In this episode of Why Care?, host Nadia Nagamootoo welcomes Rosie Nixon, former Editor-in-Chief of HELLO! Magazine and author of three novels - The Stylist, Amber Green Takes Manhattan and Just Between Friends - plus the Be Kind book, all about showing different types of kindness.  Rosie shares her journey from the glamorous world of magazines to facing burnout and ultimately finding a new path focused on empowering midlife women. They discuss her innovative Reinvention Retreats, the importance of taking a pause, and how to redefine success in midlife. Rosie also opens up about the pressures of maintaining a public persona and the pivotal moment that led her to prioritise her wellbeing and personal fulfilment. Highlights: Rosie's Journey: From her career as Editor-in-Chief at HELLO! Magazine to facing burnout and reinventing herself, Rosie Nixon shares her path and the experiences that shaped her approach to life and work. Empathy and Integrity in Leadership: Discover how Rosie emphasises the importance of empathy and integrity in leadership, highlighting the need to align actions with values and prioritise wellbeing. The Moment of Realisation: Rosie recounts the pivotal moment at the Corinthia Hotel that led her to recognize the need for change and prioritise her mental and physical health. Reinvent Like a PRO: Learn about Rosie's innovative Reinvention Retreats designed for midlife women, featuring a structured approach to Pausing, Reflecting, and Organising their lives for personal and professional fulfilment. Kindness as a Foundation: Explore the themes from Rosie's book, Be Kind, emphasising the importance of kindness to oneself and others, and how it plays a crucial role in diversity, equity, and inclusion work. Supporting Midlife Women: Rosie discusses the unique challenges faced by midlife women and the need for organisations to offer support and flexible opportunities for reinvention to retain top talent. Key Takeaways Rosie Nixon’s journey emphasises the importance of recognizing and addressing burnout, and the power of reinvention in midlife. Her Reinvention Retreats provide a structured approach for midlife women to pause, reflect, and organise their lives for personal and professional fulfilment. Emphasises the importance of empathy, self-kindness, and redefining success on one’s own terms. Navigating career pivots and promoting wellbeing requires intentional action and supportive environments. Leaders and organisations must support employees through flexible and practical approaches to wellbeing and personal development. The significance of creating inclusive cultures where diverse backgrounds and experiences are valued and celebrated. Guest Bio Rosie Nixon is a celebrated author and former Editor in Chief of HELLO! Magazine, where she spent 16 years leading the iconic publication. With a career spanning over two decades in the media industry, Rosie now has a portfolio career, with a particular focus on empowering midlife women through her new Reinvention Retreats. She is also the author of Be Kind, a book that explores the multifaceted nature of kindness towards oneself, others, and the environment. Links Rosie Nixon Links Purchase “Be Kind” Nadia Nagamootoo: LinkedIn | Instagram Avenir Consulting: https://linktr.ee/avenirconsultingservices

In this episode of Why Care?, host Nadia Nagamootoo welcomes Rosie Nixon, former Editor-in-Chief of HELLO! Magazine and author of three novels - The Stylist, Amber Green Takes Manhattan and Just Between Friends - plus the Be Kind book, all about showing different types of kindness.  Rosie shares her journey from the glamorous world of magazines to facing burnout and ultimately finding a new path focused on empowering midlife women. They discuss her innovative Reinvention Retreats, the importance of taking a pause, and how to redefine success in midlife. Rosie also opens up about the pressures of maintaining a public persona and the pivotal moment that led her to prioritise her wellbeing and personal fulfilment. Highlights: Rosie's Journey: From her career as Editor-in-Chief at HELLO! Magazine to facing burnout and reinventing herself, Rosie Nixon shares her path and the experiences that shaped her approach to life and work. Empathy and Integrity in Leadership: Discover how Rosie emphasises the importance of empathy and integrity in leadership, highlighting the need to align actions with values and prioritise wellbeing. The Moment of Realisation: Rosie recounts the pivotal moment at the Corinthia Hotel that led her to recognize the need for change and prioritise her mental and physical health. Reinvent Like a PRO: Learn about Rosie's innovative Reinvention Retreats designed for midlife women, featuring a structured approach to Pausing, Reflecting, and Organising their lives for personal and professional fulfilment. Kindness as a Foundation: Explore the themes from Rosie's book, Be Kind, emphasising the importance of kindness to oneself and others, and how it plays a crucial role in diversity, equity, and inclusion work. Supporting Midlife Women: Rosie discusses the unique challenges faced by midlife women and the need for organisations to offer support and flexible opportunities for reinvention to retain top talent. Key Takeaways Rosie Nixon’s journey emphasises the importance of recognizing and addressing burnout, and the power of reinvention in midlife. Her Reinvention Retreats provide a structured approach for midlife women to pause, reflect, and organise their lives for personal and professional fulfilment. Emphasises the importance of empathy, self-kindness, and redefining success on one’s own terms. Navigating career pivots and promoting wellbeing requires intentional action and supportive environments. Leaders and organisations must support employees through flexible and practical approaches to wellbeing and personal development. The significance of creating inclusive cultures where diverse backgrounds and experiences are valued and celebrated. Guest Bio Rosie Nixon is a celebrated author and former Editor in Chief of HELLO! Magazine, where she spent 16 years leading the iconic publication. With a career spanning over two decades in the media industry, Rosie now has a portfolio career, with a particular focus on empowering midlife women through her new Reinvention Retreats. She is also the author of Be Kind, a book that explores the multifaceted nature of kindness towards oneself, others, and the environment. Links Rosie Nixon Links Purchase “Be Kind” Nadia Nagamootoo: LinkedIn | Instagram Avenir Consulting: https://linktr.ee/avenirconsultingservices

In this episode of Why Care?, host Nadia Nagamootoo welcomes Denise Hamilton, a leading DEI practitioner and author of Indivisible: How to Forge Our Differences Into a Stronger Future. Denise shares her journey from corporate America to becoming a sought-after DEI consultant, emphasising the importance of practical application and the human side of diversity, equity, and inclusion work. They discuss her innovative approach to DEI, the necessity of evolving language and practices, and how to navigate the discomfort that comes with challenging long-held beliefs. Denise also delves into her impactful charity initiative, Good Givers, which redefines how we think about giving and supporting communities in need. Highlights: Denise's Journey: From her extensive career in corporate America to becoming a DEI expert, Denise Hamilton shares her unique path and the experiences that shaped her work in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Empathy and Integrity in DEI: Discover how Denise emphasises the need for empathy and integrity in DEI work, highlighting the importance of understanding human experiences and aligning actions with core values. Impact of High Expectations: Denise discusses the pressures faced by white men due to societal expectations, contributing to high suicide rates, and the broader implications of these inequities on society. Reimagining DEI: Learn about Denise's innovative approach to DEI, advocating for a shift from inclusion to being indivisible, and how evolving language and concepts can lead to more effective strategies. Thoughtful Charity: Feel inspired by Denise's Good Givers initiative, which redefines how we think about charity by centering the dignity and needs of recipients, allowing parents to be the heroes in their children's lives. Addressing Bias and Building Consensus: Denise highlights the importance of confronting biases, both personal and systemic, and building consensus on shared values and goals to ensure successful DEI implementation. Key Takeaways Denise Hamilton’s DEI strategies focus on practical implementation and evolving language and practices: Her approach integrates real-world experiences with strategic DEI efforts to create lasting impact within organisations. She emphasises the importance of empathy, integrity, and continuous evolution in DEI work. Navigating DEI challenges requires a compassionate and proactive approach: Leaders must address discomfort and biases head-on, fostering a culture of inclusion and fairness. Practical initiatives like Good Givers demonstrate how thoughtful, community-centred approaches can redefine charity and support. Guest Bio Denise Hamilton is a renowned DEI practitioner and author of Indivisible. She is the Founder and CEO of WatchHerWork, a digital learning platform for professional women, and All Hands Group, a workplace culture consultancy. With over 25 years of experience in corporate America, Denise has navigated and addressed numerous challenges as one of the few black women in executive roles. Her practical approach to DEI, combined with her lived experiences, has made her a sought-after consultant and speaker. Denise is also the Founder of Good Givers, an innovative charity initiative aimed at supporting families in need with dignity and respect. Links Denise Hamilton LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamiltondenise/ Denise Hamilton Website: https://denisehamilton.co/ Purchase “Indivisible” Nadia Nagamootoo: LinkedIn | Instagram Avenir Consulting: https://linktr.ee/avenirconsultingservices

