Radical Inclusion: What the Post-9/11 World Should Have Taught Us About Leadership

by Martin E. Dempsey

Listen to learn. Listen to make it clear to those who follow that you value their insights, their judgments, and their advice. Listen to understand the organization and to become mindful of opportunities and vulnerabilities. Listen because it is most often “weak signals” that portend success or failure. Amplify to establish expectations. Amplify the best ideas, the best recommendations, the best practices, and do so in a manner that encourages teamwork at every level of the organization. Amplify the organization’s values to strengthen the inner voice that reminds us what’s right, a voice that can sometimes be drowned out by digital echoes. Amplify because the best leaders establish a drumbeat of emphasis on values within their organization. Amplify because everyone benefits when there is a common vocabulary about what’s expected of them. Include to empower. Go wide and deep in including members of the organization to share knowledge, to create a common understanding of problems, and to encourage ownership of solutions. Include to inspire loyalty. Include as the first step in developing a climate of trust. Include because if you don’t, who will?