Inclusive Leadership Reflection Instrument

Here is my scores:

I did not think about these at all; I talk a lot, and I like others to talk as much as I do. I try to be respectful, but sometimes, my direct reports just want to vent or be listened to. 

I really never thought about diversity and inclusion, perhaps it’s natural to me as a good friend reminded me often: treat others the way you would like to be treated! 

I need to come into the meeting with a blank canvas, and let others flow the ideas. 

Gender Leader Bias Instrument

It’s interesting to see that the Communicative characteristics in leadership are strong, yet the agentic characteristics are neutral. It’s not quite surprising that I had to change myself to fit in US culture, coming from a traditional Taiwanese (Chinese) way of thinking and behavior. My behaviors today will not fit into the Taiwanese workplace. I will be seen as too dominant and disrespectful. 

I did not learn much new, my husband could guess these values right on the spot! He knows me well. He often tells people he has a liberal wife! 

I need to tune it down on the “controlling” in agentic characteristics. I am a control freak, but letting go sometimes is good for me. I use my cleaning robots as an example; just let them do their job. I should do more of that with “hands off but eyes on.” 

Inclusive Leadership Reflection Instrument

What score did you receive and why?
I scored 4 in the “No” column, which tells me I’m doing a lot right when it comes to inclusive leadership—but there’s still room to grow. Most of my misses were around structure in meetings—things like rotating roles or being intentional with name/pronoun use. It’s not that I’m opposed to those things; I just hadn’t made them a habit yet.

What did you learn about yourself because of taking this survey?
This gave me a chance to slow down and reflect. I realized I tend to focus heavily on relational leadership—making sure people feel heard, valued, and respected. That part comes naturally to me. But the survey made me think about the systems and habits that also contribute to inclusion. It’s not just about creating space for people to speak—it’s about intentionally designing interactions so no one is left out.

What will you do differently moving forward?
I’m going to be more deliberate in how I run meetings and structure feedback. I’ll try rotating responsibilities in team settings and find better ways to draw out quieter voices. I’m also going to work those inclusive practices into onboarding and mentoring—asking upfront what works best for others, instead of assuming.

Gender-Leader Bias Instrument

What score did you receive and why?
I scored a 37 on communal traits and 36 on agentic traits. I think that’s a pretty accurate reflection of how I view leadership—it’s not either/or. You need heart and hustle.

What did you learn about yourself because of taking this survey?
It reminded me how much I value emotional intelligence and care in leadership. Things like empathy, compassion, and being a good listener are powerful—they’re not “soft” skills, they’re essential ones. And it also showed me I still hold space for ambition, assertiveness, and decisiveness. To me, great leadership is about knowing when to lead from the front—and when to sit back and amplify others.

What will you do differently moving forward?
I want to keep modeling that both styles—communal and agentic—have value, and help others see that too. Especially in leadership conversations, I’ll be more vocal about challenging outdated assumptions that favor one over the other. We grow stronger when we lead with both strength and care.

@keithryniakgmail-com thank you for sharing about "self-reflect." I learned a lot about self-reflecting in this series of courses. I like how you solicit feedback. Interestingly, when I ask for feedback, I always receive something. But most people will not ask for feedback, which is quite interesting. I guess, not everyone wants to learn about themselves. Thanks for sharing!

Chia-Li, I appreciate your comments about yourself. You know yourself well and know how you can be a better leader. The caution is that you are very smart and can work through problems and solutions at lightning speed. That is a great trait although it is important to slow down at times and let your people solve their own problems. This contributes to a much more flexible organization.

Keith, I agree with your assessment about how to approach these subjects. One area that I found difficult for me is the use of pronouns. Since this became an issue, the 'me-to' additions to the pronoun list make it such that it is hard to know what pronoun is appropriate. I keep it simple and allow people to correct me.

Jim