In this episode of Why Care?, host Nadia Nagamootoo welcomes Dr. Sandra Upton, an esteemed DEI expert and author of Make It Last. They dive deep into Sandra's journey, from academia to consulting, and explore her eight-step DEI Propel framework designed to create sustainable and impactful DEI strategies within organisations. Sandra shares her insights on overcoming resistance, building effective DEI governance, and ensuring long-term success through practical application and continuous learning. Highlights: Sandra’s Journey: Dr. Sandra Upton shares her extensive background in academia and consulting, detailing over 25 years of experience in DEI work and what inspired her to write Make It Last. Responding to DEI Backlash: Practical advice on how DEI professionals and leaders should respond to political and societal challenges, emphasising the importance of staying calm, informed, and proactive. DEI Propel Framework: Introduction to Sandra's eight-step DEI Propel framework, offering a comprehensive, strategic approach to making DEI efforts sustainable and impactful within organisations. Creating and Communicating Strategy: Exploring the importance of creating a sense of urgency, building effective governance, and developing a data-driven DEI strategy. Emphasis on the necessity of effectively communicating the DEI plan to ensure organisational engagement. Measuring and Celebrating Success: The need to measure behaviour change using cultural intelligence assessments and feedback mechanisms. Highlighting the importance of recognising and celebrating both small and large DEI victories to maintain motivation and demonstrate progress. Sustaining DEI Efforts: Continuous evaluation of DEI strategies in response to changing internal and external factors, ensuring leadership remains engaged and committed. Sandra shares personal experiences to illustrate the practical application of DEI principles in overcoming microaggressions and promoting inclusion. Key Takeaways Sandra Upton’s DEI strategies emphasise practical implementation and proactive leadership to achieve lasting impact within organisations. Her approach integrates well-researched principles with real-world application to ensure DEI efforts are both effective and sustainable. The DEI Propel framework provides an eight-step process for embedding sustainable DEI initiatives within organisations. Leaders must remain calm and data-driven in their approach to overcome challenges and ensure long-term success. Guest Bio Dr. Sandra Upton is a leading expert in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) with over 25 years of experience. She has a robust academic background and has served as a faculty member and Dean at a private college in the United States. Dr. Upton is the author of Make It Last and the creator of the DEI Propel framework, which helps organisations develop and sustain effective DEI strategies. She is also the founder of Upton Consulting Group, where she continues to impact numerous organisations through her DEI consulting and training services. Links Dr. Sandra Upton LinkedIn: Dr. Sandra Upton on LinkedIn Upton Consulting Group Website: Upton Consulting Group Dr. Sandra Upton’s book “Make It Last” DEI Propel Course Information: DEI Propel Course Nadia Nagamootoo: LinkedIn | Instagram Avenir Consulting: https://linktr.ee/avenirconsultingservices

Welcome to the Season 5 premiere of the Why Care? podcast! In this episode, host Nadia Nagamootoo sits down with the incredibly talented Tegan Summer, a distinguished writer, producer, and lyricist whose work has graced Broadway and the West End. Get ready for an inspiring and thought-provoking conversation about the transformative power of theatre and the importance of diversity and representation in the arts. Highlights: Tegan's Journey: From his roots in the East End of London to becoming a prominent figure in the theatrical world, Tegan shares his unique path and the experiences that shaped his career. The Magic of Theatre: Discover how sneaking into West End rehearsals as a child ignited Tegan's passion for theatre and how this magic continues to drive his work today. Representation Matters: Tegan discusses the challenges he faced as a Black writer and producer in a predominantly white industry and the importance of creating space for diverse voices. The Impact of Music: Learn about the power of songs in theatre, especially the "I Want" song, and how they can inspire and empower audiences. Behind the Curtain: Get a glimpse into Tegan's research process for his latest project, "Mozart: Her Story," a musical about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's overlooked sister, Nan Mozart. Upcoming Projects: Exciting details about Tegan's future works, including shows on James Dean, Malcolm X, and Harvey Milk, and his collaboration with Tony Award-winning director Susan Stroman. Key Takeaways Theatre as an equaliser and its role in fostering empathy and understanding across diverse audiences. The importance of representation in the arts and how Tegan's work is breaking barriers and setting new standards. The intersection of creativity and social change, and how theatre can be a powerful tool for activism and inclusion. Guest Bio Tegan Summer is a celebrated writer, producer, and lyricist with a rich history in theatre. His work spans various genres and mediums, from Broadway to the West End, and he is known for his dedication to bringing underrepresented stories to the stage. Tegan's upcoming projects continue to push the boundaries of traditional theatre, highlighting his commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Key Links Tegan Summer Theatricals: Tegan Summer Theatricals Website Tegan Summer Instagram: @tegansummer Buy tickets to Mozart: Her Story at the Lyric theatre, London on Monday 18th November Nadia Nagamootoo: LinkedIn | Instagram Avenir Consulting: https://linktr.ee/avenirconsultingservices

