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# 3 Inclusive leadership in challenging circumstances

Figure 7

In the previous activity you considered how professional discussions can be quite closed affairs. This might have made you think back to the video in activity 1 which talked about groupthink. This concept emerged from the field of psychology (Janis, 1982) and means a group has eight supposed symptoms:

1. a sense of invulnerability
2. moral superiority
3. explaining away things that are contrary to the dominant view
4. a stereotyped views of others
5. self censorship of deviations from the group consensus
6. a shared illusion of unanimity
7. putting pressure on dissenters
8. a collective, protective set of beliefs that keeps away uncomfortable information.

The evidence to support the existence of these 8 symptoms is very limited however, as well as disagreements about the nature of what groupthink might actually involve. For example, studies from health settings suggest its impact on clinical and educational outcomes is unclear, with some researchers suggesting benefits can arise from a group’s unified position (DiPierro et al, 2022). Even if the existence of groupthink can be questioned, there is less doubt about the existence of power structures within group contexts that marginalise (or maintain the marginalisation) of particular people or views. In considering how we can challenge such power dynamics, it is useful to recognise that each member of a group has a range of understandings. For instance, there will be varying understandings of the team itself, of roles in it and varying perceptions of other people’s understandings. Van Knippenberg & van Ginkel (2022) suggest that in trying to develop collective and shared understandings, leaders can advocate for their own view of the team and teamwork. They can also invite diverse input and encourage discussion which brings together those perspectives, followed by a discussion of the team process, what to aim for and how to achieve this, and to reflect upon experiences and insights that have emerged from previous developments. This will further underline that different members know different things and have different experiences of seeming similar events. They suggest its positive effects will be strongest for people from historically marginalised groups, and consequently will emphasise inclusive principles in action.

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OpenLearn - Inclusive Leadership: Effecting change
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