Are you struggling to get your team to perform at its best? Are you unsure about how to unlock the potential of each individual? This week’s guest says the key is inclusive leadership.

Meet Kelli Lester. Kelli is co-founder and partner of Onyx Rising, a change management consulting firm specializing in individual, team, and organizational behavior transformation. Her “occupassion” lies in fostering environments where inclusive leadership thrives, leveraging over two decades of experience to drive meaningful progress.

In this week’s episode, Kelli and I explore what inclusive leadership really looks like, the traits that define it, and the role leaders play in making everyone feel seen, heard, and valued.

Kelli also illustrates how inclusion isn’t just about people—it’s about ideas and perspectives, too. Plus, in the extended episode available to Podcast+ members, she dives deeper into five other inclusive leadership traits and shares how to navigate style differences without friction.

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Conversation Topics

(00:00) Introduction
(02:13) What is inclusive leadership?
(06:18) Inclusive leadership begins with self-awareness
(08:49) What an inclusive workplace really looks like
(14:04) Inclusion goes beyond people—it’s about ideas, too
(19:35) Why inclusive leadership matters
(23:13) A real-life story of inclusion at work
(27:53) A great manager Kelli has worked for
(30:17) Keep up with Kelli
(30:43) [Extended Episode Only] Other inclusive leadership traits that every manager can embody
(37:34) [Extended Episode Only] Navigating style differences without friction

Additional Resources:

- Get the extended episode by joining The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community for just $15 per month

- Read the full transcript here

- Follow me on Instagram here

- Visit my website for more here

- Upskill your team here

- Subscribe to my YouTube Channel here

Keep up with Kelli Lester

- Follow Kelli on LinkedIn here

- Achieve financial empowerment with Onyx Rising’s Money Matters here

- Visit Onyx Rising for more information here

FREE Inclusive Leadership Traits Assessment

Kelli is providing members of Podcast+ her Inclusive Leadership Traits Assessment. The PDF includes an overview of inclusive leadership traits and a self-assessment to help you identify areas for improvement.

To get this bonus and many other member benefits, become a member of The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community.

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The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast for rockstar managers who want to create a working environment where people thrive, and great work gets done.

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353: How to Be a More Inclusive Leader with Kelli Lester

The Modern Manager