submitted by Linda Hill

I’ve been working over-time and more for a few months now, guiding an Inclusive Leadership Adventure and two Inclusive Leadership online experiences at once. I find it so exciting, energizing and encouraging to be with experienced and emerging Inclusive Leaders from diverse generations, cultures, and other backgrounds. What an incredible daily life I have, sharing leadership with people who are so dedicated to developing skills, awareness and action plans for transforming ourselves and our communities by embracing diversity. However, after close to twenty years of Participatory Action Research and Education, involving thousands of new and experienced Inclusive Leaders, I sometimes feel exhausted by the effort involved in co-ordinating the Inclusive Leadership Co-operative. Sometimes I ask myself: “Why is Inclusive Leadership Education so darned important?”

Then I bump into an Inclusive Leader in my community, or I receive a phone call, or an email, or a facebook post such as this message from Inclusive Leader Craig Anthony Joe that came my way yesterday:  “If it weren’t for such great mentors like yourself and other Inclusive Leaders, I wouldn’t be the person I have become now, from my lost days as a youth. Thank you for the tools that help me maintain a positive outlook on living and using said tools to help others on my journey of life.” (Craig Anthony Joe)

Then I remember why Inclusive Leadership is so important.

Inclusive Leadership education is for students, professionals, advocates, volunteers and ordinary people such as you and me who are  concerned about discrimination, bullying, exploitation, isolation, racism, and other forms of exclusion and injustice in our daily lives, in our communities and in the wider world.

Inclusive Leaders are changing ourselves, our communities and the world by developing our skills, awareness and action plans for embracing diversity. The outcome is strong, healthy, vibrant, leader-full communities based on respecting and caring for people and nature.

And that’s why Inclusive Leadership is so important!