The low completion rate of daily job duties within the Security Operations Management Team (SOMT) highlights a breakdown in operational cohesion, responsibility, and engagement. These are all issues inclusive leadership is uniquely positioned to address. Noting the definitions and differentiation between diversity and inclusion, Roberson (2006) provides a foundation for both concepts as they relate to creating inclusive environments and evaluating diversity efforts. It is most important to note that, in their simplest forms, diversity accounts for the differences among people, while inclusion is ensuring each member of a group, team, etc., is afforded a voice amongst the crowd. While the SOMT issue may seem like a matter of logistics and oversight, deeper analysis reveals systematic organizational culture challenges, particularly when focusing on unclear communication, disengagement, and lack of accountability. These challenges are often exacerbated when diversity is not leveraged, and inclusivity is absent. Thomas and Ely (1996) highlight how diversity can be leveraged for organizational advantage and emphasize the importance of a culturally competent approach to management. Inclusive leadership provides a framework that not only enhances workplace diversity but also ensures all voices are heard, valued, and engaged – all directly impacting clarity, responsibility, and performance.
In today’s increasingly diverse organizational environments, the interweaving of diversity and inclusion with strategic management issues has become critically important. Catalyst (2020) provides research on the importance of diversity and inclusion for organizational effectiveness. The need for such is exceedingly evident in the operational dynamics of management teams, such as that of the SOMT, where differences in culture, communication styles, and problem-solving approaches directly impact team effectiveness. Diversity, when not paired with inclusive leadership, can lead to miscommunication, uneven task distribution, and disengagement. Exploring how diversity and inclusion influence three key strategic challenges – communication and understanding; psychological safety and accountability; and fairness in expectations – within managerial contexts will give the SOMT a greater understanding of their diversity and inclusion needs. By examining these areas, it becomes evident inclusive leadership is not merely a cultural ideal, but a strategic necessity for optimizing team performance, ensuring equity, and fostering a work environment where all managers can contribute freely and meaningfully.
Effective communication is fundamental to organizational success, yet it often becomes increasingly complex in diverse teams. In the SOMT, managers differ in cultural norms, communication preferences, and approaches to problem-solving, giving fertile ground to misinterpretations throughout the department. Without inclusive practices, task expectations may not be clearly communicated or interpreted uniformly across team members, particularly when assumptions go unchallenged. This can result, and has resulted, in uneven workloads, confusion, and frustration, undermining team cohesion and performance. Inclusive leadership plays a vital role in addressing these gaps by fostering an environment where dialogue is encouraged, and differences are seen as assets rather than obstacles. Leaders who value inclusion set clear expectations, create forums for collaborative problem-solving, and ensure all voices are heard. These practices allow managers to clarify ambiguous job duties, collaborate effectively across shifts, and express concerns without fear of judgement, ultimately strengthening overall communication and understanding within the team. A diverse team -one that includes differences in culture, background, communication styles, and problem-solving approaches- requires intentional leadership to bridge gaps and avoid miscommunication.
Without inclusive practices:
· Task expectations may not be clearly communicated or interpreted similarly by all managers.
· Unclear delegation of responsibilities can cause confusion, often leaving certain individuals with disproportionate burdens.
Shore et al. (2018) postulate how inclusive practices, such as providing clear expectations and support, can foster positive outcomes in diverse teams. Inclusive leaders are proactive in creating environments where differences are not only accepted but leveraged as strategic assets.
This would encourage open dialogue where SOMT managers can:
· Speak up about ambiguous duties
· Collaborate across teams and shifts
· Express concerns without fear of judgment
Psychological safety is a key driver of accountability in diverse workplaces. When managers do not feel respected, heard, or valued, they often become disengaged or hesitant to speak up, leading to a culture of passivity. This passive culture often leads to a lack of accountability and responsibilities are deflected with a “someone else will do it” mindset. This is particularly problematic in business operations where initiative and peer-to-peer accountability are essential. Inclusive leadership fosters psychological safety by actively recognizing each individual’s contributions and encouraging open, judgment-free discussion. Within the SOMT, inclusive leadership would translate to a culture where inefficiencies could be addressed transparently, mistakes would be treated as learning opportunities, and accountability would become a shared value rather than a top-down directive. By creating space for managers to take ownership of outcomes, inclusive leaders drive both individual responsibility and collective performance.
