This week, we release chapter 4 and worksheet 4 of the Mass Action Toolkit. Many of the ideas developed in this chapter build on what we read in chapter 3. Happy reading, and as always, you are invited to share thoughts/comments/ideas below.
Chapter 4 tweetchat will take place June 10.
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Inclusive Leadership: Avoiding a Legacy of Irrelevance
Written by Chris Taylor
This chapter focuses on inclusive leadership for organizational change in museums. Oftentimes “inclusion” is discussed in the context of how museums can be more inclusive towards “non-traditional” museum visitors and audiences, but this chapter emphasizes the necessity of building inclusion into museum structures for internal transformation. Museums in the 21st century facing challenges of diversity, inclusion, equity, and access require strong leaders that have the courage and commitment to challenge dominant organizational paradigms and practices in a sustained, continual process of change. Developing inclusive leadership happens at the individual, team/group, and organizational levels. Museum leaders need to build their own individual human capacity of knowledge, skills, and attitudes, as well as strengthen organizational capacity by empowering and nurturing growth of their staff. This involves the ability to address and work through adaptive challenges—ones that confront people’s fundamental beliefs, attitudes, and values. Inclusive leaders must be able to examine deeply held beliefs and values on a personal and organizational level, and when challenged, be able to engage in critical self-reflection to continue learning and growth. Inclusive leaders must also be willing to listen and trust other members of their organization, recognizing and addressing their own unconscious biases, blind spots, and dominant ideologies that may counter progressive, equitable work. This chapter makes clear that inclusion cannot simply be an aspirational goal of an organization. Inclusive practices and cultures must be built into the structures of the museum first.
This week’s downloads and link:
the incluseum 