“I often say, in addition to my own lived experience, I’ve worked professionally in suicide prevention for more than 10 years, but every day’s a school day. We all need to keep listening to & learning from diverse lived & living experiences. And when I first met Charlie Hart, my education began again. Not only did I hear one of the most tragic experiences of suicide loss – so much we can all learn from Charlie’s experience in losing Iggy & how it was (mis)handled by the authorities, but I found the entire conversation an insightful & inspiring ‘learning & development programme’ on all matters neurodiversity. Charlie talks with a unique mix of personal & professional knowledge, along with the directness of someone who’s autistic & has a channelled passion for educating others for mutual benefit. Part of me wishes we had 1000s of people with Charlie’s mix of skills, knowledge, experience, excellent communications style, desire & ability to educate so effectively, etc, as then every school, hospital, workplace, community organisation, government, etc could ‘have a Charlie’. But I’m actually celebrating the fact there’s only one Charlie Hart – one unique, incredible human being – as that’s the key point to take away here!”
Further reading
Case Study: Building Inclusive Leadership Across 11 Countries
Specsavers, one of the world’s largest optical and audiology businesses, partnered with Mix to build inclusive leadership capability across its global workforce. Together, they created a bespoke programme that challenged assumptions, supported cultural change and aligned with company values, then scaled it globally through localisation and a train-the-trainer model.
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Inclusive Leadership Guide
A Mix deep-dive into Inclusive Leadership: what it means, why it matters, what it looks like, common challenges and how to bring it into your organisation (and make it stick).
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Unlocking the value of intergenerational teams
Mike Mansfield and Stef Clifton-Sprigg explore the business value of intergenerational teams, challenge common assumptions about age, and share practical ways leaders can create more inclusive, collaborative workplaces.
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Reflections 2 years on from the ‘DEI Backlash’
In July 2024 we wrote an article asking whether the backlash against DEI was a genuine concern. Two years on, Stef and Hayley got together to discuss how the DEI landscape has evolved, the growing influence of legislation, AI governance and workplace culture, and where we go next.
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High Context vs Low Context Communication (and why even good leaders can still get it wrong).
Cross-cultural leadership expert Hayley Barnard explains how cultural communication styles shape perceptions of confidence, engagement and leadership potential – and what leaders can do to avoid costly misinterpretations in global teams.
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