Inclusive, Intentional, Human: Leadership’s New Playbook

With workforce participation declining, generational expectations clashing, and artificial intelligence reshaping how we operate, the pressure on business leaders is mounting. Today’s organizations aren’t just facing a talent shortage, they’re also facing a shortage of future-ready leaders. Managers who simply direct tasks are no longer enough. Employees expect more: clarity, empathy, development, and purpose.

These themes emerged during a recent a recent webinar moderated by SHRM Linkage CEO Tamla Oates-Forney. The webinar featured leadership experts JoAnne Bass, founder of The Bass Group and former chief master sergeant in the U.S. Air Force; Brad Johnson, founder of Workplace Allies; and Susan Brady, CEO of Simmons University’s Institute for Inclusive Leadership. Their discussion explored how leadership must evolve to meet modern demands — and why the future belongs to those who lead with purpose.  

Leading with Intentionality

The traditional command-and-control model of leadership is no longer effective in today’s workplace. In an era defined by rapid change, declining trust in institutions, and an increasingly diverse workforce, leaders must do more than delegate.  

Leaders must model correct behavior, empower workers to reach their potential, and evolve as circumstances require. Bass underscored the need for leaders to be conscious and consistent in their actions. 

“You’ve got to be deliberate — whether it’s with your teams, your priorities, or your purpose,” she said. “When we model that as leaders, we set the tone for success.” 

Bass’ point was echoed by Johnson, who challenged organizations to re-evaluate their leadership assumptions. 

“What worked for your father or your grandfather probably won’t work for you,” he said. “A different suite of behaviors — empathy, curiosity, authenticity — is required if you want to be an effective, purposeful leader.”  

This type of purposeful leadership sets the tone for teams and organizations. When leaders embody the values they expect from others, such as clarity, consistency, and commitment, they create trust.

Self-Awareness as a Leadership Imperative 

Leadership begins with managing yourself, the panelists said. They added that purposeful leadership requires deep self-awareness. 

“Leadership is always symbiotic,” Brady said. “It begins with self-awareness and understanding your own patterns and strengths.”  

From that foundation, leaders can connect more effectively with others and create a culture of trust and clarity.

“You’ve got to be more self-aware if you want to be an excellent leader,” Johnson said.  

He challenged leaders to ask themselves: Do I learn about people who don’t look like me or who have different life experiences? True inclusive leadership, he noted, means developing a “bias for including” and actively checking with underrepresented groups to understand how organizational dynamics may be affecting their performance and well-being.

Johnson also pointed out that many organizations fail to prepare front-line managers for these nuanced challenges. “If your managers don’t understand concepts like the maternal wall, the motherhood penalty, or the importance of caregiving leave, then you’re not going to make real progress,” he said.  

Inclusive leadership can’t be a top-down directive — it must be modeled and practiced at every level of the organization.

Unlocking Human Potential 

Leaders who empower go beyond offering workers freedom to instead actively invest in their growth. Leadership today is less about directing and more about recognizing people’s potential and removing the barriers that prevent them from achieving it.

Johnson likened this approach to the “Michelangelo phenomenon.”  

“Michelangelo believed his sculptures already existed within the stone — his job was simply to chip away what was in the way. Great leaders do the same for their people — they discern what someone could become and then create the conditions to make that possible,” Johnson said.

This mindset was echoed by Bass, who distilled it into a single insight: “Great leaders don’t manage people, they unlock their people’s potential.” She emphasized that unlocking talent means knowing your team, aligning strengths to opportunities, and clearing outdated policies that stifle innovation and inclusion. 

Oates-Forney reinforced this mindset: “The higher you go, the more your success as a leader is going to be dependent on others.” That dependency isn’t a weakness — it’s a reality that calls on leaders to bring out the best in their teams. Leaders today must create the conditions for others to thrive, not just deliver the results themselves.

Rethinking Leadership Development 

Organizations can’t afford to treat leadership development as a luxury when so much of their growth depends on it. Organizations with highly effective people managers are nearly twice as likely to have employees who feel satisfied with their jobs and fulfilled by their work, according to SHRM’s Effective People Managers report. That’s not just a feel-good metric — it’s a cultural and performance differentiator.

Yet, many organizations still undervalue the very skills that drive this impact.  

Brady challenged the outdated “soft skills” label. These are “power skills,” she said.

“Empathy, communication, self-awareness — these are the skills that shape culture, build trust, and create inclusive workplaces,” she explained.  

These skills have significant influence on organizational culture and inclusion and can be harder to teach than technical know-how.

This process starts at the ground level. “People typically don’t leave their jobs — they leave their bosses,” Bass said. “Culture is set at the lowest level.”  

Developing front-line leaders results in everyday experiences that improve worker retention. Leaders who fail to set the tone for their organization via example may soon find themselves facing a turnover crisis.

To build a resilient and engaged workforce, companies must invest in leadership development that is inclusive, strategic, and grounded in human connection. 

The Competitive Advantage Is Human 

As leadership expectations evolve, so do the qualities most valued in future leaders. SHRM research published in 2023 revealed a shift away from traditional top-down leadership toward more visionary, inclusive, human-centered models.

These findings align with the call for leaders to think systemically, act with empathy, and guide teams through change, not just manage operations. These traits are capabilities that must be cultivated across all levels of leadership, not just in the C-suite.

Organizations that prioritize purposeful, inclusive leadership will not just adapt but thrive.  

“Our competitive advantage is human,” Brady said. That means fostering a culture in which people feel seen, heard, and supported.

But fostering such a workplace hasn’t always been treated as a business priority. Too many leadership models still rely on outdated assumptions that don’t reflect today’s workforce realities. As Bass said, “You’re never too young to lead and you’re never too old to learn.”  

Evolving your leadership means embracing new mindsets, developing new capabilities, and staying committed to growth at every level.

Ready to Lead with Purpose?

Discover how empathy, vulnerability, and agility can drive results. Explore SHRM’s article on purposeful leadership and learn Oates-Forney’s three-step framework for developing leaders who inspire, support, and elevate those around them.