At their best employee resource groups (ERGs) provide a space for connection, mutual support and career development for their members. They benefit the organisation by driving strategic priorities and help the communities they advocate for by addressing inequity and creating positive change. 

But at their worst, ERGs can become demotivated and negative. They can generate additional and non impactful work for themselves and others, and also create risks through organisational misalignment and agitation for change that might not actually be possible or desirable. 

In this episode Kerry Boys and Phil Cross deep dive into what an effective ERG looks like and how we can ensure they impact our organisations and our teams positively.

Given the talent shortage, how do we get our hiring processes working in the best possible way?

How do we make sure that our hiring processes are inclusive?

How do we ensure that we are giving people a fair and equitable go-to people as part of that process?

In this episode we answer some key questions that we are regularly asked by clients, providing you with learnings that will help you make real change in your organisation.

LINKS:

Find out more about how we can help your organisation with Inclusive Hiring, contact us at hello@leadersforgood.org.

PODCAST LINKS:

Website

iTunes

Spotify

Why is it important to continue DEI work during tough times?

In this episode, part two of their conversation, Phil Cross and Nadya Powell highlight the necessity for companies to maintain their DEI efforts even during economic downturns.

They also discuss: 

• The challenges and advantages of unconscious bias training, 
• The importance of leading through change.
• Why paying lip service is not enough and how real action is needed to make progress on DEI initiatives.

Listeners will find valuable resources to continue their learning and engagement in this work, making this episode a must-listen for all those interested in promoting DEI in their workplaces.

You can find this episode (along with part one of this chat) on your favourite podcast app.

Show Notes

Part One

What does great diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) look like in today’s organisations?

In this episode Phil Cross sits down with Nadya Powell – Founding Partner of UK based Utopia where she partners with global businesses such as Google, P&G, Kellogg and Spotify to rewire business cultures to be inclusive and healthy. 

Phil and Nadya discuss various aspects of best practice DEI, including:

- The benefits of having “noisy organisations”

- What effective inclusive leadership looks like

- The power of inclusive partnerships

The conversation was so comprehensive that it had to be split into two parts. Stay tuned for part two to hear more valuable insights on how to foster a culture of inclusion and promote DEI in the workplace.

If you are one of those people in your organisation who've found yourself leading the charge on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Or if you're an organisational leader, people and culture or HR professional, this episode is for you.

We speak with Dr. Jen O'Ryan, author, consultant, and specialist in inclusion, diversity, and belonging. Jen has a PhD in human behaviour and her background is in tech, leading organisational change and launching global initiatives.

We touch on many topics during this conversation, from safe spaces to inclusive language and much more. All sparked by conversation around Jen’s recent book, Inclusive AF - A Field Guide for Accidental Diversity Experts.

Show Notes: 

- Jen O’Ryan

- Inclusive AF - A Field Guide for Accidental Diversity Experts by Dr Jen O'Ryan

- Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg

- Building Brave Spaces with with Brené Brown & Barrett Guillen

What will 2023 bring for organisations focused on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)?

In this episode of the LFG Podcast, co-founders Kerry and Phil go deeper on their DEI trend predictions for 2023.

This episode is designed to help you better understand emerging opportunities and challenges and make more informed decisions about where they should be focussing your time, attention and resources.

Show Notes

* DEI Trends To Watch In 2023

* Bias Deep Dive with Riham Satti from Mevitae

* Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction

What does it take to scale DEI?

In this episode of the LFG Podcast we chat with Paul Marriott, President Asia-Pacific Japan for SAP. During this fascinating and wide ranging conversation, we discuss:

* Paul's journey in DEI and how he came to be such a passionate advocate and supporter.

* The regional differences in diversity, equity and inclusion in Japan and Asia Pacific.

* The nuances, challenges, and opportunities when it comes to DEI in the tech industry.

* The wonderful initiatives being rolled out at SAP.

* How large and complex organisations like SAP scale DEI.

So grab yourself a pen and paper, there are plenty of actionable insights you’ll want to capture! 

What can individuals and organisations do to mitigate potentially harmful bias?

