Oxygen　evolution　reaction　(OER)　remains　the　bottleneck　of　many　energy　transformation　and　storage　technologies　due　to　the　sluggish　kinetics.　Transition-metal　(TM)　hydroxide　nanosheets　with　high-valent　TM　ions　possess　high　intrinsic　catalytic　activity　toward　OER.　Herein,　by　taking　advantage　of　the　inductive　effect,　this　work　presents　a　facile　and　universal　strategy　to　fabricate　atomic　iridium　(Ir)　incorporated　TM　hydroxide　nanosheets　as　highly　active　OER　electrocatalysts.　As　a　representative,　the　fabricated　Ir-Ni(OH)2　(4　wt%　Ir)　exhibits　remarkable　OER　performance　with　a　low　overpotential　(235　mV　at　10　mA　cm−2),　a　small　Tafel　slope　(58.4　mV　dec−1),　and　excellent　durability　(60　h)　in　alkaline　solution,　significantly　outperforming　the　benchmark　IrO2　and　Ni(OH)2.　Mechanism　studies　unveil　that　the　inductive　effect　between　Ni　and　Ir　endows　Ni(OH)2　with　high-valent　Ni　species,　which　facilitate　the　adsorption　of　nucleophilic　intermediates　and　boost　the　OER　activity　and　long-term　stability　of　Ir-Ni(OH)2.　More　importantly,　the　reported　strategy　could　be　extended　to　synthesize　other　monometallic/bimetallic　TM　hydroxide　nanosheets　(Co,　CoMn)　as　highly　efficient　OER　electrocatalysts.　This　work　should　pave　a　universal　and　promising　avenue　to　rationally　design　and　controllably　synthesize　efficient　yet　robust　OER　electrocatalysts　in　energy-related　fields.　©　2020　Elsevier　B.V.