This is a unique Why Care? episode - a live fireside chat where I am the one being interviewed! The interviewer is my dear friend, Darin de Klerk, as we discuss all things Beyond Discomfort at my Book Launch event, which took place on 21st March 2024. During our intimate conversation, we tackle the challenges of leadership development and the significance of valuing diverse perspectives. I share some insights into the soul of my new book, my personal journey growing up as a minority in the UK, navigating power dynamics, cross-cultural partnerships, and experiences with identity. We also cover more about leading with the heart, the concept of trauma and privilege, navigating discomfort, activism, allyship, and the power of empathy. Darin De Klerk and I first crossed paths together in 2015, and I am genuinely honoured and privileged that one of my closest friends was able to join me live on stage at such a significant event in my career. Darin is a highly esteemed Business Psychologist and shares my passion for DEI. This is reflected in his years of experience as the Director of YSC Consulting, a leadership strategy consultancy. At the start of the discussion, Darin offers a warm and entertaining welcome to my guests, detailing more about how our working relationship has blossomed into such a supportive, inspiring, and close friendship. He then shares more insights into my passion for DEI, my professional journey, and lists some of my achievements to date, as a Chartered occupational psychologist, certified coach, podcast host, and now a celebrated author. This year has flown by so fast, it was truly humbling to gain recognition for some of my awards, such as being listed as HR Most Influential Thinker, 2023, and HR Champion of the Year at the European Diversity Awards. I elaborate on some of the key concepts of my book and what originally sparked my motivation to finally put pen to paper. I reflect on some of the core challenges I encountered facilitating conversations with leaders globally and creating inclusive leadership, such as leaders actively pushing back. These emotional barriers stem from differing belief systems on inclusion. I realise that more needs to be done to address these barriers, encourage leaders to adopt an inclusive mindset, and set out on a journey of understanding, to be able to initiate organisational change. Key Points: -Emotional Approach: As a psychologist, I advocate adopting a reflective approach to help leaders understand emotional barriers. I also encourage introspection, and exploring their own beliefs to understand who they are and gain more self-awareness. This can help enhance their receptiveness to learning about leadership, inclusion, and other people and active allyship. -Personal story: I share more about my backstory, which shaped my journey with DEI. As a first-generation UK-born Mauritian, I encountered prejudices and faced struggles with identity, belonging, and feeling like an outsider. These experiences fueled my commitment to ensuring everyone feels like they belong. -Leading with the Heart: I challenge the traditional norms surrounding a strong, archetypal leader. Instead, I urge leaders to shift away from traditional leadership models and lead with the heart versus the head. This means valuing individuals for their uniqueness, strengths, and weaknesses and embracing their differences. -White Privilege and Invisible Traumas: As I share an extract from my book, about the challenges of cross-cultural partnerships, I reflect on the concept of white privilege, its cultural associations, and how the world treats people differently due to their diversity. -Willingness to Act: I stress the importance of self-awareness and willingness to act as allies. This can help leaders integrate diversity and inclusion initiatives. Links: Purchase your copy of my book: Beyond Discomfort: Why inclusive leadership is so hard (and what you can do about it)

In the second special celebrity episode of Why Care? I am joined by the multi-talented, Double Olympic Champion, Dame Kelly Holmes. We dive deeper into her  journey of self-discovery, personal experiences, and traumas, which she explores in her powerful memoir Unique. Kelly shares her emotional backstory in which she concealed her true identity and sexuality from the public and lived in fear for most of her life. We discuss the discriminatory military laws and systemic mistreatment of LGBTQ+ individuals in the British army, as well as the mental health impact. As a world-class athlete, Kelly opens up about the pressure to hide her sexuality, and how she overcame her fears and revealed her authentic self publicly. Kelly then shares her experiences attending a Pride event, becoming part of a supportive community, and about her LGBTQ+ advocacy work. At 18, Kelly pursued her dream to be an HGV driver and Physical Training Instructor in the British Army. In 1998, she was awarded a MBE for her services to the British Army and in 2018 became the first individual to be appointed Honorary Colonel to a regular unit. Meanwhile, Kelly also pursued her Olympic dream and was catapulted to fame in 2004 at the Athens Olympic Games for being the first woman ever in Great Britain to win two gold medals at the same games. She continued to raise the bar as an Olympic, Commonwealth, and European champion, achieving seven Gold, eight Silver, and four Bronze medals. She also won BBC Sports Personality of the Year and European Athlete of the Year. During the episode, Kelly shares her experiences of concealing her true identity and the fear she faced in revealing her sexuality to the public. She highlights the importance of education, understanding, acceptance, and authenticity regarding LGBTQ+ issues and the need to normalise attitudes toward the LGBTQ+ community. As Kelly recounts her extraordinary life story, she uncovers her experiences in the military, the traumatic military raids, and discriminatory laws targeting LGBTQ+ individuals. She then exposes the wider systemic discrimination in the military and the psychological traumas and mental health issues it caused, which she explored in her ITV documentary, Kelly Holmes: Being Me. As she developed her public persona as an international Olympic champion and world-class athlete, Kelly opens up about her fear of not being accepted for her sexuality and her anxiety about how this could impact her achievements. As she juggled her dual identity, she used defensive methods and was careful about how she projected herself to avoid judgment. Kelly then went on a journey of self-discovery, and at the age of 50, she finally accepted herself and came out about her sexuality. She embraced her true identity publicly the 2022 London Pride event, which was a powerful moment for her. Kelly acknowledges the pressures, challenges, and complexities of the coming out process, and uses her platform as an opportunity to combat stereotypes and to be an advocate for change. As a motivational speaker, Kelly shares how she connects with and inspires people through her personal experiences, but realises that her sexuality is just one aspect of her life. Now she has found happiness and inner peace, she focuses on her work and achievements and recognises the freedom of living authentically in a world where she can be proud to be herself, without the need for validation. Links: Dame Kelly Holmes can be found on: LinkedIn Instagram Facebook For more information about Dame Kelly Holmes, visit:  http://kellyholmes.co.uk/  Dame Kelly Holmes’ charity: https://www.damekellyholmestrust.org/ Purchase your copy of my book: Beyond Discomfort: Why inclusive leadership is so hard (and what you can do about it)

In this special celebrity episode of Why Care? I am joined by the truly inspiring, Dr. Ranj, to delve deeper into what drives him, his passion for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), and his perspective on how to break society’s confines of masculinity. Dr. Ranj shares many personal life experiences as we discuss his cultural upbringing, mindset, sexuality, identity, and journey to being authentically 100% who he is. We also explore his adventurous career, his advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community, promotion of diverse and inclusive education, and one of his many books aimed at boys: How to Be a Boy and Do It Your Own Way. Dr Ranj’s dedication to DEI is reflected throughout his personal journey, influential career, and advocacy work. There are so many things he has tried his hand at and proven he can successfully do! He is an NHS doctor, BAFTA award-winning TV presenter, best-selling author, advocate for inclusion, keynote speaker, radio host, and columnist. Dr. Ranj initially qualified as a doctor in 2007, before kick-starting his media career in 2012 as a CBeebies presenter. Since then, he elevated his public profile by gracing numerous TV shows and documentaries, including Strictly Come Dancing in 2018, and previously, ITV’s This Morning. Dr Ranj is the host of his own medical advice show called 'Dr Ranj: ON Call' and has written numerous children’s educational books. He is also an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, and inclusive education and offers expert advice on a range of physical and mental health issues. During the episode, Dr. Ranj reveals more about his cultural background and influences, mindset, motivations, and his proactive approach to life. He emphasises the importance of seizing the moment, taking risks, and embracing challenges, which have all helped define his personal journey. He shares some compelling experiences which illustrate his resilience, and commitment to personal growth, such as learning to swim in just one week for BBC Children in Need. He hopes achievements like this can inspire others to take some initiative, overcome internal challenges, and engage in personal growth.  Dr. Ranj elaborates more about his Indian heritage, which had a decisive influence on his work ethic and determination to succeed. He shares how he experienced a lack of emotional support growing up, and how he uses his experiences to promote inclusive education, diversity, and emotional connection. Dr. Ranj discusses other influences in his life, such as his teachers and school experience that had a transformative effect. He also shares some candid personal experiences, such as his journey of self-discovery, and navigating his sexual identity, that allowed him to journey towards becoming his authentic self. He moves on to discuss how there has been a gradual shift towards fostering diversity and inclusion, both in society and the media, and opens up about his time on Strictly Come Dancing. Dr. Ranj then shares more about his motivations for writing his books aimed at young boys, and how he strives to challenge the confines of masculinity in society.  Links: Dr Ranj can be found on: Instagram Facebook Twitter For more information about Dr. Ranj, visit: https://www.hachette.co.uk/contributor/ranj-singh/  http://www.talent4media.com/talent/dr-ranj-singh/ Purchase your copy of my book: Beyond Discomfort: Why inclusive leadership is so hard (and what you can do about it)

