ABSTRACT
This chapter takes a relational communication perspective on two critical qualities of inclusive leadership in complex times: vulnerability and integrity. Leaders today face adaptive challenges, situations in which there is no clear answer and that require experimentation and improvisation. Adaptive challenges often involve a degree of complexity that is best addressed by bringing together different perspectives. The process of leading inclusively involves creating the conditions that increase the likelihood that differences will be noticed, sought out, and valued and shaping cultures that secure the scaffolding that supports those conditions. The relational communication perspective suggests that inclusive leadership is something we create in relationships—in the rhythm of relational practices—to foster the conditions for engaging the strengths and full capacity of all people in the organization. Doing this requires both vulnerability and integrity to the continuous exploration of leadership behaviors, processes, and actions that foster inclusive cultures.