In this episode we deep dive on bias with Riham Satti, CEO and founder of Mevitae. During this insightful conversation we explore:

• Common misconceptions about bias
• Implications of bias for individuals, for organisations and for society
• Algorithmic bias
• How we as individuals and as organisations can mitigate potentially harmful bias

Show Notes:

• Riham's linkedIn
• Mevitae website
• Implicit association test
• Sapians
• Immunity to Change
• Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders?
• Does Anonymised Hiring Work?

How do we make starting-up businesses more accessible and more inclusive for more people? What does it mean to be an Inclusive Entrepreneur?

In this episode, we chat with Celia Boyd. Celia has a wealth of knowledge and experience as a co-founder of SHE Investments and is also instrumental in the success of yap.

During our conversation we unpack and learn about:

• Celia's journey and how SHE got to where it is today.
• The economic climate in Cambodia and some of the challenges faced by Cambodian women entrepreneurs.
• What does it mean to be an inclusive entrepreneur?
• What does a more accessible and more inclusive business look like? 
• How can you put these practices into place?

LINKS

Celia's LinkedIn

SHE Investments

ygap

Tim O’Reilly

Krishnamurti

Given the talent shortage, how do we get our hiring processes working in the best possible way?

How do we make sure that our hiring processes are inclusive?

How do we ensure that we are giving people a fair and equitable go-to people as part of that process?

In this episode we answer some key questions that we are regularly asked by clients, providing you with learnings that will help you make real change in your organisation.

LINKS:

Find out more about how we can help your organisation with Inclusive Hiring, contact us at hello@leadersforgood.org.

PODCAST LINKS:

Website

iTunes

Spotify

Curious about impact investing?

In this episode of the LFG Podcast we sit down with Shane Nichols - CEO at Good Return, a social purpose organisation dedicated to breaking down barriers to finance and enabling women and those who are marginalised in our region to build financial security.

In this wide ranging conversation we touch on:

• The difference between the microfinance and impact investing
• The problem of the 'missing middle' and why Good Return have focused their impact fund on addressing this challenge
• The crucial role of capacity building for successful impact investing
• The importance of a focus on gender equity in impact investing

LINKS:

Good Return

Shanes LinkedIn

Global Leadership Program at Macquarie University

The Global Impact Investing Network

Crowde

Luli Adeyemo is the Founder & Director of purpose-led strategy consulting firm, Best Case Scenario. Soozey Johnstone an executive team behavioural coach, and co-founder of #TechDiversity.

In this episode Luli, Soozey and Kerry deep dive into the topic of diversity in the tech sector, unpacking some of the key challenges and ideas to drive change.

LINKS:

The 2021 TechDiversity Awards nominations close 11:59PM Thursday 16 December: Make Nomination

Diversity Atlas

The School That Tried to End Racism

PODCAST LINKS:

Website | iTunes | Spotify

Are your learning and development (L&D) efforts having the impact you’d like?

In this episode of the Inclusion At Work podcast we are lucky to be joined by Tom Bailey, Head of Capability at Blackmores Group.

Together we explore the question, "How do we maximise the effectiveness of our L&D?".

During our chat we dive deep into:

• The challenge from the perspective of L&D professionals
• The question of value and motivation for participants
• Principles for effective L&D
• Some real world examples from Tom’s experience putting this into practice
• The link between L&D and DEI

Gemma Lloyd is cofounder and CEO of WORK180, who's mission is to raise organisational standards so that all women can choose workplaces where they can thrive.

In this episode we discuss how the approach to gender equity differs by country, why a focus on gender is important, quotas vs targets, and what organisations and individuals can do to promote greater equity.

LINKS:

Work180

PODCAST LINKS:

Website

iTunes

Spotify

"What does great Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) look like?"

"How do you prevent DEI efforts being tokenistic?"

"We haven't done anything on DEI before, where do we start?"

In this episode of the LFG Podcast we dive into some of the most frequently asked questions we get from clients during our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion work.

LINKS:

Find out more at our DEI work hello@leadersforgood.org

PODCAST LINKS:

Website

iTunes

Spotify

Inclusive leadership is just good leadership.

Manisha Amin is the CEO at The Center for Inclusive Design, she a background in strategic marketing, communication, transforming cultures and creativity. She is a thought leader in the power of thinking from the edge.