In Episode 40 of Why Care? I am joined by the brilliant and highly entertaining David McQueen to delve deeper into his brand-new book, The Brave Leader. David shares some life experiences, powerful insights and we touch on subjects such as the importance of followership, his BRAVE framework for good leadership, and how to take a systems approach to inclusive leadership.  David’s dedication to DEI is apparent through his years of experience as an executive coach, international keynote speaker, and facilitator. David co-founded professional development company Q Squared Ltd. He also hosts The BRAVE Leader podcast and dubs himself the ‘compassionate provocateur’ as he offers ‘unapologetic insights’. In addition, he is also a blogger on all things leadership and cultural change.  During our discussion, David reveals how he has always had a penchant for writing and the pandemic provided the perfect opportunity for him to finally let his creative juices flow. He was initially motivated to write a book that inspired people to think about their decision-making processes. David shares many relatable personal experiences that shaped his career journey. He has an eclectic professional background - initially studying law, and then accounting, before later realising his passion for public speaking. Throughout the podcast, David offers BRAVE reflections, and we touch on a range of subjects. He highlights the importance of followership, challenging the traditional narrative that followers are passive. He then shines a light on his five pillars of good leadership, or the BRAVE framework: Bold, Resilience, Agility, Visionary, and Ethical. David goes on to caution us about the signs of poor leadership, and encourages leaders to go beyond their titles and be more functional. David continues to explore how to embed DEI practices in the workplace, and focuses on the importance of aligning collective values and approaching sensitive topics rationally rather than out of fear. He then suggests how organisations should expand their board and consider the diverse majority to help to nurture an inclusive mindset, future-proof technology and integrate DEI policies. David offers some helpful decision-making models, and acknowledges his constant journey of navigating discomfort with humility. David delves into the following key concepts in his book: The Power of Followership - When discussing the leader-follower power-dynamic, leaders are often portrayed as heroic and their ‘followership’ are passive. David challenges this narrative, since followers play an equally powerful role as they have to also ‘buy into their vision,’ and help bring that vision to life. BRAVE - The five main pillars of good leadership, including being Bold, Resilient, Agile, Visionary, and Ethical. He shares some pertinent examples, to illustrate the significance of each one. Function over Title - David warns against some of the pitfalls of poor leadership, such as inflated egos, and encourages how a good leader should be brave enough to go beyond their title and be functional. The Alignment of Collective Values - David offers powerful strategies to help embed inclusion into the workplace and ensure the collective values of the organisation are aligned. Rationality Over Fear - David outlines how organisations should be brave enough to embrace their discomfort, and confront their fears. He offers strategies to help create a system for rational dialogue and authentic conversations. There should be a ‘conversation system’ for internal discussions with staff and stakeholders. An Inclusive Mindset - David advises how instead of approaching DEI as a ‘tick-box’ exercise, organisations should establish an inclusive mindset, especially over sensitive topics like ethnicity or race. He challenges leaders to look beyond their small avatar on DEI, broaden their board, and think about how each decision shapes the ‘organisation’s cultural DNA.’

“I encourage people in my books to please lean into your privileges, they give you a chance to show up as an ally, take advantage of all of them and I do but I simultaneously also understand the implications of what not having that access looks like. And even though I can't fix all of that, I also have a bit of responsibility to be a part of the solution.” In Episode 39 of Why Care?, I am joined by Amber Cabral to delve into her second book, Say More About That. We cover topics including how to use the best language to stand up for change, and how organisations can nurture a positive feedback culture and ensure accountability. We also discuss poignant issues, such as pushing back, calling out, taking ownership of family trauma, and standing up for our boundaries. Amber’s passion for DEI is evident through her experience as a global inclusion leader, executive coach, best-selling author, and TEDx and keynote speaker. She has managed her own boutique company, Cabal Co for almost two decades, coaching large global brands to achieve sustainable and inclusive behavioral shifts. Her first book, Allies and Advocates, was released in 2020. Amber initially stumbled into the world of diversity during her time as a Diversity Council Leader at the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, later becoming the Senior Diversity Strategist for Walmart. Amber hosts a podcast ‘Guilty Privilege’ and is committed to organisations empowering the next generation of diverse decision-makers, including Brown Girls Do.  During our discussion, Amber explains that she was initially inspired to put pen to paper after her colleague, Amanda Miller Littlejohn, pinpointed how she “always had the right words to say.” She therefore framed her book as a toolkit to help empower people to navigate their path to inclusion and equity. She hoped to guide people to choose the best language to speak up, especially those who experience microaggressions or exclusion. Amber shares her own relatable experiences, and how she was determined to bring about change from a young age. However, she later realized that when it comes to nurturing inclusive spaces and challenging inequities, we have to have a broader mindset and look beyond ourselves. Amber encourages us to be mindful of every side, consider what each person needs to feel equally included, and if each battle to bring about disruption or change will have the right impact on the wider community. Amber highlights the importance of providing feedback and speaking out when we are offended, so we can grow on the path to inclusion. She then offers tools for organisations and leaders to foster an environment of feedback, and explains the power of accountability. Amber then discusses how to respond to negative feedback and to approach pushing back on people in a non-confrontational, but influential way. Next, we move on to the emotive topic of family trauma, and how this influences and shapes our ability to speak up about inclusion. She reveals how we should own and embrace our narratives, cultural stereotypes, and differences. This can help us navigate how we respond, create meaningful dialogue, and cause behavioural shifts. Amber then elaborates more about creating boundaries, and the value of recognizing our needs, delegating, and not becoming too accountable. Amber focuses on the following key concepts of her book: Feedback - we need to create mechanisms for organisations and leaders to help nurture a culture of feedback. Taking ownership – it is not our responsibility to change our narrative, but it is our responsibility to be conscious of our family traumas or cultural stereotypes. Standing up for boundaries - if we navigate standing up for boundaries, providing feedback, and creating accountability, we can all journey to an inclusive and equitable world. Links: Amber can be found on: - LinkedIn.  - Instagram - Youtube For more information about Amber, visit her website: https://www.ambercabral.com/

