Inclusive Innovation Culture: A Vision We Can Share
Mental Models of Individuals and an Inclusive Innovation Dialog Advancing Human Knowledge
The last few years, I have been doing a fair amount of thinking about what constitutes Inclusive Innovation Culture. Initially, it all started when my corporate goals asked me what I would do to drive such a culture. I decided I wouldn’t just write a goal statement—I would try to live it. I created a club dedicated to inclusive innovation, a place where people from across the organization could gather, share ideas, and wrestle with real problems together.
The purpose of this blog post is to reflect on how such values apply not only inside a company, but also to social networks, to our broader communities, and even to how we speak to each other at home and online.
Mindfulness in Conversation
Psychologist Ellen Langer describes mindfulness as the practice of noticing new things and questioning the categories we take for granted (Langer, 2014). This kind of attention is at the heart of inclusive innovation.
When we are mindful of ourselves, we notice when we are clinging too tightly to certainty. When we are mindful of others, we recognize that every contribution is shaped by unique experiences worth hearing. And when we are mindful of the moment, we pause before reacting—especially in heated discussions—and ask: What have I not yet noticed?
This doesn’t mean avoiding disagreement. It means engaging with disagreement in a way that helps everyone grow. For me, one simple practice is to pause for a few seconds before responding—or to begin with “I see it differently” rather than “You’re wrong.” Those tiny shifts can change the energy of an entire conversation.
The Content of Our Character
In his “I Have a Dream” speech, Martin Luther King Jr. envisioned a world where people would be judged “not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character” (King, 1963). Those words remain deeply powerful. Today, we understand diversity as much more than the color of one’s skin. It includes our upbringing, education, life experiences, personality, and even the way our minds work.
Recently, I shared with a group of engineers that I identify as neurodivergent. At first, it felt risky to put that part of myself out in the open. But I also realized that it’s a strength: my neurodivergence makes me more inventive. I often see patterns differently, question assumptions more naturally, and create models of problems in ways that others might not. At one point, I indirectly started to hold back those divergent thoughts, the ones that were particularly different from the group. Now, I try to say things like, “I was thinking about this a bit differently…”, or “What if we thought about this another way…?”
That moment of sharing taught me something: inclusion is not just about hearing others’ voices, but about creating spaces where people feel safe to reveal who they really are. And when people show up as themselves, the group benefits with more authentic character and more original ideas.
A Complex and Interconnected World
Humanity is a complex system. Billions of people are connected through families, communities, economies, and increasingly through online platforms. In such systems, outcomes are unpredictable. A single comment can spark division—or open the door to understanding.
We cannot control everything in such a system, but we can influence it. Each choice we make in how we listen and respond adds either instability or resilience. Every respectful exchange strengthens the network of human relationships; every hostile exchange weakens it.
When I wrote a post on climate change, I saw both sides firsthand: thoughtful, curious engagement and divisive, hostile comments. It made me reflect: What could I have done to frame the conversation so it welcomed more voices, even critical ones, without escalating conflict? As moderators of our own communities—whether that’s a LinkedIn thread, a team meeting, or a dinner table—we can experiment with practices like:
Inviting curiosity: “What perspective might we be missing?”
Reframing conflict: “I hear your concern—can we explore it together?”
Acknowledging emotion: “I sense frustration—let’s pause and unpack it.”
Those small choices matter. They turn complexity into resilience.
Moving Closer to Truth
None of us sees the whole picture. Each of us holds fragments of knowledge, filtered through our experiences and beliefs. But if we engage inclusively, we can refine and expand those fragments into something larger.
Inclusive innovation culture allows us to get closer to truth—not a final, absolute truth, but an evolving, shared understanding. Every respectful dialogue is a form of innovation. Every moment of curiosity adds a piece to the puzzle of reality.
I like to think of it in terms of mental models. My own model of the world is at version 1,047,295,892 today. By tomorrow, it will already be different. Yours is different still. What if, in our conversations, we didn’t just share our models, but updated them together? Imagine a world where we could hold models of each other’s models, collaborating not only on solutions but on the very lenses we use to see problems.
As a neurodivergent thinker, I sometimes approach problems from unexpected angles. Instead of trying to suppress that difference, I’ve learned it can spark conversations that move us all closer to a richer shared reality.
A Path Toward Peace
It may sound ambitious, but inclusive innovation is also a path toward peace. Peace is not only the absence of conflict; it is the presence of relationships built on respect. When people feel heard, they are less likely to see others as adversaries. When societies encourage inclusive dialogue, they create conditions where differences can be addressed without violence.
This does not mean peace will come easily. It does not mean people will always agree. But it does mean that if we can practice inclusive innovation—even in small ways—we help bend the system toward learning, understanding, and cooperation.
A Shared Invitation
This vision is not meant to be perfect or final. It is an invitation. We may stumble, and conversations will sometimes be messy. But every step toward inclusivity is worthwhile.
We can all begin with simple choices:
Listen with curiosity.
Challenge ideas without attacking people.
Treat disagreement as an opportunity to grow.
Create space for people to bring their whole selves—including differences in how they think, feel, and process the world.
I have a dream that one day our workplaces, our communities, and our online platforms will be places where people feel safe to share their boldest ideas. Where disagreements become moments of learning rather than division. Where innovation belongs not to a few, but to all of us.
Inclusive innovation culture begins with us. Each conversation, each choice of tone, each act of respect helps build the culture we long for. And if we do this together, innovation may not only transform what we create—it may transform who we are.
References
King, M. L. Jr. (1963, August 28). I have a dream. Speech delivered at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, Washington, D.C.
Langer, E. J. (2014). Mindfulness (25th anniversary edition). Da Capo Press.
