(Invited) Teaching and Practicing Inclusive Leadership – The Key to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Energy Transition

Abstract

Accelerating the energy transition will require scientists and engineers to become effective leaders as well as expert technologists. At the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI), we are researching the leadership competencies required to transition the world from using carbon dioxide producing fossil fuels to producing energy with net-zero carbon emissions. This drastic change is required to stop the increase of carbon dioxide levels and will require changed behaviors for all sectors of the economy and in all aspects of our energy consumption. These changes will require a different type of leader.Leading change is never easy, but the goal of global decarbonization requires a different approach than the traditional change management models taught in business schools. Although technical innovations are necessary, they are not sufficient to bring about the global energy transition. The various sectors of the energy system are not independent from each other: changes in one sector can have unexpected effects in other sectors and understanding these dynamics using multilevel systems thinking is critical. In reality, legal and governmental structures, policies and various stakeholders must be taken into account when approaching such complex system change.Our leaders will need to create a culture that will accelerate the energy transition in their workplaces and around the world, as well as successfully lead their teams in undertaking the necessary changes. They will need to identify barriers to the energy transition, recommend strategies to overcome them, and then contribute to implementing these changes as quickly as possible. They will need to become inclusive leaders.The awareness of personal and organizational bias is the most important trait of inclusive leaders. We can interrupt biased behavior by first observing it, inserting pauses and actively incorporating adjustments into our daily behaviors. Inclusive leadership also requires humility, cultural intelligence, effective collaboration, visible commitment and curiosity about others. Visible commitment means expressing authentic commitment to diversity, challenging the status quo, holding others accountable, and making diversity and inclusion a priority. Since each of us cannot catch ourselves behaving imperfectly, we can try to build in positive behaviors, deliberate acts of inclusion like microaffirmations, into our daily work habits. Effective collaboration means hearing from all the voices at the table, not just the loudest ones, and empowering all to do their job. For drastic changes to be implemented most effectively, the inputs from all stakeholders need to be included in advance of decision making. All these approaches can bring about more diversity, equity and inclusion into the workplace.