Over a five-year partnership with an innovative construction company, we conducted an in-depth current state analysis using web-based surveys, focus groups, targeted interviews, and a comprehensive review of existing policies. The insights gathered served as the foundation for developing targeted Inclusive Leader training programs for the top three tiers of leadership.

Approach:
To ensure the training initiatives were impactful and sustainable, we established clear accountability metrics that aligned directly with the company’s business objectives. The inclusion strategy was seamlessly integrated into their core leadership practices, emphasizing measurable outcomes.

Solution:
We introduced Inclusive Leader Cohorts, a transformative initiative that combined personalized coaching with three in-person cohort meetings. This approach focused on enhancing self-awareness and leadership effectiveness. Additionally, the Inclusive Leader 360 program enabled participants to gain insights into their strengths and identify areas for growth, particularly in understanding the gaps between their self-perception and how they were viewed by their teams.

Impact:
Leaders, who traditionally took a pragmatic, results-focused approach, experienced significant breakthroughs in understanding the tangible value of inclusion, diversity, and equity. Rather than viewing these concepts as abstract ideals, they began to recognize them as essential components that drive business success.

The initiative equipped leaders to broaden their perspectives, enhancing their capability to attract and harness a more diverse talent pool. By embedding inclusion into their business strategy, the company turned it into a powerful catalyst for innovation and sustained competitive advantage. This shift led to more effective leadership and long-term organizational growth.

Overview:
We began our partnership by developing the organization’s first comprehensive baseline strategy aligned with overall organization development. In addition, we recommended aligning these efforts with the evolving needs of their clients. To ensure the sustainability of this strategy, we collaborated closely with the executive team to design robust accountability measures, embedding inclusion efforts across all levels of the organization.

Organizational Culture Change:
One of the greatest challenges for highly successful companies, particularly in professional services firms, is acknowledging areas for improvement. Our current state analysis—incorporating web-based surveys, focus groups, targeted interviews, and a thorough review of existing policies—revealed a significant lack of diversity, with very few women and only one person of color in leadership.

Challenge:
The biggest hurdle was overcoming resistance among the managing partners, who often questioned the need for change. Addressing these sensitive issues required a high level of finesse and sophistication to guide leadership toward recognizing opportunities for growth and alignment with client expectations.

Approach:
We utilized a strategic approach to address these sensitive challenges, helping leaders reflect on their current practices and identify gaps. By emphasizing data-driven insights and the direct link between inclusion, client satisfaction, and business performance, we shifted the focus towards a more inclusive culture.

Solution:
Through a series of targeted discussions and tailored strategic sessions, we worked with the firm’s leadership to challenge existing mindsets. The focus was on creating sustainable action plans that aligned inclusion initiatives with business goals, ensuring long-term integration.

Impact:
This engagement set the foundation for a shift in leadership attitudes, opening the door for future diversity and inclusion initiatives. By leveraging our nuanced understanding of the firm’s culture, we successfully navigated resistance and laid the groundwork for more inclusive leadership practices, ultimately positioning the firm to better serve its diverse client base.

National Electric Company

Over a three-year partnership, I led an enterprise-wide transformation spanning field supervisors through the C-Suite, integrating Inclusion & Diversity, Leadership Development & Coaching, and Organizational Development into core business strategy.

Inclusion & Diversity (Enterprise Integration)

Partnered with the Equity Committee to move IDE from concept to execution—embedding inclusion into leadership competencies, succession planning, governance structures, and executive scorecards. Reframed IDE as a measurable business discipline tied directly to operational and financial performance.

Leadership Development & Executive Coaching

Designed and delivered a three-month C-Suite cohort integrating the Inclusive Leader 360, executive coaching, and peer learning. Strengthened strategic decision-making and clarified the distinct business value of inclusion and diversity. Executive alignment shifted from skepticism to ownership, resulting in a metrics-driven roadmap with defined accountability.

Extended structured cohort development to the next leadership tier, addressing resistance through business-case rigor and targeted coaching to strengthen leadership effectiveness.

Organizational Development & Systems Alignment

Aligned culture strategy with enterprise KPIs, performance systems, and field operations. Integrated inclusion expectations into frontline leadership norms and accountability processes, ensuring consistency between executive intent and operational execution.

Impact

• Enterprise-wide adoption of a metrics-driven Inclusion & Diversity strategy

• Strengthened executive leadership capability and coaching culture

• Organizational systems aligned to support sustainable culture change

• Reduced ideological resistance; increased strategic clarity and performance focus

Development & Executive Coaching, and Organizational Development to strengthen culture, innovation, and operational performance.

Approach

The initiative moved beyond traditional diversity tracking to embed inclusion into everyday leadership behavior and decision-making.

Through structured cohort sessions and targeted executive engagement, we strengthened leadership capability while reframing inclusion as a driver of business outcomes rather than representation alone.

In parallel, inclusion expectations were aligned with leadership competencies, cross-functional collaboration, and strategic priorities—advancing sustainable organizational development across the enterprise.

Solution

Delivered customized Conscious Inclusion sessions tailored to distinct operational contexts:

• Manufacturing leaders applied inclusive leadership behaviors to improve team performance and productivity.

• Patient-facing teams strengthened inclusive interactions to enhance patient outcomes.

• Global executives engaged in strategic sessions linking inclusion to innovation, risk mitigation, and vaccine development.