Managers are less likely to step forward or hold themselves or others accountable if they do not feel respected, seen, or valued. A lack of inclusion can feed into a “someone else will do it” mindset. Inclusive leadership builds a culture of psychological safety where:
· Mistakes or inefficiencies can be discussed without fear.
· Peer-to-peer accountability is supported, not resisted.
· Everyone feels a sense of ownership in outcomes.
· Ideas for improvements are listened to, not dismissed.
Equity in workload distribution and recognition is a critical concern in diverse teams. Without inclusive oversight, certain shifts, demographic groups, or individuals may bear disproportionate burdens, either due to unconscious bias or unexamined structural norms, In the SOMT, differences in cultural work habits and communication styles may inadvertently affect how productivity is perceived or how tasks are assigned. Inclusive leaders recognize these dynamics and take active steps to ensure fairness, regularly evaluating team processes and outcomes through an equity lens. This includes assessing whether specific groups are consistently over or under recognized, adjusting workloads accordingly, and ensuring performance evaluations consider contextual differences. By addressing these nuances, inclusive leadership not only improves morale and engagement but ensures expectations are realistic, equitable, and strategically aligned.
Perceived or real inequity in task loads or recognition may exist, especially when diversity is not recognized or managed fairly. Inclusive leaders must examine whether:
· Certain shifts or demographic groups are burdened more
· Different cultural work habits or communication styles affect how productivity is perceived or reported
As organizations strive to create environments where all team members can thrive, the implementation of intentional enhancement strategies toward furthering diversity and inclusion becomes essential. Within the SOMT, fostering inclusivity among managerial staff is not just a moral imperative but a strategic opportunity to boost performance, collaboration, and engagement across all shifts and teams. By developing inclusive performance frameworks, encouraging cross-shift and cross team collaboration, implementing structural feedback loops, promoting cultural competences, and recognizing inclusive behaviors, the SOMT can built a more cohesive and equitable leadership culture. These strategies aim to move beyond surface-level diversity initiatives and instead establish sustainable practices that actively involve all managers in shaping a more inclusive and high-functioning workplace.
Tactic: Collaboratively co-create a standardized yet flexible daily task framework with SOMT managers from all shifts and teams.
Outcome: Enhances clarity, sets uniform expectations, and ensures all voices are involved in designing the accountability system
Tactic: Create rotating cross-shift and cross-team task forces to identify barriers and propose solutions for missed duties.
Outcome: Breaks silos, builds empathy between teams, and develops respect for diverse working styles and challenges faced on different shifts and on each team.
Tactic: Initiate weekly inclusive feedback check-ins (preferably in-person), where managers can safely voice concerns or inefficiencies they experience.
Outcome: Fosters transparency, increases accountability, and allows leaders to gather real-time data for process improvement.
Tactic: Offer training for all SOMT managers on bias awareness, inclusive communication, and cross-cultural collaboration.
Outcome: Builds a shared language and awareness that helps prevent misinterpretation, reinforces team unity, and nurtures empathy.
Tactic: Integrate inclusive behavior into performance evaluations and celebrate them publicly (e.g. recognize a manager who facilitates an underperforming peer’s development or ensures shift-wide task completion).
Outcome: Sets cultural norms that reinforce inclusive leadership, builds morale, and increases peer respect.
Inclusive leadership is not simply a theoretical concept, and to ensure the principles therein, it must be consistently demonstrated through intentional actions and behaviors. Nishii’s (2012) work emphasizes that creating an inclusive environment can improve team performance and individual job satisfaction. In the SOMT, where diverse teams navigate complex operational demands, leaders play a critical role in shaping a culture of inclusion, equity, and shared accountability. For maximum effect, inclusive leaders must embody core principles such as commitment, courage, and cultural intelligence. This involves clearly articulating a vision for inclusive collaboration, acknowledging past shortcomings, and proactively addressing bias through open dialogue and data-driven insights. Further, inclusive leaders approach problem-solving with humility and curiosity, engaging managers from all shifts and teams in co-creating solutions. By practicing these principles, SOMT leadership can foster a workplace where all managers feel seen, heard, and empowered to contribute to collective success.
