Symmetra was very proud to be the guest speaker at the, ‘It’s a matter of trust: The Great Attraction,’ event hosted by Herbert Smith Freehills.

Our senior executive facilitator, Deb Assheton, spoke about the concurrent adaptive challenges being faced by organisations right now—COVID-19, #BLM, Climate Change, #metoo—and how inclusive leadership can support us in navigating these challenges.

Adaptive challenges are more ambiguous and complex than technical challenges, and no one person has the answer, in fact, there is no one right answer. Leaders need to access Diversity of Thought to be able to adapt and keep adapting to these challenges.

What makes this a critical imperative is that we are seeing a strong growing trend toward what McKinsey calls Inclusive Customers. These are customers who want to use their wallets to drive change and are on the hunt for companies whose brand and values are aligned.

Simultaneously, we are also seeing an upsurge in desire and expectations among employees to find meaning and purpose in their work. Further, when employees don’t see their organisations’ actions having a positive impact on people and the planet, there is an emergence of employee activism in response.

Deb explained how inclusion is being used by progressive organisations to adapt to all this disruptive change through tapping into the Diversity of Thought in their consumer base and how that provides meaning for and resonates with the purpose of employees. Workforce inclusion and customer inclusion are operating harmoniously as a virtuous cycle creating a very powerful tool that can help teams find a way in these challenging and demanding times.

Is your organisation consciously stepping up to create this virtuous cycle?