Inclusify: The Power of Uniqueness and Belonging to Build Innovative Teams

Wall Street Journal Bestseller

In this groundbreaking guide, a management expert outlines the transformative leadership skill of tomorrow—a new framework for diversity and inclusion that can make it possible to build truly diverse teams which value employees’ need to belong while being themselves.  

Humans have two basic desires: to stand out and to fit in. Companies respond by creating groups that tend to the extreme—where everyone fits in and no one stands out, or where everyone stands out and no one fits in. How do we find that happy medium where workers can demonstrate their individuality while also feeling they belong?

The answer, according to Stefanie Johnson, is to Inclusify. In this essential handbook, she explains what it means to Inclusify and how it can be used to strengthen any business and improve company culture. Inclusifying—unlike “diversifying” or “including”― implies a continuous, sustained effort towards helping diverse teams feel engaged, empowered, accepted, and valued. It’s no use having diversity if everyone feels like an outsider, she contends.

In her research, Johnson found common problems leaders exhibit which frustrate their attempts to create diverse and cohesive teams. Leaders that underestimated the importance of group coherence and dynamics often have employees who do not feel like they belong; leaders that ignore the benefits of listening to different perspectives leave some people feeling like they cannot be their authentic selves.

By contrast, leaders who Inclusify can forge strong relationships with their teams, inspire greater productivity from all of their workers, and create a more positive environment for everyone. Having a true range of different voices is good for the bottom line—it allows for the development of the best, most innovative, and creative solutions that are essential to success. 

Inclusify reveals the unexpected ways that well-intentioned leaders undermine their teams, explains how to recognize the myths and misperceptions that drive these behaviors, and provides practical leadership strategies to become an Inclusifyer. By learning why uniqueness and belonging are so imperative, leaders can better understand what makes their employees tick and find ways to encourage them to be themselves while ensuring they feel like they are fully part of the group. The result is a fully engaged team with improved employee engagement and diverse perspectives—the key to creating innovative and imaginative ideas that drive value.

Inclusify provides a practical roadmap for leaders ready to build stronger, more innovative teams by mastering:

• The Uniqueness & Belonging Framework: Learn why the two most basic human drives―to stand out and to fit in―are the key to unlocking the full potential of your workforce.
• Actionable Leadership Strategies: Discover practical, evidence-based techniques to address the common mistakes that undermine diverse teams and foster a truly inclusive company culture.
• Breaking Unconscious Bias: Move beyond buzzwords with a clear guide to recognizing and mitigating the hidden biases that affect hiring, promotion, and team dynamics.
• Six Leadership Archetypes: Identify your own leadership style―from Meritocracy Manager to Culture Crusader―and learn how to pivot toward more effective and inclusive behaviors.

Stefanie Johnson is an Associate Professor of Management at the Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado Boulder. Johnson has received several million dollars in federal and other grant funding to study leadership and create leadership development programs. Her work has been featured in The Economist, Newsweek, Time, and CNN. Stefanie lives in the Boulder Bubble in Colorado with her family.