This book considers how sport organizations can create inclusive practices to strengthen social progress, focusing on the importance of leadership in fostering positive change.

Drawing on original research, and adopting a meso-level, multi-disciplinary approach that includes perspectives from sport management, the sociology of sport and organizational psychology, the book considers the evidence for sport as a vector of social progress. Featuring qualitative interviews with non-profit sport leaders from organizations across Europe, the book looks at the conditions under which social inclusion through sport is possible and examines the challenges and opportunities related to three areas of inclusivity and exclusivity: access, participation, and empowerment.

Offering a new perspective on how leadership can help unlock the potential of sport as an inclusive force in society, this book is an important read for anybody with an interest in sport development, sport management, social inclusion, or the relationship between sport and wider society.

Hans Erik Næss is Professor of Sport Management in the Department of Leadership and Organization, School of Communication, Leadership and Marketing at Kristiania University of Applied Sciences, Norway. He has published extensively on sport, governance and management, including The Green Transition in Motorsport: Purpose, Politics, and Profit (Routledge 2024).

Mari Svendsen is Associate Professor of Leadership and Organization in the Department of Leadership and Organization, School of Communication, Leadership and Marketing at Kristiania University of Applied Sciences, Norway. She has published articles on topics such as leadership, social inclusion in sport, voice behaviour, organizational democracy, and meaningful work.