What if inclusion isn’t just about fairness — it’s the key to unlocking peak performance? In this episode of Rotman Visiting Experts, Brett Hendrie sits down with Anne Chow, former CEO of AT&T Business and author of Lead Bigger: The Transformative Power of Inclusion.

Chow argues that inclusive leadership isn’t just about representation — it’s about widening perspectives to drive impact. From creating psychologically safe workplaces to rethinking flexibility and performance metrics, she shares practical insights on how leaders can cultivate cultures where employees — and businesses — thrive.

Three key takeaways from the episode include: 

• Inclusion has been stuck on the end of the DEI acronym. To Chow, inclusion is more than just representation. It's broadening our perspectives and ensuring the voices of all our stakeholders — from employees to regulators to unions to media to customers — are heard and considered. The world is changing, and the better leader will be one with a diverse perspective. 
• Inclusive leadership starts with caring about your employees. Chow reminds bosses that people don't have a work life and a personal life. They have one life, and it happens to consist of both work and personal obligations. "You as a leader, you have the relationship with the person based on the professional dimensions of their life, but it is incumbent upon you to respect the boundaries and the priorities of their personal life," she says. "And what that means for you as the inclusive leader is that you must put in place performance measures, accountability, clarity, as well as benefits and support structures that enable people to live a meaningful life that has professional and personal goals and contributions." And right now, the key for most leaders will be around flexibility. 
• A good manager or leader will help employees thrive in their job. Team members will never lack understanding of where they are in their job, how they're doing in relation to their peers. They will know what skills they need to advance and feel their leader has provided them the resources they need to succeed. A great manager will help their people thrive in their careers, never forgetting that their current job is just one small part of the entirety of their work life. "They recognize and seek in you a potential that goes beyond your current job," she says. 

New episodes of Rotman Visiting Experts are released monthly on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon. Desktop listeners can also tune in on Simplecast.

Prefer to read than listen? Access the full transcript on Simplecast. 

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