Creating Inclusive Cultures: A Governance Playbook for Executive Teams
Inclusion doesn’t happen by accident—it requires intentional governance, executive ownership, and organization-wide engagement. This playbook offers a proven framework for building and sustaining inclusive leadership through a structured, scalable approach that connects strategy, behavior, and culture.
Built on four core principles—purposeful leadership, personal change, broad engagement, and systemic alignment—the playbook outlines how organizations can drive real progress by activating three key governance structures:
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Executive Leadership Team (ELT): Senior leaders set the tone by linking inclusion to business outcomes, modeling vulnerability, and aligning the leadership agenda with inclusive goals.
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Inclusive Leadership Council: A formal group that supports cross-functional accountability, measures impact, and creates upward and downward communication across the organization.
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Employee Resource Groups (ERGs): Grassroots communities that foster belonging, build leadership capability, and serve as incubators for allyship and innovation.
Together, these structures create a surround-sound effect—cascading inclusion from the top, amplifying voices from the bottom, and aligning the middle. Designed for organizations at any stage of their journey, this playbook helps leaders cut through complexity and commit to inclusive leadership as a strategic, measurable priority.