At each level, leadership development and executive coaching reinforced measurable business impact through disciplined inclusion practices and structural organizational alignment.

Impact

Leadership mindset shifted from compliance-based diversity metrics to performance-driven inclusion. Executive and frontline capability strengthened through structured leadership development and coaching. Inclusion became embedded in enterprise norms, innovation strategy, and cross-functional collaboration—advancing long-term organizational effectiveness.

The result was a more agile, innovation-ready culture where inclusion functioned as a core driver of leadership effectiveness and enterprise performance.

By aligning inclusive leadership practices with the company’s overarching mission, we enabled leaders to see the direct link between a culture of inclusion and enhanced talent development, innovation, and overall business success. This transformation helped position the organization as a leader in both diversity and inclusion, with a clear focus on sustainable growth and impact in the global healthcare industry.

Global Agricultural Company | Enterprise Leadership

Overview

Over a four-year engagement, we partnered with the executive team and their direct reports at a leading global agricultural company to implement InclusionINC’s highly researched Inclusive Leader 360 across the Agricultural division worldwide.

The initiative strengthened leadership effectiveness while embedding inclusion as a strategic capability across global operations.

Approach

The Inclusive Leader 360 was delivered as a structured three-month leadership journey, combining individual executive coaching with three in-person cohort sessions per group.

Leaders assessed their strengths and uncovered perception gaps—particularly the differences between how they viewed their leadership and how their teams experienced it.

The work reinforced leadership development, strengthened coaching discipline, and aligned inclusion behaviors with enterprise performance expectations.

Inclusive Leader 360 Insights

As seen in similar global engagements, leaders experienced meaningful mindset shifts.

A key finding revealed that perception gaps were largely driven by differences in thinking styles. Many high-performing leaders operated with a fast-paced, decisive style, often perceiving alternative viewpoints or slower alignment processes as barriers to progress.

Through structured reflection and coaching, leaders learned to recognize diverse thinking styles as performance multipliers rather than obstacles.

Impact

Leaders expanded their ability to leverage diversity of thought to strengthen decision quality and innovation.

Inclusion became embedded not as a cultural initiative, but as a core leadership competency tied directly to strategy, talent development, and competitive advantage.

The organization strengthened its global leadership bench and positioned diversity of thought as a catalyst for sustained innovation in the agricultural market.

Overview

A prominent law firm engaged our services to evaluate its overall culture of inclusion and address challenges related to the retention of women and people of color. Our collaboration involved Managing Partners, the Inclusion and Diversity Steering Team, and practice leaders to identify best practices and pinpoint areas requiring greater accountability.

Current State Analysis

Our analysis revealed critical issues within the firm's culture:

1. The "Exclusive Culture": The most profitable practice group consisted entirely of men with similar backgrounds and interests. Within the firm, this group was colloquially referred to as having a “bro culture.” It was widely recognized that breaking into this practice was nearly impossible for individuals outside this demographic.

2. Intern Retention Challenges: Despite a robust internship program, there was a troubling pattern of interns of color leaving shortly after being hired into the practice. This raised concerns about onboarding, inclusion, and equitable support.

Key Challenges

1. Resistance to Change: Partners within the highly profitable practice group resisted any changes, questioning the need for disruption with statements like, “Why mess with a good thing?” and “We hire the best!” They feared that changes might negatively impact their pay.

2. Performance Perception: New hires, particularly those from underrepresented groups, were perceived as making more mistakes and being slower compared to their colleagues. This perception was often tied to a lack of informal mentoring and support.

Approach

1. Identifying Cultural Barriers: Through in-depth analysis, we identified that success within the firm was heavily influenced by informal cultural norms. New hires who lacked pre-existing friendships or professional connections within the firm were not afforded the same informal mentoring opportunities. This created a significant gap in their ability to integrate and perform.

2. Addressing the "Tough Nut": The all-male, highly profitable practice group presented a unique challenge. This group’s structure clashed with the firm’s newly established supplier diversity standards, exposing a misalignment between the firm’s stated values and its practices.

Solution

1. Fostering Inclusive Mentorship: We developed initiatives to establish structured mentoring programs, ensuring new hires received the same informal guidance and support as their peers. This involved creating safe spaces for new employees to ask questions and seek advice without fear of judgment.

2. Aligning Practices with Values: Through targeted workshops, we worked with the all-male practice group to address their resistance. These sessions highlighted the risks of maintaining exclusionary practices and demonstrated the long-term business benefits of aligning with the firm’s supplier diversity standards.

3. Implementing Measurable Goals: The firm adopted actionable strategies, such as setting specific retention and development metrics for underrepresented groups. These goals provided accountability and a clear roadmap for progress.

Impact

1. Enhanced Retention of Diverse Talent: The introduction of structured mentoring programs significantly improved the retention rates of interns and new hires from underrepresented groups, creating a more equitable and supportive workplace.

2. Cultural Shift Within Leadership: The workshops and discussions with leadership teams led to a tangible shift in attitudes, fostering greater accountability for creating an inclusive culture across all practice groups.

3. Alignment with Business Objectives: By addressing misalignments between the firm’s values and practices, the engagement positioned the firm to meet supplier diversity standards and better serve a diverse client base. This alignment also bolstered the firm’s reputation in the legal industry.

4. Sustainable Change: The implementation of measurable goals and actionable strategies provided a foundation for ongoing improvements, ensuring that inclusion remains a key component of the firm’s long-term success.