In this episode we discuss why inclusive leadership matters, why so many leaders and organisations are nervous about taking action on diversity, equity and inclusion. How we are are creating systems that foster a lack of equity and the power of 'leading for the edge' transform organisations.

We are co-hosting a Inclusive Leadership online workshop on the 23rd Feb

In this workshop we will explore why inclusive leadership is a must have, identify the specific traits of an inclusive leader and provide a roadmap for individuals looking to develop their capacity to lead inclusive organisations.

Sign up free here.

LINKS:

CFID

LinkedIn

4 Quadrants

The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek

Elizabeth Goodman

Dark Emu

Black Rain Falling

Morality

Inclusive Leadership Quiz

Privilege Quiz

What is Inclusive Design

Podcast Links

Website

iTunes

Spotify

Interested in the State of Purpose in Australia today?

In this episode we are joined by Rich Hirst, CEO & Founder of Tenfold Australia and Dani Matthews, Chief Impact Officer at Tenfold Australia

In this wide ranging conversation, we explore...

- What's working in the world of purpose driven business.

- The biggest challenges faced by organisations trying to bring purpose to life.

- Some examples of positive change we see taking place.

We also hear some perspectives from past podcast guests!

LINKS:

Atlassian

Canva

Jim Loehr

Salim Ismail

Singularity University

Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl-

Patagonia

The Long Game by Dorie Clark

John Lydon

Pip Marlow

Nicky Sparshot

In this episode we are joined by Nicky Sparshott, CEO of Unilever Australia & New Zealand and former Global CEO of luxury retailer, T2 Tea. She has over 25 years of experience in developing and building brands, growing businesses, and transforming infrastructure and culture.

In this wide ranging conversation we cover:

- Some of the surprising benefits of focusing on organisational purpose

- Lessons learned in closing the 'saying-doing' gap

- The importance of progress over perfection

- The power of creating accountability for purpose at every level of an organisation

- The importance of creating belief that change is possible

- What factors helped in T2's rapid movement towards Bcorp certification

- Measurement and the power of public goals

And much more...

Links:

Nicky's LinkedIn

Unilever

T2

BCorp

A Year To Live

Bokashi Bin

How can businesses and leaders evolve to create more value for all stakeholders?

John Lydon is a Senior Partner at McKinsey and was Australia's Managing Director for 6 years. In this episode John unpacks his experience of taking a one year sabbatical from McKinsey to deeply explore the world of purpose-led business. He reflects on how business can work to more fully embed purpose, and the role of leaders in that journey.

LINKS:

John's LinkedIn

Cynefin Framework

Humble Consulting

Getting Naked

PODCAST LINKS:

Website

iTunes

Spotify

How can we make real change towards more sustainable living?

Lottie Dalziel is the founder of Banish, an organisation focused on giving Australians all of the tools they need to reduce their waste and ecological footprint.

We discuss Lottie's personal journey into the world of sustainability, how attitudes towards sustainability have shifted in Australia, particularly during the pandemic, and what changes you can make in your own life.

LINKS:

Banish

Lottie's Instagram

Lottie's LinkedIn

Citizen Wolf

Share Waste

PODCAST LINKS:

Website

iTunes

Spotify

How do you drive systems change?

This episode we talk to Adam Verwey, co-founder and executive director at Future Super, Australia’s first 100% fossil fuel-free ethical superannuation fund. Future Super is one of Australia’s fastest growing super funds and manages over $1 Billion for 40,000 Australians.

We dive into how Adam thinks about taking action that creates momentum and drives positive systems change. We look at how Future Super thinks about evolving and maintaining it's diverse, positive culture. And we unpack the stories of some of the fantastic initiatives and projects championed by Future Super.

LINKS:

Future Super

Adam's LinkedIn

PODCAST LINKS:

Website

iTunes

Spotify

How do you embed purpose in an organisation?

We talk to Paul Sigaloff, Managing Director at Verizon Media about they think about embedding purpose into their organisation through what they call 'the weave'. We dig into how Verizon think about partnerships, how they bring purpose to life for their people, and how Paul and his team navigated the challenges Verizon have faced along the journey.

