Talking DEI for IWD

03/06/25 • 18 min

This is a special International Women’s Day (IWD) 2025 episode of Transform and Lead. With everything happening in the US and growing noise here in Australia, I wanted to see if we could have a sensible conversation on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). It's too important to see it topple and find ourselves in the same situation yet the conversation is getting messy and worse, it's becoming about men rather than the patriachy (they're not the same thing). This year’s IWD theme, “Accelerate Action”, isn’t about lip service—it’s about doing the work to create workplaces where everyone can thrive.

️ In this episode, I share:
✔️ My personal experience seeing some of the fallout from DEI going wrong.
✔️ Why DEI shouldn’t be divisive—how we move from an “us vs. them” mindset to real, inclusive leadership.
✔️ Three areas of DEI that are at risk of getting lost in the noise: equal parental leave for fathers, workplace flexibility for everyone (not just parents), and fixing leadership pipelines so the next generation doesn’t hit the same barriers.
✔️ Four actions leaders can take right now to support DEI in a way that actually works—without backlash, performative gestures, or exhausting “tick-the-box” exercises.

This episode is about real stories, real change, and real leadership—because DEI isn’t about guilt or exclusion, it’s about making workplaces better for everyone.

What are your thoughts? How are you accelerating action this International Women’s Day? Drop me a message or share your insights!

️ Hit play and let's get into it!

Music by audionautix.com

References:

This episode is about real stories, real change, and real leadership—because DEI isn’t about guilt or exclusion, it’s about making workplaces better for everyone.

What are your thoughts? How are you accelerating action this International Women’s Day? Drop me a message or share your insights!

️ Hit play and let's get into it!

Music by audionautix.com

References:

Previous Episode

Own Your Superpowers

In this conversation, we dive into leadership superpowers - how to refine your strengths by understanding their shadow sides to elevate your impact! Too often women are told to tone down their strengths instead of overcoming the shadow side. This often leads to women becoming less effective. It's not intentional, it's simply a result of the fact that for senior femal leaders, 70% of their own leaders are male. This means that the feedback comes from a biased lens.

In this podcast learn how to understand your strengths, identify their shadow sides and unlock your superpowers.

Takeaways

Women and men start in corporate roles at nearly equal rates and by senior leadership, women make up only 28% of senior vice presidents.
Leadership norms are shaped by traditionally masculine traits and women often receive vague and unhelpful feedback.
Strengths can have shadow sides that undermine effectiveness.
Refining strengths without diminishing them can turn them into leadership superpowers.
Transform strengths into superpowers through actionable strategies.

Chapters

00:00Introduction to Leadership Superpowers 00:30Understanding the Broken Rung 02:55Defining Leadership Superpowers 05:45Strategies to Amplify Your Superpowers 08:34Actionable Takeaways and Conclusion

Key References:

Get in Touch

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bron-stephens/

Next Episode

Confidence Starts with Clarity

Confidence isn’t about feeling a certain way—it’s about knowing a certain way. In this episode, Bron dives into why high-performing women don’t actually lack confidence—they lack clarity. If you’ve ever found yourself second-guessing your instincts, overexplaining your ideas, or feeling like you have to prove yourself over and over again, this episode is for you.

Bron unpacks the four types of clarity every ambitious woman needs to lead with confidence:
✅ Clarity of Your Values & Purpose
✅ Understanding What Holds You Back (Systemic & Internal)
✅ Clarity of What You Want From Your Career & Life
✅ The Missing Piece: Time to Reflect, Plan & Take Intentional Action

She also shares three practical ways to untangle your thoughts and get unstuck:
Find an Outside Ear (Without Advice Overload) – How to set up a conversation that helps you gain clarity without getting unhelpful opinions.
Use ChatGPT as a Thought Partner – The exact prompt to use to get powerful coaching-style questions. Use this prompt:

"I’m a high-performing woman in an executive role, and I feel stuck. I know I’m capable, but I second-guess myself, and I don’t know exactly what I want for my future. Acting as an executive coach, ask me powerful coaching questions that will help me untangle my thoughts, clarify my goals, and reconnect with my confidence."

Journal with These 3 Prompts – Unlock deeper clarity by writing your way through the mental clutter.

This episode will challenge you to see clarity as an investment, not a luxury, and help you take action toward the confidence you’ve been waiting for.

[Listen now on your favourite podcast platform!]

Evidence-Based Research on Leadership Clarity & Reflection:

How Self-Reflection Makes You a Better Leader
This Forbes article discusses how self-reflection enhances leadership by fostering self-awareness and informed decision-making.
The Key to Leadership Development Is Critical Reflection
This piece emphasizes the role of critical reflection in leadership development, offering practical suggestions like maintaining a reflection journal.

Want to take this work deeper?

DM me on LinkedIn – Let’s talk about how you can step into leadership clarity!
Join my newsletter for more insights on owning your ambition, femininity, and power.

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