Imagine a quiet Sunday afternoon as you stroll along the city streets in your sweatshirt and sneakers. You spot an ice cream shop and think, “That would make a great addition to my day.”

However, as you try to enter, you notice the door is locked. After about 10 minutes of pushing and waving wildly at the store manager, you finally get in. Already flustered and questioning your decision, you realise that the store caters exclusively to a more formal crowd.

Everyone inside is dressed in suits and fancy dresses.

You walk up to the counter to place an order, but the chaos and noise make it nearly impossible to be heard. After several attempts, you walk away unnoticed, feeling alienated and frustrated.

What a dismal way to spend your Sunday—and an all-too-real example of what exclusion feels like.

But now, imagine an alternative world:
● Access: The door opens automatically for everyone, no matter how they’re dressed or where they come from.
● Representation: The store is filled with people who look like you, making you feel seen and welcome.
● Empowerment: You walk confidently to the counter, knowing your presence matters and your voice will be heard.
● Responsive action: The server listens attentively, responding to your needs and requests.
● Power: You have the power to create your own custom flavour, influencing the store’s offerings.

This vision of inclusion—where everyone is empowered, respected, and heard—can be translated into real-world action through the POWER framework. These principles of Power Sharing, Opportunity, Wider Representation, Expression and Responsive Action are drawn from social justice theories, and they offer actionable steps for creating inclusive spaces, whether in a team, organisation, or community.

Let’s break down what these principles look like in practice, and explore how you can apply them within your own leadership and organisational strategies.

1. Access – Equitable Access to Opportunities
Everyone must have equitable access to opportunities. We must intentionally identify and address systemic barriers that unintentionally exclude marginalised groups from opportunities, resources, and support.

Guiding Questions:

• How inclusive are our recruitment, training, career progression, and other opportunity policies? Are we unintentionally excluding certain groups? 
• How often do we audit our systems and policies to ensure that people from all backgrounds—regardless of race, gender, disability, or socioeconomic status—have access? 
• Do we have targeted programs, resources, or mentorship for marginalised groups to ensure they can succeed? 

What this can look like:
● Implementing “blind hiring” practices to reduce bias.
● Regular audits to address gender equality, pay equity, and inclusion at all organisational levels.

2. Representation – Wider Visibility and Validation
To foster safety and inclusion, people must see themselves or others like them represented in the spaces where they work and live. Representation is about validating diverse identities and ensuring people feel that they belong.

Guiding Questions:

• Is our leadership team diverse, and do underrepresented groups have access to leadership development pathways? 
• Are our organisational policies and culture validating and reflective of the diverse identities of our employees and customers? 
• Are our communication materials (e.g., language, imagery) inclusive of different communities? 

What this can look like:
● Increasing visible, diverse leadership across all organisational levels.
● Sharing career stories from a wide range of employees to showcase the diversity of experiences and backgrounds.

3. Expression – Creating Platforms for Expression
Once people have access to opportunities, they must have a voice. Organisations should create spaces where individuals feel safe to speak out without fear of harm or retaliation.

Guiding Questions:

• Do we have clear, accessible channels for employees to share feedback, concerns, and ideas? 
• How can we ensure these channels feel safe and encourage open, honest communication?
• Are we aware of any cultural, social, or psychological barriers that prevent certain groups from speaking up?

What this can look like:
● Regular pulse checks on employee wellbeing in team meetings or forums.
● Leaders role-modelling active listening, asking for input, and giving constructive feedback.
● Creating “listening circles” or “Human Library” style sessions that foster understanding and allow for deeper exploration of diversity.

4. Responsive action – Respectful Listening and Responsive Action

Having a voice is not enough. Organisations must not only hear people but also respect and respond to what they hear. Leaders should make accommodations and adjustments based on the input of marginalised voices.

Guiding Questions:

• How do we actively listen to feedback, particularly from marginalised groups, and show that their voices are valued? 
• Do we have processes in place to ensure feedback is acted upon in a timely manner? 
• How do we create transparent feedback loops where employees see that their input leads to real change?

What this can look like:
● Transparent processes for collecting and acting on feedback, especially for underrepresented voices.
● Establishing clear norms to discourage microaggressions and foster a culture of accountability.

5. Power – Distributing and Sharing Power
Power structures within organisations are often limiting and ingrained in hierarchical systems. To create real change, voices from all levels must be heard and taken into account. Without power, voices cannot change the system.

Guiding Questions:

• How can we flatten traditional hierarchical structures to create shared leadership and decision-making? 
• What actions are we taking to empower employees at all levels to take on leadership roles and influence decisions?
• How do we ensure that leadership development opportunities and decision-making power are distributed equitably across the organisation?

What this can look like:
● Facilitating shared agenda-setting for meetings and decision-making processes.
● Offering flexible work arrangements and clear performance criteria focused on task completion and quality rather than just traditional measures of success.

Inclusive leadership requires more than just surface-level efforts like unconscious bias training or diversity committees. It starts with deep self-reflection, evaluating organisational values, and shifting mindsets toward equity and inclusion.

Yes, it is a sustained program of work—but when we focus on equity, inclusion, and shared power, the results speak for themselves. Teams thrive, organisations perform better, and individuals experience greater wellbeing.

It’s time to create workplaces that empower everyone—not just those in positions of privilege.