Seeing the Unseen: The Good Samaritan and the Power of Inclusive Leadership

Image Credit: “AI-generated image created using DALL·E by OpenAI.”

In a busy corporate world, people often walked past one another without truly seeing the person behind the title or appearance. One day, a young executive named Michael found himself in a difficult situation. Michael, who had recently been promoted, felt isolated in his new role. He had always felt like an outsider in his workplace — an environment that was mostly uniform in thought, background, and culture. He was struggling with a project and needed help.

Michael reached out for support. He asked a senior colleague, who happened to be from the same professional and educational background as him, for guidance. However, the colleague was too preoccupied with his own work and concerns, barely giving Michael a passing glance. “I’m sorry, I’m busy right now,” he said as he walked away.

Next, Michael approached another colleague from his department, someone who had always seemed approachable but also came from a similar social circle. She, too, was focused on her career goals and didn’t feel it was her responsibility to mentor someone who was struggling. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out,” she said, her voice full of indifference.