LINKS:

Verizon Media

Paul's LinkedIn

Mood Tea

UnLtd

Musicians Making A Difference

Conscious Capitalism

PODCAST LINKS:

Website

iTunes

Spotify

What does it take to run a purpose driven marketing agency?

Joel Trethowan is the Managing Director and Co-Founder of Alchemy One, a purpose-driven media and partnerships agency challenging an industry to do better.

Joel unpacks how Alchemy One's approach to purpose has changed over time. Their journey to becoming a BCorp. How they think about hiring and attracting talent. Lessons from the phenomenal work they have done with Bank Australia. How they think about taking on new clients. The importance of passion, and much more.

LINKS:

Alchemy One

Joel's LinkedIn

PODCAST LINKS:

Website

iTunes

Spotify

“Getting DEI on the Agenda" is the third podcast in our new "Thinking Differently About DEI" series.

 In these conversations we explore new ways to solve the biggest challenges in DEI. 

Based on learnings from a broad range of organisations, we share our perspectives on:

• Why getting DEI on people's agendas is a challenge
• The consequences of not getting this right
• Strategies and real world examples for making DEI initiatives relevant and motivating
• Practical tips for overcoming resistance and sustaining DEI efforts over time.

Join us as we delve into these insights and more, providing you with tangible ways to elevate DEI within your organisation.

📧 Connect with Us

To talk to use about anything culture change or DEI, email us at hello@leadersforgood.org

Links

1. Leaders For Good
2. Kerry Boys
3. Phil Cross
4. Effectively Embedding DEI - PODCAST
5. Making sense of DEI complexity - PODCAST

How does The NRMA think about embedding purpose, responsible business and communication during a crisis?

In this episode of the LFG Podcast we get a fascinating look inside an iconic Australian Company. This comes courtesy of Tanya Brees, General Manager Communications, Policy and Reputation.

LINKS:

NRMA

Tanta's LinkedIn

PODCAST LINKS:

Website

iTunes

Spotify

Do the foundations of effective leadership hold true in a crisis? In this episode we speak with Christopher Paterson, founder of ALCHEMY, to answer that question. We focus on the recent research conducted by ALCHEMY on the impact of Covid-19 on leadership effectiveness.

LINKS:

Alchemy

Research

Christopher's LinkedIn

christopher@alchemycm.com.au

Why We Sleep

Google poll on mental health

The Infinite Game

Starlight Foundation

Cowards Punch Foundation

PODCAST LINKS:

Website

iTunes

Spotify

In this episode we sit down with Annie Stewart. Annie is an expert in the field of leadership development and coaching. She is the author of 2 books on the topics of purpose and finding your career calling. She holds a Bachelor of Applied Science and a Masters Degree in Ergonomics. Her doctoral research focused on how leaders find, follow and sustain their purpose. In this wide-ranging conversation we dive all of that and much more.

LINKS:

Sympaticocoach

Careertocalling

LinkedIn

The 5am Club

A Repurposed Life

PODCAST LINKS:

Website

iTunes

Spotify

In this episode of the Inclusion at Work Podcast we sit down with Anna Yanatchkova, Senior Manager, Global Goals Planning & Engagement and acting Head of Inclusion at the iconic Sydney Opera House.

We dive deep into the topic of creativity, exploring:

• Why we are all ‘creative people’
• The importance of creativity for problem solving in organisations and as a society
• The connection between creativity, wellbeing, diversity and inclusion
• How to go about fostering more creative cultures, including the roles of leaders and how we might think about the role of methods such a Design Thinking

Effectively Embedding DEI is the second podcast in our new Thinking Differently About DEI series.

In this series we explore how we can find new ways to solve the biggest challenges in DEI. This episode looks at how we can shift away from attempting ineffective ‘transformational’ change to embedding DEI through “1%ers”; small changes that make a big difference.

