Meetings are the heartbeat of delivery – stand-ups, retros, planning sessions, stakeholder updates. But too often, they’re treated as logistical necessities, not cultural opportunities. The truth is: every meeting sends a message. About who’s welcome. Who’s heard. Who’s left behind.

Inclusive leadership means designing and facilitating meetings with intention – where psychological safety, equity, and voice aren’t by-products. They’re built-in.

It Starts Before the First Hello

Inclusivity begins with preparation. Consider:

• The format: Is it accessible to different working styles (visual, verbal, neurodiverse)?
• The timing: Does it respect time zones, energy levels, parenting schedules?
• The invite list: Is it diverse? Does it empower voices, or reinforce hierarchy?

Even the agenda is a signal. Is it rigid, or does it leave space for questions, reflection, challenge?

“Before people speak, they’re already scanning for safety. Great meetings reduce that scan time.”

Facilitate, Don’t Dictate

Inclusive meetings require active facilitation. That means:

• Welcoming different communication styles (visual thinkers, quiet processors, storytellers)
• Actively rotating facilitators to decentralise power
• Avoiding default dominance – are the same voices leading every stand-up?

Use techniques that invite breadth:

• Silent brainstorming before group discussion
• Using chat functions and asynchronous responses for flexibility
• Explicitly inviting disagreement with phrases like “Does anyone see it differently?”

Rethink Your Practices

Every delivery practice has potential for inclusion – or exclusion.

• Stand-ups: Are they accessible for everyone, or performance pressure in disguise? Consider asynchronous updates or themed check-ins that blend progress with wellbeing.
• Retrospectives: Do they allow space for emotion and reflection, not just process? Try inclusive formats like “Mad, Sad, Glad” or “Team Health Checks” that surface the silent.
• Planning Sessions: Is the loudest idea always the one that wins? Use structured decision-making to slow down bias and boost clarity.

Repair When It’s Missed

Not every meeting lands perfectly. Inclusion means acknowledging that – and repairing when needed.

• If someone was talked over, check in privately and re-invite their voice
• If a topic felt unsafe, revisit it with new facilitation or tone
• Reflect as a team: What did today’s meeting teach us about how we include – or exclude?

Repair builds trust. Silence erodes it.

Ask Yourself as a Delivery Lead

• Who spoke today – and who didn’t?
• Did disagreement feel welcome, or risky?
• Did our behaviours reflect equity – or just routine?

Meetings aren’t just about moving work forward. They’re where culture is made, challenged, and redefined.

The Invitation

Next time you facilitate, ask: What would make este meeting safer, braver, more human?

Lead with intention, listen with empathy, and use every delivery practices to create the conditions for people to thrive – not just comply.