Inclusive Leadership: It's More Than Inviting People to the Table

Have you ever caught yourself thinking you were being inclusive because you invited someone to a meeting, or reached out to ask for their thoughts, but nothing really changed?

Inclusive leadership is often misunderstood as simply inviting more people in the room. 

But real inclusion isn’t about how many people are seated at the table, it’s about how all those people with different perspectives, backgrounds and beliefs feel when they’re there. 

Do they feel safe enough to speak up? Do they feel like their voice genuinely matters? That’s what makes it inclusive.

As someone who works closely with leaders in operational environments like mining, drilling and civil construction, I see the intent to include, but intent does not always equal impact. 

Getting people around the table is just the first step.  It ticks the box, but on its own it won’t equal better outcomes, and it doesn’t unlock the value that diversity brings.

So, what is inclusion really?

Inclusion is about who is invited and how they are valued.

It’s the structural and cultural act of ensuring that people from diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences are welcomed, respected, and meaningfully involved. Inclusion asks:

• Are people and perspectives represented?
• Do they feel seen and valued?
• Are their contributions sought and integrated?

Inclusion relies on fairness, belonging, and visibility.

The question for us is, how do we build that kind of environment as leaders?

It starts with us. There are 3 key components that will impact inclusion: authority or hierarchy, being curious and understanding who has influence.  

Inclusive leadership starts with how we manage power, not how we avoid it. Every room has invisible dynamics, and leaders set the tone by either reinforcing or reshaping them. That might mean holding your opinion back, so others speak first or deliberately asking someone quieter in the group to share their perspective. It's also about shifting your stance from being right to being curious. When someone challenges your view or offers a perspective you didn’t expect, the most inclusive response isn’t to explain, defend or justify, it’s to lean in and ask, “What do you see that I might be missing?” Real inclusion will show up in habits and work patterns. Look back at your last few big decisions. Who did you involve? Who got left out? Inclusive leaders regularly audit their own behaviour, not to feel guilty, but to stay conscious and keep adjusting.

Inclusion is less about having diverse voices in the room and more about making space for those voices to shape the conversation. It’s not just about representation, it’s about participation, influence, and trust.

Inclusion isn’t a ‘nice to have’. In industries like ours, where safety, efficiency and innovation matter every day, inclusive leadership is a performance lever. It helps us tap into the full value of our teams, not just the loudest or most confident voices.

Next time you’re tempted to tick the inclusion box by inviting someone to the meeting, first ask what would make this space safe enough for them to really contribute?

Because when real inclusion exists, people don’t just show up, they show what they’re capable of.