Join me, Susan Ireland, for my mind-shifting discussion with Sile Walsh about helping leaders enhance their inclusion practices in the workplace. Sile throws away the blame game when it comes to inclusivity and instead encourages a model of thinking that inclusivity helps everyone do their jobs better. She roots her practical advice in real-world solutions, challenging us to pursue the best thing we can do with our reality versus chasing golden solutions. She brings a new approach to inclusivity in leadership and the workplace that will change how you approach your own leadership.

Show Notes
(2:52) Sile shares, from her years of experience working with leaders, that the main challenges leaders face come down to core things including learning to be inclusive or engaging in inclusivity. The simple idea she promotes is if you include people in the solution, the solution will be more effective.

(6:00) The inclusivity gap, Sile asserts exists when leaders question, “what does inclusivity have to do with my job?” We talk about how to help people see that inclusivity helps you be a better leader and accomplish your job more effectively.

(9:39) Sile breaks down some of the 13 practices and principles for effective leadership, arguing that if a leader is not effective, it is because they are not following or practicing one of these practices or principles. She advocates for finding solutions rooted in reality – what is the best thing we can do with this reality versus chasing golden solutions.

(13:40) Inclusion is an invitation to co-create your workplace reality. Sile shares examples of how people from different experiences also have different expectations and how we most co-create spaces for everyone to feel safe to participate.

(19:38) Sile shares inspiring advice on how to shift your mindset from “people are hard to reach” to “needing to get better at having conversations that result in inclusion.” If we think about inclusion as a leadership practice, we can then work to close the gap.

(23:55) What parts of you do you reject? Sile talks through a thought exercise all leaders should face before working on inclusion – identifying what needs of their own do they first reject?

(29:07) What’s in it for me? We discuss how to motivate leaders to seek inclusion because it is good for their work (and how blame and shame don’t work to motivate this needed change).

About Sile: Sile Walsh specializes in inclusive Leadership. She is a lecturer, facilitator, coach and consultant and has worked internationally with over 22k leaders and organizations for over a decade. Sile is a PhD candidate studying inclusive leadership in the school of psychology and has a professional background in coaching psychology and organizational development.

Resources:
Website: silewalsh.com

Join Debbie Collard and Susan Ireland, certified coaches and co-founders of Seasons Leadership, in making positive leadership the norm rather than the exception on Wednesdays on the Seasons Leadership Podcast. (Selected by Feedspot as one of the Top 15 Positive Leadership Podcasts on the web!)

And now you can join our community of values-based leaders on Seasons Leadership Patreon at Patreon.com/seasonsleadership. At our gold-level, unlock our exclusive Lessons in Leadership Column from our Resident Seasoned Leader David Spong, a lifetime member of the Board of the Malcom Baldrige Foundation and our Leadership Elements Series.

Join us as we respond to listener questions and recount our unique journeys— how Susan's passion for Program Management and Business Operations catapulted her into executive roles, while Debbie’s early leadership duties in the military set a foundation she hadn't anticipated. This episode we dive deep and share more of our stories delivering on our promise to the Seasons Leadership community we made at the beginning of the year. Lots of our answers are connected to why we started Seasons Leadership to help you proactively steer your career to make a meaningful impact.

Questions
(0:55) How did you decide to be a leader and an executive and what advice would you give yourself earlier in your career?

(6:30) If you had a time machine what is the inflection point in your career that you would reapproach?

(10:50) What brings you joy in retirement that wasn't in your baseline plan?

(13:30) What do you wish you knew about business management or leadership earlier in your career?

(16:35) Who are your leadership role models?

(20:25) What was the defining moment for you in your career and why?

Resources:

Seasons Leadership: www.seasonsleadership.com
Seasons Leadership Patreon Community: www.patreon.com/seasonsleadership

Join Debbie Collard and Susan Ireland, certified coaches and co-founders of Seasons Leadership, in making positive leadership the norm rather than the exception on Wednesdays on the Seasons Leadership Podcast. (Selected by Feedspot as one of the Top 15 Positive Leadership Podcasts on the web!)

And now you can join our community of values-based leaders on Seasons Leadership Patreon at Patreon.com/seasonsleadership. At our gold-level, unlock our exclusive Lessons in Leadership Column from our Resident Seasoned Leader David Spong, a lifetime member of the Board of the Malcom Baldrige Foundation and our Leadership Elements Series.

Join us for our high energy discussion of the season of summer and get inspired to make the most of the season. We talk about the cyclical nature of the seasons, define summer and encourage you to ride the ebb and flow. We dive into how summer vibes bring a sense of flourishing and fun. Summer is a great time for discovery and cultivating new ideas and inspiration. Need more inspiration? Listen to our summer playlist and send us your additions - we would love to include your favorite songs of the season. We also preview what is coming next for Seasons Leadership - three new Leadership Elements for our Patreon community (join today!) and our Elemental Leadership course. Listen in or watch and get in on the summer fun. This episode is packed with valuable lessons to help you embrace change and make the most of every season in your leadership journey.

Resources:

Seasons Leadership Summer Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/01sJYDm5FRlTvHTK9av0JH?si=fc09c36155d24e2d

Seasons Leadership Patreon Community: www.patreon.com/seasonsleadership

Summer Rerun | The Almanac | Seasons Leadership Program

Join Debbie Collard and Susan Ireland, certified coaches and co-founders of Seasons Leadership, in making positive leadership the norm rather than the exception on Wednesdays on the Seasons Leadership Podcast. (Selected by Feedspot as one of the Top 15 Positive Leadership Podcasts on the web!)

And now you can join our community of values-based leaders on Seasons Leadership Patreon at Patreon.com/seasonsleadership. At our gold-level, unlock our exclusive Lessons in Leadership Column from our Resident Seasoned Leader David Spong, a lifetime member of the Board of the Malcom Baldrige Foundation and our Leadership Elements Series.