“The reframing that I do around that is that meritocracy is a myth, the fact that everyone wants to get a job on their merit. Sadly, we know that lots of people get jobs because of who they know not necessarily what they know. They get opportunities and extra opportunities because of who they are...” In Episode 38 of Why Care?, I am joined by Jenny Garrett, Founder of Jenny Garrett Global to discuss her book, Equality Vs Equity. We discuss colourism, racial discrimination and power, and how we can assimilate our differences and create a society where we are all benefitting. Jenny’s interest in DEI is evident through her experiences as a career coach, leadership developer, TEDx Speaker and author. She has nearly two decades of experience in running a global business, she founded the first Diverse Executive Coach Directory in the UK and is a Co-Founder of the social enterprise, Rocking Ur Teens. She is passionate about helping people to make the transformation that they are seeking to happen and in doing so, she received an OBE award in 2021 for her services to Entrepreneurship and Women in Business.  Jenny talks about her internal conflict before writing Equity vs Equality.  She didn’t want to be put in a box, but what motivated her was her desire to empower people and help the world have conversations and take action on race and ethnicity. She speaks about the clear distinction between equity and equality. As she explains, equity is more about changing the systems, for instance, there is an unwritten rule that oftentimes makes it difficult for those with certain accents to progress at work. So, with this, it is more about ensuring that the senior leaders are aware of systemic inequities and are actively creating change. She explains that, at times, people struggle with racial inequity because they have no direct contact with those from an ethnic background, so it becomes difficult for them to understand their lived experiences. It becomes easy to ‘other’ them as a result. As she identifies, there is a huge stigma around being called ‘racist’ and that breeds fear and reluctance around the topic. Some people have grown up being told not to mention anything about ethnicity, so it is challenging for them to have to unlearn that.  Later on, she speaks about colourism - how the closer people are to whiteness, the more advantages they have. She identifies that as someone with ‘medium brown skin and green eyes’, she has benefitted from this, as it has made her more appealing and accessible to others. Despite this, she recounts her experience of racial discrimination at an evening gala, and, what felt most painful was the lack of allyship... Jenny then explains the key concepts in her book: -       Shape-shifting – With the speed of change in the world, bias and discrimination can be heightened because of the way AI is being built and developed. So, it is about this shift from ‘people are not recognising me’ to ‘AI is not recognising me’. It is about being aware of how micro-aggressions can present differently in the future of work... -       Interest Conversion – Jenny identifies that people need a reason to care about racial inequity. She cites the business case for diversity as an example - businesses invest in DEI because of the financial returns they will get. For those with an ethnic background, it could be because they want more opportunities and, for her, it is about creating a society where incidents like George Floyd’s killing don’t happen. -       Mindset shift – Jenny explains that people need to understand the power they have in different situations and to use that power with humility and not see it as a burden. She references that, as a straight woman, she has a privilege because she isn’t being discriminated against because of her sexual orientation. So, she can support the people from the LGBTQ+ community and be there for them.   Links: Jenny can be found on: -       LinkedIn -       Instagram -       Facebook

(Leadership theories are being developed by white men and researched on those from white backgrounds). “I think the biggest risk is how subtly permeated this exists within our definitions of leadership, of the leadership that we value and trust…" In Episode 37 of Why Care?, I speak to Jenny Vazquez-Newsum, Founder and CEO of Untapped Leadership. We discuss her book, Untapped Leadership, and we explore the concepts of contextual agility, stealth-clean up and the zone of untapped leadership. We also touch on topics such as the race penalty, imposter syndrome, and how we can redefine and redesign leadership so it is representative and inclusive of all. Jenny’s passion for DEI is evident in her roles as a leadership facilitator, educator, consultant, and author. Her work in DEI has spanned over two decades, and she has worked with over 500 leaders from more than 200 organisations. Her goal is to address the limitations of current leadership rhetoric... Jenny speaks on her motivations in writing Untapped Leadership, which came from her reflections that white men typically created the management courses she attended and books she read. She clarifies that although her book was written from a racialised lens, there is an aspect of everyone that may be marginalised and so her book applies to underrepresentation more broadly... Jenny breaks down the key concepts in her book: - Roots of Leadership – Jenny gives an example of the ‘Great Man Theory’, where leadership was defined by the characteristics and behaviour of great men. However, by looking at the Fortune 500 senior leaders, it is evident that this theory is still in action. As she explains, if different leadership perspectives were being valued, we shouldn’t be seeing only this type of leader... - Stepping stones to leadership (Redesigning Leadership) – Most organisational structures are triangular, not very representative, and result in a lot of people being left behind... What she advises is contextual agility; a leadership that is grounded in context and being agile in that context. - Systemic vs Individual (Stealth-clean up) – Jenny explains a frequent phenomenon whereby leaders from marginalised ethnic groups are given an almost impossible task to ‘clean up’ an organisation's mess. However, they have limited support, people are less forgiving, and their missteps are more consequential. When organisations go through ‘epic failures’, they place the onus on the individual at the very top, when it is in fact systemic. To create a more sustainable system, she advises that organisations think about the structural elements, the systems in place, and how to fix this so that the person leading has all the support they need to succeed.  - The race penalty – Jenny identifies through her connections with leaders of colour, that there is a ‘mental calculus’ of how to engage, i.e., they take extra thought and consideration on their actions, knowing that they might not be able to speak or show emotion the same way as somebody else in their organisation. This reality in itself, is something that they are often made aware of in their daily interactions. - Reframing Imposter Syndrome – Jenny references her own experiences of how she would not engage in class because she felt that she didn’t belong. She explains that this narrative of imposter syndrome is deceiving because it is a deficit in the system, not the individual. Imposter syndrome needs to be reframed - what is needed here is a system that is supportive, robust, diverse, and representative to all... - Zone of Untapped Leadership – Jenny describes the ‘zone of untapped leadership’ as the intersection between the way you leverage your power and privilege and the way you leverage your marginalised perspectives...   Links: Jenny can be found on: -       LinkedIn -       Instagram -       Book For more from Untapped Leaders, you can visit their website at: https://www.untappedleaders.com/

“The other problem that we have is that people disregard the nuances of, in this case, women. And one of my Forbes pieces that I wrote, which is called Women are not a Monolith, and we must stop treating them as such..." In Episode 36, Sheree Atcheson, Global DEI Senior Executive at Valtech, joins me to speak about her book, Demanding More. We explore the concept of white saviourism and white feminism, and how we can all benefit from DEI. Sheree’s DEI career has spanned for over a decade, as a consultant, keynote speaker, published author, advisory board member and a Forbes contributor. In 2013, she launched and led the award-winning UK expansion of Women Who Code, the world's largest non-profit globally dedicated to women in tech. Her goal is to raise awareness of the incredible prospects available in the industry... Sheree speaks about her intentions behind Demanding More, which was to create a book that is easily accessible and digestible by all, and that is helpful in pushing people to stand up and ask for more in a purposeful and sustainable way. She describes her experience of being born in Sri Lanka and adopted by a white family; her feelings of being the ‘only’, the intense racism she faced, and how she had to fight for equal treatment in her schools. She breaks down white saviourism - the act of helping others just to elevate yourself and your reputation, and the role that it played in her adoption. As she explains, making a difference starts by shifting the focus from ‘you’ to ‘them’, instead of what will I gain from this, it should be on how others can benefit from this. Lastly, she discusses six core DEI themes: - Privilege – She explains that the problem here is insecurity, which pushes some to deny others the same access to opportunities that they have. Those in the majority might feel conflicted about embracing diversity, as they find themselves asking whether their success is dependent on their merits or their positions, or, whether their failure is dependent on their lack of talent or on someone’s else opportunities. - Intersectionality – The key thing here is awareness, and this can be done through observing data and listening to stories. Lack of inclusion can lead to people being attacked, and in some instances, murdered, and companies should take this as seriously as any other safety issue, and should discuss and share this openly with their employees. - White Feminism – The highest or most privileged groups of women are often prioritised in DEI strategies because those in leadership positions can relate and identify with them. So, DEI strategies end up being exclusionary rather than inclusive, as they neglect the intersectional identities women have. - Strategy and Processes – Sheree explains that preparation is key, it is about doing things proactively not reactively. When looking at representation, use Agile (rather than Waterfall) methodology, listen, learn, and conduct research. Skill is also very important and not just passion, passion can lead people to develop strategies that answer their problems or they can relate to, when in fact, what is needed is something that everyone can relate to. - Inclusive Technology – The issue with using AI to de-bias different processes is that humans are the ones creating the software, so there is room for error. The fast-paced nature of the tech industry makes it difficult to rigorously test it out and to see the impact it has on everyone in society. - Growth Opportunities – Sharing growth opportunities and creating sponsor frameworks is very important. What works best in organisations is when everyone can focus on what they are best at, not a position they’ve gotten due to their service, loyalty, networking, or background, but based on their skills. Leaders should give people space to learn from their mistakes and support them through this.   Links: Sheree can be found on: - LinkedIn - X (Twitter) - Website

