Leadership today is no longer about authority and control; it’s about fostering inclusion, trust, and growth. In this blog post, Sandi Wassmer reflects on her journey to becoming an authentic, inclusive leader who inspires others to thrive.

The Evolution of Leadership
Gone are the days when being a leader was all about gravitas, force, and getting people to agree with you whether they did or not. Leadership now is all about the people you lead, inspiring, galvanising, and guiding them to do their best. Leadership is certainly changing for the better. Importantly, leadership does not require hard skills. Rather, its innate human qualities are inherent in all great leaders.
Leadership in the workplace is equally about leading an organisation’s strategy as it is about leading its culture and people. Inclusive leadership is intentional and not just a consequence of having a senior position. It can only exist in a psychologically safe environment where all employees have the tools and resources they need to thrive and flourish. Inclusive leaders foster an inclusive culture where everyone has a true sense of belonging, and people feel free to contribute to the decisions that impact their work. They are able to make mistakes and learn from them, share their views, express concerns, and take risks without fear of judgement, humiliation or recrimination. This must be led from the top and cannot be delegated. If leaders do not show up fully present and hold space for people to learn and grow in this way, then all they can expect is a stale and stagnant workforce with little creativity, productivity or innovation.
The Traits of Inclusive Leadership
Inclusive leadership requires authenticity, compassion, the confidence and resilience to be vulnerable in the face of adversity, and the ability to engender the trust needed to navigate through our modern working world, which is frequently uncertain, challenging, and ambiguous. It also requires radical ownership, being courageously accountable, open, and transparent with your team, taking responsibility wholeheartedly for everything that you do, and doing so humbly, imperfectly, and with humility.
Sandi Wassmer, CEO.As CEO of enei, I have been on my own leadership journey and know all of this by getting it wrong and getting it right in equal measures
When I joined enei back in November 2020, there were two things that I wanted to do—to be the leader I always wanted to be led by and to create the culture I always wanted to be part of.
Although the journey still continues, I have evolved, grown and learned as a leader, and I’m proud to say that I lead the type of culture I speak of. It is an absolute joy seeing the people around me feeling happy and safe, working harmoniously together, learning, growing and rising to their potential, and delivering work to incredibly high standards with passion, dedication, and an unwavering commitment to our cause. Alongside all of this, being an inclusive leader has come with a sense of relief, as it allows me to be unapologetically me. I’m no longer trying to be some archetypal, perfect leader. I can now just turn up with an open, non-judgemental heart and an eternally curious mind and get on with being the proudest CEO in the universe.
This blog post was written by enei’s Chief Executive, Sandi Wassmer. It was posted on 14 January, 2025.
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Inclusive Leadership: Creating a Culture of Belonging
Join us for an interview with enei CEO Sandi Wassmer as she shares insights on building and leading an inclusive, thriving workplace culture.

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