Leadership Series (Part 8)Inclusive Leadership: Why the Most Successful Teams Aren’t Always the Smartest Teams

Introduction: Leadership Is Not Just About Managing Talent

In previous articles in this Leadership Series, I discussed:

• Everyday Leadership

• Self-Awareness

• Personality and Leadership

• Golden Circle Leadership

• Communication Leadership

• Cross-Cultural Communication

• Leadership Styles and Influence

As organizations grow, however, leaders often face a different challenge.

The question is no longer:

“How do we hire the smartest people?”

Instead, it becomes:

“How do we help different people succeed together?”

In today’s biotech companies, technology firms, and global organizations, teams are increasingly composed of people from:

• Different countries

• Different cultures

• Different generations

• Different professional backgrounds

In these environments, authority alone is no longer enough to build a high-performing team.

What becomes essential is: Inclusive Leadership

Inclusive Leadership Is Not About Political Correctness

When people first hear the term “Inclusive Leadership,” they often associate it with:

• Diversity initiatives

• Corporate DEI programs

• Workplace culture campaigns

However, I believe Inclusive Leadership is fundamentally much more practical than that.

Because it directly affects:

• Team performance

• Innovation

• Decision quality

• Talent retention

In other words:

Inclusion is not simply a moral issue. It is a competitive advantage.

Organizations that successfully leverage diverse perspectives often outperform those that rely on homogeneous thinking.

Why Inclusion Improves Team Performance

Imagine a team of ten highly talented people.

If only three people feel comfortable speaking up, then the team is effectively using only a fraction of its collective intelligence.

One of the biggest wastes in organizations is not a lack of resources.

It is:

Great ideas that never get heard.

This is one reason Google’s famous Project Aristotle found that the most important characteristic of high-performing teams was not intelligence, experience, or technical expertise.

It was:

Psychological Safety

Psychological safety exists when team members feel comfortable:

• Sharing ideas

• Asking questions

• Admitting mistakes

• Challenging assumptions

Without fear of embarrassment or punishment.

When people feel safe contributing, innovation becomes possible.

Six Core Traits of Inclusive Leadership

Deloitte’s research identifies six key characteristics of inclusive leaders.

These qualities help create environments where diverse perspectives can thrive.

1. Commitment

Inclusive cultures do not happen by accident.

They require visible and consistent commitment from leadership.

True commitment goes beyond slogans or mission statements.

It is reflected in:

• Hiring practices

• Promotion decisions

• Team dynamics

• Daily leadership behaviors

A Common Example

Many managers say:

“I want everyone to share their opinions.”

Yet in every meeting, the same two or three people dominate the conversation.

That is not inclusion.

Inclusive leaders intentionally create opportunities for every voice to be heard.

2. Humility

Humility is one of the most underrated leadership skills.

This is especially true in science and technology.

Experts often become successful because they have the right answers.

However, Inclusive Leadership requires a different mindset:

Recognizing that you may not have all the answers.

An Example from Scientific Leadership

Some of the most effective principal investigators and biotech leaders I have worked with were not necessarily the smartest people in the room.

What distinguished them was their willingness to ask:

“I don’t know. What do you think?”

That simple question can transform a team culture.

3. Awareness of Bias

Every human being has biases.

This is not a flaw.

It is part of how our brains process information.

The real challenge is whether we recognize those biases and actively work to reduce their influence.

Bias in Hiring

For example, many leaders naturally gravitate toward candidates who:

• Share similar backgrounds

• Think similarly

• Communicate in familiar ways

While this may feel comfortable, it can unintentionally limit diversity of thought and innovation.

Inclusive leaders actively challenge these tendencies.

4. Curiosity

One common trait among inclusive leaders is genuine curiosity about other perspectives.

Rather than immediately defending their own position, they seek to understand.

From Judgment to Curiosity

When someone presents a different opinion, many people’s first reaction is:

“You’re wrong.”

Inclusive leaders often respond differently:

“That’s interesting. Can you help me understand how you arrived at that conclusion?”

This small shift can dramatically change team dynamics.

5. Cultural Intelligence

Cultural intelligence is closely related to the concept of cross-cultural communication discussed in the previous article.

In global organizations, different cultures often have different expectations around:

• Authority

• Feedback

• Conflict

• Collaboration

Leaders who understand these differences can build stronger and more inclusive teams.

My Own Experience

One of the biggest lessons I learned after moving from Taiwan to the United States was that many workplace challenges are not caused by language barriers.

They are caused by cultural differences.

The same message can be interpreted very differently depending on cultural context.

Understanding this reality is a critical leadership skill.

6. Collaboration

Ultimately, Inclusive Leadership is about helping more people contribute to success.

The best leaders are not the people who do the most work themselves.

They are the people who create environments where others can perform at their best.

Inclusive leaders:

• Empower others

• Encourage participation

• Value diverse thinking

• Create opportunities for contribution

Microaggressions and Microaffirmations

Organizational psychology research has increasingly focused on two important concepts:

Microaggressions

Microaggressions are subtle behaviors that can make people feel excluded or undervalued.

Examples include:

• Frequently interrupting someone

• Ignoring certain voices in meetings

• Making assumptions about individuals based on background or identity

While often unintentional, these behaviors can accumulate over time and damage trust.

Microaffirmations

Microaffirmations are small actions that help people feel valued and included.

Examples include:

• Publicly acknowledging contributions

• Inviting quieter team members to speak

• Expressing appreciation for different perspectives

These actions may seem small, but they play a powerful role in shaping team culture.

Inclusive Leadership and Career Development

Through my work in biotech and career coaching, I have noticed that many professionals aspire to become leaders.

However, they often define leadership primarily through:

• Technical expertise

• Decision-making ability

• Management skills

While these capabilities matter, future workplaces increasingly require something else:

The ability to help different people succeed together.

This is particularly important in:

• Biotech organizations

• Global teams

• Cross-functional environments

As organizations become more diverse, inclusive leadership becomes a competitive advantage.

How LuTra Studio Career Coaching Supports Leadership Growth

At LuTra Studio, I frequently work with:

• Scientists

• Engineers

• Emerging leaders

• Mid-career professionals

who are preparing for the next stage of their careers.

In many cases, their technical capabilities are already strong.

The bigger challenge is developing:

• Communication skills

• Influence

• Strategic thinking

• Inclusive leadership

These are often the skills that determine whether someone remains an individual contributor or successfully transitions into leadership.

Leadership is no longer just about expertise.

It is about creating an environment where others can thrive.

Conclusion: Inclusive Leadership Is About Helping More People Succeed

At its core, Inclusive Leadership is not about making everyone the same.

It is about creating an environment where different people can all contribute, grow, and succeed.

Because the most successful teams are rarely the ones with the highest concentration of talent.

They are the teams where people feel:

• Valued

• Respected

• Heard

Great leaders understand that innovation, trust, and performance emerge when people feel safe bringing their full selves to work.

Ultimately, the role of a leader is not to be the smartest person in the room.

It is to create a room where everyone has the opportunity to contribute their best.