"So quite often I find all that DEI activities and initiatives is operating without a plan. People don't know what they're aiming for, right? They may have read something on LinkedIn, or they experience something in their previous organisation, or they've read an article somewhere and they go, we should do this. And it kind of ends up being this big shopping list of activity that people are trying to navigate through and find..." In Episode 35, I speak to Catherine Garrod, Founder of Compelling Culture, to discuss the underlying concepts in her book, Conscious Inclusion, the difference between positive action and positive discrimination, why organisations struggle to take a stand against exclusionary behaviour, and the data-led, systematic approach she takes to develop a DEI strategy. Catherine’s passion for DEI is evident in her career journey, which has spanned for over 15 years in writing, consulting, organisational development, employee engagement and culture change. Her goal is to create a culture where people feel included, where their voice is heard, where they feel empowered and where action is taken to drive sustainable change. She was previously the Head of Inclusion at Sky, where she led them to become the Most Inclusive Employer in the UK, with 80% of teams increasing diversity. Catherine speaks on why she titled her book as ‘Conscious Inclusion’. This refers to the shift from the unconscious, which controls 90 per cent of our decisions on a daily basis, to the 10 per cent conscious. She wrote her book through a motivation to help organisations turn knowledge and enthusiasm for DEI into practical steps that anyone can apply and adopt, regardless of their position, department, or background. She recounts her experience of toxic masculinity, in the interaction she had with a delivery driver. And this highlights how organisations can be dismissive instead of being inclusive, and further reiterates the importance in building a culture where people feel safe, validated, and accepted. As she explains, it is important that the difference between positive action and positive discrimination is understood. Positive discrimination is about hiring minority individuals because of their identities rather than their skills, whereas positive action is about recognising the underrepresentation, ensuring there is no bias in the process, and then creating a work environment that attracts them. Based on this, it is clear that over-representation is the problem and not the lack of diversity in organisations. As such, she addresses how organisations can be conscious about inclusion: 1. Leadership development programs - Equip leaders with the right DEI skills. Ensure that leadership investment is aligned with the organisation’s purpose and values and is generating the right behaviours in leaders. 2. Culture – Create an environment that is a safe place for people to learn how to be inclusive leaders; where they can share their fears, ask questions, and be vulnerable and courageous. 3. Message and actions – Organisations should ensure that their messages are in line with their actions, both are equally important in assuring and reassuring their employees that they are committed to DEI. 4. Collaboration – Organisations should ensure that they are building with their employees and not for them. It shouldn’t be about command and control but about listening and protecting their employees’ rights. 5. Plan and use data - There needs to be a framework in place to deliver DEI, organisations should focus on one thing and do this brilliantly. Data acts as a guide to direct organisations on what actions they should take and when.   Links: Catherine can be found on: -     LinkedIn -     X (Twitter) -     Newsletter (Crown Jewels and Whoopsie Daisy) -     Book For more from Compelling Culture, you can visit their website at: https://www.compellingculture.co.uk/

“And so, what we try to lift up in this book is ways for people to shift their mindsets from having that fixed mindset of thinking this is the way it is, it's the way it's always going to be, people won't grow, people won't change, it’s how it’s been for centuries, so maybe there's a way for us to ask these tough questions. For them to believe with optimism and competence and historical fact that people can learn and grow with the right tools. And then with that mindset, go further and say, if we have better managed diverse workforces and teams, we will have more optimal outcomes and make the business case, because it's hard to argue that." In Episode 34, I am joined by two guests: Chris Altizer, a leader, and partner of Altizer Performance Partners, and, Gloria Johnson-Cusack, founder and owner of Gloria Johnson-Cusack Consulting. We discuss their book, Growing the Elephant, and how they shift the linguistic focus from ‘privilege’ to ‘earned and unearned advantage’. They offer a really helpful way to break down dimensions of power and provide tips on how we can create an advantage for all. Chris and Gloria’s career journey has spanned over three decades. Chris has experience in global human resources as a Senior Vice President of Human Resources and the head of Leadership roles at Pfizer and Aetna. He is an executive and team coach, a facilitator, a speaker, a registered Yoga Teacher, a thrice-published author, and a qualified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction teacher. Gloria has been an executive in global philanthropy, national non-profits, higher education, U.S. Congress, and the White House. Gloria is a speaker, author, lecturer, and consultant providing strategic counsel to leadership teams and boards globally regarding governance, change leadership, DEI, and strategic planning. She serves as Board Chair of the Firelight Foundation supporting communities in Africa and is a Board member of Patients for Affordable Drugs NOW. Chris and Gloria share their intentions behind writing Growing the Elephant. They wanted to strengthen the competencies and mindsets of the people who are advocating for change and the people in power, who can help effectuate change at scale. Gloria’s perspective came from her passion for creating systems change and policy change, whereas Chris's perspective was focused on the role of the individual. The main idea of the elephant in the room is opening up a conversation about the things we don't want to talk about, especially if you have unearned advantages. Chris speaks on the divide in opinions between those who think the push for DEI is not as assertive as it should be and those who think that it is too much. As he explains, systems change when people change, and people change one at a time. He speaks on the importance of shifting mindsets and how vital this is on the journey to being an ally and advocate. Through his personal reflections, he was able to recognise that his own lack of awareness could diminish and disparage other people. Gloria concludes this point, by stating, that we need people to shift from a fixed mindset (things won’t change) to a growth advantage mindset (asking tough questions and believing that people can learn with the right tools). As they both explain, it is ironic that there is a belief that those with unearned advantages shouldn’t be resourced because they have been provided with resources all their lives. What we need to do is to empower everyone for change to occur. Chris shares that the idea of being comfortable with the truth, such as the advantages we are penalised or rewarded for, is not the same as accepting it, and acceptance is in fact what we need for growth to occur. It is an unchanging fact that some of us have advantages more than others. People need to embrace both the discomfort and comfort that comes with having an unearned advantage. Gloria breaks down the three dimensions of power in the form of an upside-down pyramid - at the bottom layer is ...

