The author’s stated goal is “to help you overcome any apprehension, discomfort, or inertia you may have about the work of inclusive leadership.” Does she achieve this? I’d say so.

As with all great books on leadership, this one calls for a great deal of self-examination and humility. That’s where we begin. The initial chapters focus on personal growth, and they speak to all — not just those in management roles. Everyone is better off for being able to name and improve their emotional responses, to be able to deal with difficult or uncomfortable conversations, and to improve their listening skills. I particularly enjoyed Chapter Two, “Getting Uncomfortable: Moving Boldly Toward Discomfort,” and I immediately applied several of the insights and practice tips from Chapter Three on better listening.

The second portion of the book is about making connections with people. How authentic and open are we? Do we show compassion? What is appropriate compassion in the workplace? And do we limit some of all those characteristics to people who are like us? That common weakness must be overcome for those embracing inclusivity. Norman explores strength and weakness as it relates to those character traits and offers very practical bite-size ideas for growing our own abilities.

To conclude, the obvious next step is putting all that into action with inclusive team dynamics. The chapter on going beyond mentoring to become a sponsor and ally was fresh and insightful for me, as was the one on creating a psychologically safe environment. I haven’t seen those topics explained so clearly and simply. Once teams are safe spaces, Norman encourages levity and joy: “Laughter and playfulness also contribute to joy at work.” I wholeheartedly agree. As if the book wasn’t practical already, the portion on running inclusive meetings (online and off) was top notch.