F EATU RE
Inclusionary Leadership Author Diana Ryall AM’s book, Inclusionary Leadership, published in 2017, profiled A Taste of Harmony hero Ambassador Huss Mustafa OAM among a diverse group of 18 inclusive leaders in Australian business. Read Huss Mustafa’s story in our feature section on pages 10-13. A Taste of Harmony provides the opportunity to celebrate and discuss diversity over a meal. It’s an inclusive opportunity for everyone, regardless of background, to share stories and get to know their co-workers and their culture.
and religion. It was a lovely evening, and of course – was over food!” Is food a tool to provide permission to approach some difficult topics? Can cultural identity sometimes be a taboo in the workplace? For more on Inclusionary Leadership, go to: https://www.tasteofharmony.org.au/what-isinclusionary-leadership/
In her book, Diana sought to share what qualities made a leader inclusionary, both inclusive and visionary. “This book is a collection of stories. People connect with stories quickly.” Diana said. “We know that inclusion is still a challenge in a number of workplaces, and that’s exactly why we put the book together. If we can tell a story of what inclusion looks and feels like for them – that gives us an opportunity to make a difference.” “If you have a workplace where people walk in the door and they feel a part of the group, they belong, they don’t have to cover a part of themselves and their skill set is valued – that makes a great difference.” “People who have felt exclusion or difference find it easier to accept difference” Diana said. In this book, Huss Mustafa shared that he was bullied by his peers as the only non-Anglo in school. “Huss is fabulous,” she said. “The day we met, he invited me to an Iftar dinner and was so enthusiastic and was willing to share an exchange of cultural background 11