Based on learnings from a broad range of organisations, we share:

• The challenges with how many organisations are trying to look at DEI as a “bolt on”
• A new model to think about embedding DEI from a “1%ers” approach
• How this model can be applied to your organisation with real life examples 

📧 Connect with Us

To talk to us about anything culture change or DEI, email us at hello@leadersforgood.org

What you’ll learn about

00:01:06 - Embedding DEI into Organizations

00:02:31 - Prevailing Attitudes and Challenges in DEI

00:03:15 - The Cycle of DEI Efforts and Incremental Change

00:05:11 - Inspiration from Cycling and Small Changes

00:07:36 - Benefits of Incremental Approach in DEI

00:09:25 - Examples of 1% Changes for DEI

00:14:18 - Strategic Approach to 1% Changes

00:17:13 - Measuring the Impact of DEI Initiatives

00:23:27 - Summary and Next Episode Preview

Links

1. Leaders For Good
2. Kerry Boys
3. Phil Cross
4. Making sense of DEI complexity - PODCAST
5. Whole Systems Model

Making Sense of DEI Complexity, the first in our new Thinking Differently About DEI series.

In this series we explore how we can find new ways to solve the biggest challenges in DEI. This first episode looks at how we can simplify DEI to help our team make sense of the work we are doing and to use our stretched resources in the most effective way. Based on learnings from a broad range of organisations, we share:

• The challenges with how many organisations are taking a “diversity group” first approach to DEI
• A new model to think about DEI from a “foundations first” approach
• How this model can be applied with real life examples including strategy and L&D

📧 Connect with Us

To talk to use about anything culture change or DEI, email us at hello@leadersforgood.org

What you’ll learn about

• 00:01:27 Lack of progress in representation.
• 00:05:06 Making sense of DEI complexity.
• 00:08:05 DEI complexity challenge.
• 00:13:23 DEI strategy from an inclusion first perspective.
• 00:16:16 Strategic pillars in DEI.
• 00:20:09 Focusing on inclusion and strategy.
• 00:23:57 Allyship training and inclusion.
• 00:27:09 Collective problem solving for ERGs.
• 00:30:14 Moving to an Inclusion Foundation's approach.
• 00:34:12 Building a platform for inclusion.
• 00:37:21 DEI work and inclusion foundations.

Links

1. Leaders For Good
2. Kerry Boys
3. Phil Cross

Join Kerry Boys and Phil Cross as they delve into the complexities of fostering diversity within leadership teams on the latest episode of ‘Inclusion at Work,’ a Leaders for Good podcast.

In this discussion, they shine a light on the hurdles faced by organizations striving for diverse senior leadership.

They talk candidly about the limited candidate pools and the challenges faced by historically marginalized groups in accessing leadership roles, leading to the current disparities.

Kerry and Phil unpack the various barriers obstructing representative leadership groups, offering insights into the complexities of the issue.

But it's not just about problems; it's about solutions. Tune in as they share practical strategies for achieving genuine diversity and inclusion within leadership.

📧 Connect with Us

To talk to use about anything culture change or DEI, email us at hello@leadersforgood.org

What you’ll learn about

• 00:00:33 Increasing diversity in leadership is important for organizations.
• 00:06:03 Importance of diversity targets.
• 00:10:29 Improving diversity in recruitment.
• 00:14:17 Inclusive hiring drives better results.
• 00:19:02 Focus on diversity and inclusion.
• 00:27:15 Focus on inclusion, not just diversity.
• 00:32:44 Strategic approach to diversity and inclusion.
• 00:34:36 Long-term approach for DEI.

Links

1. Leaders For Good
2. Kerry Boys
3. Phil Cross

At their best employee resource groups (ERGs) provide a space for connection, mutual support and career development for their members. They benefit the organisation by driving strategic priorities and help the communities they advocate for by addressing inequity and creating positive change. 

But at their worst, ERGs can become demotivated and negative. They can generate additional and non impactful work for themselves and others, and also create risks through organisational misalignment and agitation for change that might not actually be possible or desirable. 

In this episode Kerry Boys and Phil Cross deep dive into what an effective ERG looks like and how we can ensure they impact our organisations and our teams positively.

In this episode Lydia Ho, the Diversity Equity & Inclusion Officer at Future Super, shares valuable insights about the impactful work being done at Future Super.

During our chat we explore:

• The significance of iteration and testing, emphasising the importance of humility throughout the process.
• How Future Super fosters a culture where individuals feel empowered to speak up, and the mechanisms the organisation employs to actively listen and take action based on feedback.
• The topic of prioritising activities and initiatives when faced with numerous competing priorities.