In Episode 33, I am joined by Amri Johnson, CEO and Founder of Inclusion Wins, to discuss the dangers of being led only by emotion and not reason, the dangers of being led by passion and not skill, and what DEI practitioners and organisations need to do to sustain DEI efforts. Amri’s DEI journey has spanned over two decades and is based on his experiences as a social capitalist, epidemiologist, entrepreneur, consultant, inclusion strategist, podcaster, and author of Reconstructing Inclusion. It was his experience in management that steered him towards inclusive leadership, organisational development, and organisational effectiveness. This experience made him realise that learning and leading go hand-in-hand and that a true leader, listens, learns, and cares for their people. As such, Amri has set out to create cultures from the hearts of individuals. His goal is to engage all people as leaders, foster the opening of their minds and deepen their skill sets, enabling them to thrive and consistently contribute their best to the organisation. Amri shares his motives for writing ‘Reconstructing Inclusion’; how this was centred on the health disparities he witnessed in his work and on his mission to create, design and develop inclusion systems that will help bridge this gap, and in doing so, build organisations that are fit for change and creating the future. To achieve this, he warns us against being emotion-driven, but rather more reason-driven. He uses the narrative after the case of George Floyd to best explain this. There was a lot of reaction and no action taken, it was more about what people were feeling in the moment and not about what they wanted to create in the future. The danger that lies here is that there were demands made on the people whom were felt to be responsible. He relates this back to the DEI work, and how there is a lot about systems orientation but not a lot about what changing the systems requires.   As he explains in his book, rightness will never transform anything. Being right might give us a certain level of moral superiority but it is not getting us anywhere, because if we want to create and transform our societies, superiority is not what we need, unity is what we need instead. If there aren’t people with diverse backgrounds in an organisation to challenge decision-makers, it can be destructive for the company in the long run. Amri shares that we need to address these tensions affirmatively and with intention, to create something that is more sustainable. As Amri mentions, organisations tend to get things wrong when they focus solely on making DEI efforts and not on sustaining these efforts. He offers advice on what organisations and DEI practitioners need to do to sustain these efforts: 1) Organisations: have to ensure that DEI is aligned with their organisational purpose, mission, and strategy. 2) Organisations: need to consistently and normatively create the conditions for people to thrive in. 3) Practitioners: need to understand that they can choose to use certain, new DEI terms, but this must not be imposed on others, as this will in fact get in the way of the transformational potential this work holds. 4) Both: have to be constantly learning. If we are focused on othering somebody, we are not willing to be influenced by them, and as such, we can’t all thrive because it is that openness that creates possibility. 5) Both: need to get better at getting into people’s inner worlds. Empathy alone is incomplete and won’t get us there, but perspective-taking is the gateway to us understanding each other. It is about not jumping to conclusions but about being curious because we are multi-layered, and the more curious we are, the more we understand those layers, and as this relatedness grows, so does the possibility for empathy. Links: For more from Inclusion Wins, you can visit their website at: https://inclusionwins.com/

“I think this is a question for the world of work overall, which is challenge versus consensus. I think it is something you have to acknowledge as a leader which is that you might have three points of view in the room. If you go for consensus, you might be getting half good of all three of them. How do you get the very best? because if you’ve got those three opinions, everybody’s worked quite hard to build their case, what you need is for everyone to understand that the competition is outside the company, not within the company and that you want to get the best answer.”   In Episode 32, I am joined by Sue Unerman, Chief Transformation Officer and Global head of Relevance at EssenceMediacomX (EMX), to discuss the consequences of diversity fatigue, the significance of cultivating belonging, and the value of cognitive and demographic diversity. Sue’s interest in DEI is evident in her career journey, which has spanned over three decades in digital, media, marketing, strategy, belonging and inclusion, client service, and diversifying revenue streams. She is an expert in solving business challenges, driving growth, value, and continuous improvement through times of change and digital transformation. She is a long-standing ExCo board member, a fellow of the IPA, and has a regular blog for Campaign magazine. Her sincere dedication to DEI has led to successes as the winner of the Cannes Lions 2022 competition, listed in HERoes as Champions of Women in Business 2022 and Female Lead’s 20 in data and tech, and the co-author of 3 best-selling books: Belonging, The Glass Wall and Tell the Truth. She has used her platform to challenge stereotypes as an advocate for gender diversity at work, create real change in DEI, and to promote authenticity in marketing. In our conversation, Sue shares her motivations behind writing ‘Belonging’, particularly, her desire to offer a point of view that emphasised with everyone, and pragmatic ways to overcome the barriers to an equitable and fair workplace. Her mission was to write a book that would help everybody become a champion of belonging. She explores diversity fatigue and its impact on those in the minority and those in the majority: 1)     It affects the people who it is meant to help, who are tired of being invited as a poster person and are frustrated by the lack of real change in DEI.  2)    It affects the majority who are in power, who are tired of constantly being accused and are afraid of making a mistake. She speaks on the importance of cultivating belonging at work, and that this must be communicated through the vision, behaviour, and culture set by the leaders. As she explains, diversity in thinking and support from leaders is needed for everyone to embrace this. She explores the significance of organisations embracing adult-to-adult interactions, where we can all lead from our seats and make a difference, it is not about being bystanders but action-takers. The key here is that leaders need to make sure everybody is recognised, heard, and their opinion is valued, it is not necessarily that everybody gets to win, but that we are all trying to win as an organisation. Sue explains that there is real power in diversity, and this can be activated by adopting a growth mindset. It is not about a zero-sum game but an additional game - it is about adding value, not just numbers, to your organisation. Lastly, she speaks on the conflict between challenge and consensus that leaders face when making a decision, and that to bypass this, it is important to establish that competition is outside the company and collaboration is within the company. Links: Sue can be found on: -       LinkedIn -       Twitter -       Website   For more from Essence Media, you can visit their website at: https://www.essencemediacom.com/ Additional links to her books are on her website above.

“I want to challenge the comfortable in all of us and in myself. I want to invite us to walk that path together because the comfortable amongst us is needed in the change equation so desperately for change to be sustainable, to be at scale, to be accelerated, to address the real pain and inequities in our society.” In Episode 31, I am joined by Jennifer Brown, Founder and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting (JBC), to discuss the challenges of being an inclusive leader, how to overcome these challenges, and what inclusive leadership means. Jennifer’s DEI journey has spanned for over 15 years in public speaking, entrepreneurship, consulting, thought leadership, and writing. She is an acclaimed keynoter and podcaster, with her podcast The Will to Change, which has 15,000 listeners per month. She has received several recognitions, having been named Woman of the Year, Social Entrepreneur of the Year, one of the Top 40 Outstanding Women and so much more. Her sincere commitment and determination to DEI have led to her numerous successes as a best-selling author of two books, a shortlist winner of the O.W.L. Award, and a winner of the 2019 Nautilus Book Awards' Business & Leadership category. These achievements drawback to her mission of creating inclusive organisations where all of us can thrive, and, encouraging leadership and allyship at all levels with concrete behaviours and actions. Jennifer offers insight into her DEI journey, and her shift from focusing on DEI representation to ensuring that diverse individuals are respected, understood, hired, and retained in their respective organisations. She shares her personal story, and delves into the importance of this, as an authority figure and as an LGBTQ woman advocating for her community. As she explains, there is an ease in hiding, and seeking what is comfortable but what we actually need is to challenge what is comfortable. Setting that tone and creating psychological safety will normalise open conversations about things that frighten us and are not so often spoken about. These include questions about privileges and invisibility, and the significance of utilising that as a way of fuelling our allyship with others. Lastly, she speaks about the inclusive leadership continuum, which features in her book – How to be an Inclusive Leader. She describes that leaders tend to get stuck at each transition stage: 1) Phase 1 and 2, that is between ‘I don’t know what I don’t know’ and ‘now I know what I don’t know’. This is complex as they have to overcome resistance, apathy, cynicism, and skepticism.. 2) Phase 2 and 3, from the ‘I know what I don’t know’ to ‘deepening my knowledge’. They will have to experiment and fail a lot to learn, which is quite overwhelming, and shame and guilt-inducing for leaders. 3) Phase 3 and 4, here the issue is being stuck in the perfectionism trap between aware and active ‘not knowing’ and ‘not having mastering of how things will turn out’. Leaders will find that they are more vulnerable, they will hold themselves accountable and train themselves to notice bias around them and speak up. In Phase 4, leaders are advocates and that can be difficult to achieve. As such, leaders require support, patience, flexibility, resilience, forgiveness, and graciousness. It's not about having a short-term focus on calling people out and canceling them when they make mistakes, but about having a long-term view of nurturing the journey of others. This holds more power than pushing people out from contributing to the DEI conversation because of their privileges. Links: Jennifer can be found on: -       Instagram -       LinkedIn -       Linktree For more from Jennifer Brown Consulting, you can visit their website at: https://jenniferbrownconsulting.com/

