Inclusive Leadership and the Power of Self-awareness with Ingrid Hu Dahl

Andy Storch sat down with Ingrid Hu Dahl—leadership coach, speaker, and author of the upcoming memoir Sun Shining on Morning Snow—for a powerful conversation on identity, inclusion, and what it truly means to lead with self-awareness.

With two decades of experience across corporate, nonprofit, and creative spaces, Ingrid brings a unique perspective to leadership development—one rooted in emotional intelligence, storytelling, and human connection. Her approach weaves together her background in social justice, music, and corporate learning, creating a model of leadership that challenges assumptions and prioritizes people.

Whether you’re building leadership programs, coaching emerging leaders, or navigating your own growth as a professional, Ingrid offers deeply relevant and actionable insights for creating more inclusive, empowering, and human-centered workplaces.

Here are the key lessons and actionable takeaways from the conversation:

Start with Identity

Ingrid’s passion for leadership began at a rock and roll camp for girls, where she co-created workshops to help young, mixed-race girls explore their identity through music. That experience became the foundation for her work in helping people reclaim their power by understanding who they are. In leadership, she believes, identity isn’t something to hide or suppress—it’s something to own, honor, and lead from.

Everyone is a Leader

Ingrid encourages companies to adopt a simple but powerful leadership framework:
Lead yourself. Lead your team. Lead the business.
Whether someone manages people or not, they can still embody leadership by taking ownership of their mindset, relationships, and influence. It starts with self-awareness, grows through relationship management, and scales through values-based behavior.

Go Back to the Basics

Too often, leadership development skips ahead to complex models without addressing the fundamentals. Ingrid emphasizes emotional intelligence, psychological safety, and authentic listening as essential building blocks for any leader. True inclusion starts with the basics: understanding people, listening to learn—not to fix—and having the courage to say, “I don’t know.”

Challenge Assumptions

Inclusive leadership, Ingrid says, starts with pausing to examine your assumptions. One example she shares is how a simple misinterpretation of a colleague’s energy can lead to judgment and division. Instead, she advocates leading with curiosity: “I noticed your energy was different—are you okay?” That simple check-in can transform workplace relationships.

Build Coaching into Leadership

Ingrid encourages leaders to adopt a coach-like mindset—asking open-ended “what” questions that invite reflection and understanding. Instead of “Why did you do it that way?”, ask “What was your intention?” or “What else might be true?” These kinds of questions foster inclusion, clarity, and stronger collaboration across teams.

Make Space for Fear

A powerful tool Ingrid uses in leadership development is helping people name their fears. Every leader walks into a room with a fear—of being seen as weak, of not having the answers, of losing control. Naming those fears in a psychologically safe space helps leaders move beyond ego and re-anchor in empathy, purpose, and presence.

Slow Down to Build Trust

Ingrid explains that inclusive leadership often requires slowing down—even when the business is moving fast. Trust, she says, doesn’t come from authority—it comes from presence, empathy, and consistency. When leaders pause to listen and support instead of react and control, their influence deepens.

Don’t Give Away Your Power

One of Ingrid’s most striking insights is how many professionals unintentionally give away their power to companies. She reminds us that the corporate environment is a space for growth—not a place to lose ourselves. Instead of trying to fit a mold, leaders should use the workplace as a learning ground to build their own confidence, purpose, and voice.

Connect Through Culture

Beyond workshops and formal programs, Ingrid advocates for cultural experiences—like shared meals, storytelling, and community rituals—as ways to build belonging. These simple, often-overlooked tools can powerfully connect people across differences and should be part of how we design learning environments.

Be sure to listen to the full episode on the Talent Development Hot Seat Podcast!

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