This wide-ranging conversation with Lydia is filled with insightful gems that listeners can take away, enjoy!

How can we most effectively kick start DEI culture change in organisations?

In this episode of the Inclusion at Work podcast we explore how we can use meetings as a way to drive broader culture change.

Phil and Kerry explore this question, diving into:

• Why meetings can be a catalyst for culture change
• The importance of psychological safety in meetings
• The myths of inclusive meetings
• What we mean by an inclusive meeting
• How to make meetings more inclusive and effective

Links

• Download: Inclusive and High Performing Teams Model
• Video: Pursuing Cognitive Diversity with Matthew Syed
• Book: The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety by Timothy Clark

Why is it hard to get some leaders onboard with Inclusive Leadership? 

Inclusive Leadership is often misunderstood, resulting in many leaders ignoring or dismissing this powerful driver of high performance. 

During this episode, Kerry Boy and Phil Cross unpack the biggest myths of inclusive leadership including why inclusive leadership ISN’T about the following:

• Being an expert on diversity, equity and inclusion
• Creating harmony amongst your team
• Making slow decisions by committee
• Not having any bias

How do you feel about networking? Have you considered it as not only a driver of personal growth, but also organisational growth?

In this episode we speak to Peggy Renders, Chief Customer Officer at Telstra and discuss the importance of connection in the workplace. She shares insights from Telstra's recent research, Return on Connection, emphasising the impact of strong networks on organisational performance and individual growth.

Show Notes

• Peggy Renders
• Return on Connection
• Quantium Telstra

Does the current conversation around DEI feel confusing, frustrating or overwhelming?

In this episode of the podcast we are joined by Customer Experience lead and DEI chair Sommer Green. Together we explore the current landscape of organisational DEI, unpacking the challenges we are seeing and sharing actionable ways forward.

In private, many leaders share the same underlying concerns: Is DEI at odds with merit? Are we lowering our standards to hit a quota? How do we handle the "woke" labels and internal pushback?

In this episode of the Inclusion at Work Podcast, we sit down with Lily Zheng, strategist and author of Fixing Fairness. We move past the buzzwords to answer the tough, "spicy" questions that conventional DEI training often misses.

What we discuss in this episode:

1. Winning Over the Sceptics: How to show detractors that inclusion can solve their problems too.
2. Universal Benefits: How fixing a problem for one specific group, like sending meeting agendas in advance for accessibility, actually improves the experience for every employee.
3. The Cost of Silence: Why the common practice of avoiding difficult topics creates a backlog of unresolved issues that eventually hurt the business.

Moving Past "Identity Politics": How to stop debating which group to prioritise and start solving the most broken parts of your business processes.

Links:

1. Lily Zheng
2. Fixing Fairness: 4 Tenets to Transform Diversity Backlash into Progress for All

How do you feel about DEI going into 2026?

This year, we are challenging the "doom-and-gloom" narrative by reminding ourselves and others that inclusion is something to be positive and excited about, as well as a proven driver of performance.

In our latest episode, we break down four actionable ‘big ideas’ you can use to kick start your 2026:

1. Communications-First Strategy: Pivoting from compliance-heavy jargon to positive, values-driven messaging that activates the "ambivalent middle."
2. ERGs as High-Performance Teams: Shifting ERGs from informal social groups to structured, accountable units aligned with business goals.
3. Meetings as Culture Drivers: Transforming daily "micro-moments" to improve inclusion while slashing low-value meeting time by up to 32%.
4. AI as a Strategic Partner: Using AI as a "devil’s advocate" to challenge bias and stress-test People & Culture strategies.

Listen now for ideas on how to elevate your 2026 strategy.

Is your organisation considering generational inclusion?

When most of us think about diversity and inclusion, we go to commonly discussed dimensions such as gender, race, sexual orientation, and disability.

But there’s another dimension—one that is often not considered yet is relevant to every person: generation.

The more work we do in this area, the more we realise the huge and unique benefits of  focussing on generational inclusion. 

In this podcast we explore why generational inclusion is so powerful—and so often overlooked. Plus, 3 key questions to reflect on for your whether you should be considering generational inclusion in your workplace.