Open Door Policies Aren’t Enough: Why True Inclusion Requires Leaders to Step Out
Open Door Policies… but who really walks through them?
I’ve been told my leader has an open door policy. “Just come by anytime.”
But some doors feel harder to cross.
It’s easy for people who share experiences, interests
or backgrounds with the leader. They walk in with confidence. They’re seen. They’re heard. And the connection grows.
For those of us who don’t “fit” that mold, that same door can feel like a wall. We hesitate. We worry. We stay away. And ironically, the policy that’s supposed to include us can make us feel even further out.
Here’s the truth: it’s not my responsibility to step in. It’s the leader’s responsibility to step out. To reach out. To make the effort to build that connection.
Because when they do, they don’t just include us they gain fresh perspectives, bold ideas and solutions they could never have imagined.
True inclusion doesn’t happen behind an open door.
It happens when leaders have the courage to step through it themselves.
I’ve been told my leader has an open door policy. “Just come by anytime.”
But some doors feel harder to cross.
It’s easy for people who share experiences, interests
or backgrounds with the leader. They walk in with confidence. They’re seen. They’re heard. And the connection grows.For those of us who don’t “fit” that mold, that same door can feel like a wall. We hesitate. We worry. We stay away. And ironically, the policy that’s supposed to include us can make us feel even further out.
Here’s the truth: it’s not my responsibility to step in. It’s the leader’s responsibility to step out. To reach out. To make the effort to build that connection.
Because when they do, they don’t just include us they gain fresh perspectives, bold ideas and solutions they could never have imagined.
True inclusion doesn’t happen behind an open door.
It happens when leaders have the courage to step through it themselves.