In this latest thought leadership piece, Vanessa Grimward, Executive Principal at El Limonar International School in Spain, shares her insights on inclusive leadership. Emphasising the power of collective efficacy, humility, and fostering a culture where every member feels valued and empowered to lead, the piece invites readers on an inspiring journey towards building a community driven by respect, kindness, and continuous learning.

In the spirit of International Women’s Day on March 8th, a day that celebrates the remarkable achievements of women around the globe, I feel truly humbled to have been asked to share my thoughts around what inclusive leadership means to me.

At ELIS, we educate for democracy, equality, respect and dignity, and ever since my leadership journey commenced, I have firmly promoted an open-door policy in the belief that fostering a “together we are stronger” ethos cultivates collective knowledge and drives progress.

Inclusivity, intertwined with humility, underscores my approach: I recognise that I do not have to know more than those around me but strive to build teams that have the necessary tools – and the necessary autonomy and trust – that they may enhance the collective performance. I have sought to co-create a shared sense of community pride; a sense of belonging and the excitement of being part of something great.

At Cognita, we believe that effective leadership is rooted in the concept of collective efficacy, a belief that ‘We can’. In a school where all stakeholders – staff, students and families – commit to trying their very best, the results can be truly impressive on so many different levels. And evidently it is essential that all staff teams, not solely the teaching team, feel part of the journey: being inclusive entails harnessing a collective commitment to improvement from all employees because ‘We ALL can’.

Inclusive leadership diverges from more traditional leadership approaches associated with power; for me, leadership does not revolve solely around the nominated leader: it is about inspiring change and nurturing a culture of continuous learning at all levels, and it is about promoting the development of future leaders who will go on to drive even greater progress.

Jim Collins, in The Death of the Charismatic Leader, states, “Almost by definition, an enduring great company has to be built not to depend on an individual leader, because individuals die or retire or move on.” At the ELIS schools, we strive to create a culture where every member of our community feels valued, heard, and empowered to lead if they wish to – because of course, we must not overlook the multiple contributions of those who do not necessarily aspire to formal leadership roles.

At ELIS, the core values of respect, care, perseverance, kindness, and honesty guide all our actions, including driving formal school improvement planning. Being kind is not at odds with effective, strong leadership or the setting of high expectations. It does not mean that there are not difficult decisions to take and challenging conversations to be had. Like Zheng, Kim, Kark, & Mascolo in What Makes an Inclusive Leader?, I am firm in the belief that, “…inclusive traits like humility, curiosity, and empathy should be treated as critical leadership capabilities rather than simply desirable.”

Vanessa is pictured in this cover photo receiving the Pearson International School Leader of the Year in Europe award in 2023. You can read more about this outstanding award here.