‘With multicultural women, we see that most of the time they are like, I will be just like everyone else, I will be talented and work hard and my work will speak for myself. It’s not easy for these women to deal with these issues. Being intentional about getting the assistance you need, setting your goals and moving up .. How do you use your difference as an asset and leverage it as an advantage for your company?’  In Episode 30, I am joined by Bonnie St. John, CEO of Blue Circle Leadership Institute, to discuss the specific barriers and challenges that multicultural women face in climbing up the corporate ladder, building trust across multicultural differences, and engaging leaders to support them. Bonnie’s interest in DEI has been shaped by her life experiences as a Paralympic athlete, a Rhodes Scholar, a best-selling author, a White House Official and an entrepreneurial businesswoman. For over twenty years, Bonnie has led seminars, workshops and executive coaching, and has circled the globe as a keynote speaker and Fortune 500 leadership consultant. Her desire to lead with the sincere intention to make a difference is evident through her journey to find her strengths and overcome prejudices. She was the first African-American ever to win medals in Winter Olympic competition, taking home a silver and two bronze medals in downhill skiing. Through her work as the CEO of Blue Circle, she has worked to deeply understand the barriers faced by multicultural women, designing a powerful development program that gets to the heart of a much-needed conversation. We explore five core components of the Blue Circle Leadership program that support women to overcome these barriers:  - Trust and informal networking: navigating across differences to create a sense of trust and comfort that doesn’t come as naturally between a senior white male and junior multicultural woman. - Telling and selling your value: cultural differences for multicultural women mean that they don’t feel comfortable ‘bragging’. - Sponsorship: addressing the informal network issue, and ensuring multicultural women can equip others to speak out for them, making it easier for others to help them out. - Strategic networking: moving multicultural women to the next level by equipping them with mentors, sponsors, who can make an introduction and open the door for them. - Authentic Leadership: how multicultural women can understand what is unique about them and leverage it for their organisation.  We discuss her book and the importance of using science to help teams be more resilient. The focus here is on the little things that we do that makes us more resilient immediately. As Bonnie shares, discomfort doesn’t only occur for white leaders who want to sponsor multicultural women, it happens both ways, even those who are from similar cultures feel uncomfortable due to expectations to stand in line and to adhere to cultural norms, almost more than the white male. As such, leaders need to move beyond discomfort and be intentional about providing support for multicultural women and working towards building an inclusive environment.  Lastly, Bonnie speaks on the internal struggles she faced when she made the decision to specialise in helping multicultural women become leaders. This was primarily based on her desire as a businesswoman to succeed on a broader stage, and not on a small market that focuses on multicultural women. Despite this, her sincere determination to help those like her is evident through her work, helping forge the path for multicultural women who are stuck at the entry rungs in their career due to their ethnicity and gender. To hear Why Care? episodes, sign up to our newsletter here, and you can find out more at Avenir via our LinkTree.

“Let’s not focus on just the number of representations, let’s focus on creating an environment where everyone has an equal chance to succeed, the numbers will then work themselves out. We would truly have the best people in the best positions instead of advantaged privileged white men who might have advanced in their career because of privilege they didn’t even see, and that leads to the disparities that we see.”  In Episode 29, I am joined by Paolo Gaudiano, Co-Founder and President at Aleria Research Corporation, and Chief Scientist at Aleria, to debunk the myths commonly associated with DEI. He is on a mission to help organisations become more inclusive, diverse, equitable, and successful. Notwithstanding, he is Chair and co-organizer of the annual Diversity and Inclusion Research Conference, and also writes about DEI on Forbes. Paolo shares the sophisticated simulation he has designed to capture the complex scenarios of organisational life and how bias leads to some inevitable outcomes. We explore the common DEI myths and backlash from majority groups and he explains why the support and investment of leadership is so critical to DEI success.  Paolo’s interest in DEI is evident in his career journey, which has spanned over three decades in interdisciplinary research, teaching, entrepreneurship, consulting, public speaking, and writing. Through his work, he noticed that there was a huge gap between the experiences that people described based on their diverse identities and the solutions. Paolo’s passion for DEI is based on his desire to change the way people think of DEI, quantifying the links between individual behaviour and organisational outcomes. Through his research on measuring inclusion, Paolo identified two universal themes:  • Respect or the lack thereof is by far the most common issue that causes people to feel uncomfortable and excluded at work.  • Women, in all the different types of organisations (global, domestic, small or large) feel more exclusion than men. And this leads to a greater turnover of women and a tendency to ‘truncate their career’.  Later in our discussion, he explains, the ‘zero-sum’ mindset gives rise to sentiments whereby the white majority feel that they are being pushed out. Particularly, he advises organisations to steer clear of the obsessive focus on increasing numerical representation of diverse individuals as those individuals will end up leaving when they feel excluded. Instead, there should be a focus on creating an inclusive environment where everyone has an equal chance to succeed.  On this basis, he offers advice on why leaders should treat DEI as their number one priority. As he rightly explains, leaders should focus on understanding the impact of diversifying their human assets, they should know how to optimise it to get more efficiency out of it, as they do other assets in their company, such as financial and marketing assets. Lastly, Paolo speaks on the unique discomfort he faces when trying to balance the viewpoints of those who share similar diversity characteristics to him but have different views on DEI, to those who aren’t but are being faced with injustice. He explains trying to ensure that he addresses the issue in a way that will acknowledge the difficulties of each side, but also making them aware of the other perspective in a way that is not shaming or challenging their beliefs.  Links: Paolo can be found on LinkedIn at Paolo Gaudiano. For more from Aleria, visit their website at: https://www.aleria.tech  For more from Aleria Research Corporation, visit their website at: https://www.aleriaresearch.org  To hear Why Care? episodes first, sign up to our newsletter here, and you can find more from us at Avenir via our LinkTree here.