A recent study showed that employees who work for organizations that promote an inclusive and safe environment for LGBT people are more productive and engaged than those working for companies without such policies.
Many businesses still fail to create these conditions. Some managers believe they cannot control what their subordinates do during non-work hours. Others think it is not their place to intervene in personal matters. This mindset can prevent them from developing a culture where everyone feels comfortable being themselves and open about their identity. The result? A lack of psychological safety, inclusion, and trust.
If a manager ignores or criticizes jokes or comments made against gay people, it will discourage others from speaking up. Inclusivity means accepting all identities and recognizing their unique needs. Managers must lead by example and actively seek out new perspectives. They should also ensure that their teams have access to resources and support services.
Leadership Behaviors that Foster Inclusion and Psychological Safety
The key behaviors leaders can adopt to foster inclusion and psychological safety include creating a positive tone, promoting team engagement, encouraging participation, building rapport, providing feedback, offering support, valuing differences, and addressing conflict constructively. Creating a positive tone involves setting clear expectations, expressing appreciation, acknowledging successes, celebrating diversity, and fostering collaboration. It means treating everyone fairly, respectfully, and with dignity, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Team engagement includes inviting participation, listening actively, welcoming diverse opinions, and involving all members in decision-making processes. Encouraging participation means ensuring every voice is heard equally, avoiding dominance and domination, and creating opportunities for individuals to contribute ideas. Building rapport involves connecting with each person on an emotional level, understanding their backgrounds and experiences, sharing stories, and showing empathy. Providing feedback involves giving direct, honest, timely, and helpful input, while offering support means being there when needed, providing guidance, and empowering employees to take risks. Valuing differences involves embracing individual uniqueness and recognizing the benefits of diversity, and addressing conflict constructively entails resolving disputes peacefully and productively.
Barriers to Psychological Safety
Several barriers prevent businesses from developing inclusive and safe environments. These include ignorance, fear, stereotypes, biases, discrimination, prejudice, and microaggressions. Ignorance refers to the lack of knowledge about LGBT issues, while fear involves feeling uncomfortable discussing these topics openly. Stereotypes are assumptions based on generalizations, biases are negative attitudes toward certain groups, and prejudice is discriminatory behavior against them. Microaggressions are subtle insults that may not seem malicious but still hurt feelings. Business leaders can overcome such barriers by educating themselves and their teams, acknowledging past mistakes, seeking out different perspectives, addressing disrespectful language or behaviors, challenging homophobic/transphobic remarks, and holding everyone accountable. They should also provide training on how to create a more inclusive workplace, promote allyship, establish clear policies, offer safe spaces for discussion, and encourage team members to report incidents.
Managers must actively promote an inclusive and psychologically safe environment for all workers, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. To do so, they should adopt positive leadership behaviors such as creating a positive tone, promoting engagement, encouraging participation, building rapport, providing feedback, offering support, valuing differences, and addressing conflict constructively.
Several barriers may hinder this process, including ignorance, fear, stereotypes, biases, discrimination, and microaggressions. Leaders must overcome these obstacles through education, accountability, and action to foster inclusion and safety in the workplace.
Which leadership behaviors best foster inclusion and psychological safety for LGBT personnel?
Leadership behaviors that best promote an inclusive environment and psychological safety for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) personnel include providing a sense of belonging, encouraging open communication, supporting advocacy for LGBT rights, celebrating diversity and differences, embracing diverse perspectives, and taking action against discrimination and harassment.