Inclusive leadership begins with a clear and consistent commitment to equity and collaboration, Leaders of the SOMT must articulate and model a shared vision for an inclusive workplace, reinforcing expectation through actions and communication. This clarity helps unify diverse teams around common goals.
Action: The SOMT should clearly articulate a vision for inclusive, accountable, and collaborative work within the department
Demonstrating courage means being honest about past missteps and creating space for open dialogue. When SOMT leaders can admit challenges and listen to feedback without defensiveness, managers will be encouraged to speak candidly and contribute to meaningful change.
Action: Acknowledge past failures openly and foster honest dialogue.
Identifying and addressing bias is essential for fairness. SOMT leaders can use anonymous surveys or facilitated sessions to bring to light any perceptions of favoritism or marginalization. These insights help eliminate blind spots and guide equitable decision making.
Action: Use anonymous surveys or facilitated conversations to surface perceptions of favoritism, task inequality, or marginalization.
Inclusive leaders ask questions before drawing conclusions. Within the SOMT, curiosity involves exploring why tasks may be incomplete or misunderstood (i.e. either how or when to complete, etc.). Seeking input from all shifts and all teams would foster openness and improve problem-solving and trust.
Action: Actively seek divers perspectives on why tasks are incomplete or misunderstood.
Understanding how cultural differences shape communication, time management, and teamwork helps leaders adapt their approaches. Within the SOMT, leaders should gain a deeper awareness for cultural intelligence, ensuring all manager’s strengths are recognized and leverage effectively.
Action: Understand how different backgrounds impact time management, communication, and teamwork.
True inclusion means co-creating solutions, not imposing them. SOMT leaders should involve managers directly in designing workflows and accountability structures, ensuring relevance, buy-in, and shared ownership.
Action: Design task structures and solutions with, not just for, SOMT managers.
Taking in all the aforementioned will not bring the SOMT to a more inclusive culture. To take steps to further inclusive behaviors, lead through an inclusive lens, and create a culture that fosters inclusivity, bringing out the best all team members have to offer, the SOMT must have a plan. This plan must be set in place, with commitment from all team members to execute without prejudice. The following is such a plan.
Map out all daily managerial duties across shifts and teams to gain a clear view of who is doing what and when. This helps identify any overlap, inconsistencies, or unintentional task imbalances that may burden certain individuals or teams. The findings will guide more equitable task distribution and ensure expectations are clearly communicated and uniformly upheld.
Establish a cross-shift and cross-team leadership group composed of managers from all operational settings and ensure inclusive representation. This group will collaboratively develop a charter outlining expectations, accountability standards, and norms for communication and teamwork. Their work will serve as a living document to promote transparency and unity across the SOMT leadership structure.
Introduce digital tools that enable managers to log, track, and visualize task progress in real time. This promotes shared visibility and reduces miscommunication by ensuring everyone is aligned on responsibilities and timelines. The software should be selected and customized with input from all shifts and teams to ensure accessibility and relevance.
Create consistence space – such as a monthly team meeting (entire department) or email newsletter – to recognize managers who model inclusive leadership and fulfill their duties with excellence. Recognition should highlight specific actions, such as mentoring peers or bridging communication gaps. These rituals help reinforce inclusive behaviors as cultural norms and boost morale across the team.
Offer regular coaching sessions focused on developing inclusive leadership mindsets and skills. These sessions can include one-on-one mentorship, group workshops, or scenario-based learning tailored to the SOMT’s specific challenges. By investing in continuous learning, the department ensures inclusive practices are embedded into everyday leadership behavior.
Inclusive leadership is not a practice to be ignored, it must be cultivated and emphasized throughout every organization to leverage talent and ensure all are afforded a voice. As for the SOMT, inclusive leadership is central to solving the strategic issue of low task completion. By cultivating a culture that values every voice, clarifies responsibilities collaboratively, and holds everyone equitably accountable, operational performance and morale will improve. Inclusive leadership bridges gaps – between shifts, between teams, between communication styles, and between expectations and execution – creating a team, a department, that operates not in silos, but in synchronized unity.