Distributed Leadership and Collaboration 

Distributed leadership ‘involves the process of influencing others toward a shared objective; leadership can be enacted by anyone, not just those with formal titles or positions of authority.’ (Liden et al, 2025). ‘Emergent distributed leadership’ occurs via an interactive web of people and situations. This is an alternative to traditional ‘leader-centric’ models of leadership, suggesting instead that leadership is a property of a group, rather than an individual (Bolden, Petrov and Gosling 2009).  

When operated through collaboration with others (V5 in the PSF 2023), inclusive leadership has the focus of developing inclusive teaching or support of learning, undertaken by anyone with a passion for equity, recognising diversity and ensuring equality of opportunity for staff and students.  

Inclusive, distributed, transformative leadership can also support United Nation Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4), which asserts that we will ‘ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all’ (United Nations, n.d.: 41). It includes Target 4.3: Equal Access and Affordability, and Target 4.5: Eliminating Disparities. The process of this form of inclusive leadership is thus of influencing and supporting others toward the shared objective of inclusive, equitable, and sustainable education, with the purpose of social justice, in order to achieve a fair, sustainable future for all. 

Globe

Cardiff University Case Study

I am an early career Lecturer and Module leader of three modules. This involves co-ordinating 14 members of busy senior research staff who teach on the programme. I also recently took on Professional Placement year and Employability Lead roles, became Student Representative Coordinator, and then the EDI lead role in our small School. This experience was firstly challenging, as I questioned how I would influence the practice of others when I have no formal authority, and whether I had the experience to lead.

However, I am passionate about inclusion, and challenging inequality. As module lead, I noticed that diverse learners were experiencing the modules differently. As professional Placement Year lead and Employability lead, I noticed disparities in confidence, commercial awareness and self-belief, and in access to support via networks or tutors.

Rather than presenting predetermined solutions to colleagues, I contacted contributors and colleagues early to understand their perspectives, concerns and capacity, alongside discussing module content and delivery. I gathered data and shared this with colleagues. I recognised that sustainable curriculum change depends on forms of collaboration which create psychological safety and shared ownership.

One of my most significant insights has been recognising that leadership is fundamentally relational. Sustainable improvement for inclusion depends less on having the right answer, than on creating conditions in which others can contribute their expertise. My experience has shown me that credibility, relationships, evidence, enthusiasm and the ability to influence can enable meaningful, inclusive leadership without formal authority.
(Early career Lecturer)

Reflect

In Appreciative Interviews, participants tell each other stories about how they successfully faced a challenge and identify what made them successful. Complete this activity with a peer or colleague.

Prompt:

Tell a story about a time when you led another or others in inclusive learning and teaching, and were proud of what you accomplished. What made success possible? What were the ‘conditions for success’? Identify common causes for success, and diverse experiences, and suggest opportunities for future work.

From: Liberating Structures.com 

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Effective Inclusive Leadership 

Kouzes and Posner (2019) suggest the Five Practices of Leadership:

‘In making extraordinary things happen, leaders engage most frequently in the following; they: 

  • Model the Way: Titles are granted; it’s your behavior that wins you respect. 
  • Inspire a Shared Vision: People describe their best leadership experiences as times when they imagined exciting and ennobling futures for their organizations. 
  • Challenge the Process: search for opportunities to innovate, grow, and improve. 
  • Enable Others to Act: Leadership is a team effort. To make extraordinary things happen in organisations, foster collaboration, develop relationships and build trust. 
  • Encourage the Heart: The climb to the top of any endeavor is arduous and steep, and it is altogether easy for people to become exhausted, frustrated, and disenchanted. Leaders encourage the heart to carry on, by fostering a climate in which “people feel cared about and genuinely appreciated.’

Reflecting on Inclusive Leadership and Collaboration:

Some tips to support you reflect and develop your inclusive practice and leadership:

·       Educate yourself: engage in professional learning on inclusive leadership for sustainability

·       Consider the competing priorities in higher education, to ensure realistic goals

·       Prioritise and set short-term achievable goals

·       Gather data and evidence, whether quantitative data, student or staff stories, or observations

·       Find your tribe: find supportive peers to enhance your security and belonging

·       Begin to establish yourself and build your networks

·       Self-care: be realistic, and develop strategies for patience!

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Where Next?  

You can deepen your understanding of inclusive leadership planning for learning by attending Fellowship or Senior Fellowship programmes, depending on your current leadership experiences. Sign up on our Learning and Teaching Academy page for Fellowships.   

Additional resources and references: 

Coutinho, K.S.M. (2024). Understanding Inclusive Leadership in practice: A guide to enhancing your inclusive leadership practice in higher education. London: Advance HE 

Kouzes, J.M. and Posner, B.Z. 2019. Leadership in Higher Education. Oakland, C.A.: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.​  

Schiltmans, J., & Davies, D. (2023). How to be an inclusive leader in higher education. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Leadership Studies, 4(1), 7-20. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.52547/johepal.4.1.7 ​ 

  Page Authored by: Cardiff University Learning and Teaching Academy: Dr Ceri Morris