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The Diverse Minds Podcast

The Diverse Minds Podcast

By: Leyla Okhai
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Summary
 The podcast that talks about race equality and wellbeing for a busy modern world through inspiring stories, interviews and case studies. Brought to you by Leyla Okhai, CEO of Diverse Minds UK and former Head of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Centre at Imperial College London. We provide insights from diverse thought leaders in race equality, wellbeing and mental health to increase your understanding and enable you to make positive changes in your life with ease.Leyla Okhai Economics Hygiene & Healthy Living Personal Development Personal Success Psychology Psychology & Mental Health
Episodes
  • #317 Caught in the Middle: The Hidden Cost of Ignoring Your Middle Managers

    #317 Caught in the Middle: The Hidden Cost of Ignoring Your Middle Managers
    27 Oct 2026
    Welcome to the 317th episode of the award-winning Diverse Minds podcast! In this episode, I'm exploring a topic very close to my heart: Caught in the Middle: The Hidden Cost of Ignoring Your Middle Managers.Specifically, why middle managers seem to get squeezed from all sides while senior C-suite leaders absorb all the coaching and development resources.In today’s show on Caught in the Middle: The Hidden Cost of Ignoring Your Middle Managers01:12 - Defining the middle manager and their role as a critical communication pivot point.02:00 - Why the middle management role has rapidly expanded due to hybrid work, AI, and leaner operating models.03:48 - Key data from Gallup on manager burnout, declining engagement, and why managers account for 70% of variance in team engagement.07:05 - What "ignoring" your middle managers actually looks like in practice.10:30 - Practical solutions to support, develop, and rehumanize the role of middle managers.Quotes on Caught in the Middle: The Hidden Cost of Ignoring Your Middle ManagersMiddle managers act as critical pivot points that link and filter communication between leadership and the wider workforce.Managers account for around 70% of the variance in team engagement.Stop promoting people into management as a reward or as a bonus for being good at something else without consulting them and without giving them support.Technical stars can progress without being reluctant managers if they have the right support.We need to make sure humans supporting humans are supported..stk-4da79ac {margin-bottom:8px !important;}Resources for Caught in the Middle: The Hidden Cost of Ignoring Your Middle ManagersEpisode #316: How and Why Workplace Systems Break PeopleWhy Middle Manager Burnout is Becoming a Structural Business RiskState of the Global Workplace 2026Join my Mailing List and receive a white paper on mental health and inclusion hereCheck out my TEDx talk: The Connection between Culture, Race and Mental HealthLeave me a message on my SpeakPipe.stk-ec55c3e {margin-bottom:0px !important;} Work with meHave a look at my online work-life balance course on Thinkific. You can access it here: http://bit.ly/DMMHPONCOne-hour focused Sessions £250 1-2-1Power Hour Sessions for OrganisationsComplete the form to discuss your training needs: https://forms.gle/hgnYtmTu33Zeem489Check out my coaching FAQs or learn more about how 1:1 coaching can support your wellbeing. Subscribe to the podcast If you enjoyed this episode, then consider subscribing on Apple podcast, Spotify or wherever you access your podcasts from.If you enjoyed it, why not leave a review?You can also connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.Remember to tune in next week, where I’ll bring you more insights on mental health and inclusion.
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    18 min
  • #316 How and Why Workplace Systems Break People

    #316 How and Why Workplace Systems Break People
    13 Oct 2026
    Welcome to the 316th episode of the award-winning Diverse Minds podcast! In this episode, I'm exploring workplace systems and asking: Are your policies and processes breaking your people?Drawing from Hilary Cottam's book Radical Help, I examine how rigid, outdated systems create chronic stress, burnout, and disengagement, and what you can actually do to redesign them for the people in them.In today’s show on How and Why Workplace Systems Break People01:08 Why workplaces feel like the Wild West right now with unethical practices and no accountability.02:28 What workplace systems actually are beyond textbook definitions.06:20 How outdated or rigid work designs lead to chronic stress, high turnover, and disengagement.08:00 Why global employee engagement has hit its lowest point in a decade.15:24 Some practical steps to start fixing broken systems.Quotes on How and Why Workplace Systems Break PeopleEvery system is perfectly designed to get the results it gets.When a system is broken, people absorb the impact until they can't anymore.Systems teach people how to behave, whether that's for the better or for the worse.Employees will bear the stress of meeting targets but may not have the autonomy and agency to fix broken processes.Looking at a system can be much more important than looking at individuals because systems can enable individuals to behave poorly or positively. Resources for How and Why Workplace Systems Break PeopleAnne Kimsey, Prosci LinkedIn post on broken systemsFollow Anne Kimsey, ProsciTo Fix Broken Work Systems, You Need to ResetStop fixing your people. Fix your systemsEpisode #107: Book Review Culture Map by Erin MeyerBonus Episode: Why Resilience Isn’t A Sticking PlasterEpisode #315: The Pay Transparency Panic: Moving from reporting on Pay Gaps to ActionJoin my Mailing List and receive a white paper on mental health and inclusion hereCheck out my TEDx talk: The Connection between Culture, Race and Mental HealthLeave me a message on my SpeakPipeWork with meHave a look at my online work-life balance course on Thinkific. You can access it here: http://bit.ly/DMMHPONCOne-hour focused Sessions £250 1-2-1Power Hour Sessions for OrganisationsComplete the form to discuss your training needs: https://forms.gle/hgnYtmTu33Zeem489Check out my coaching FAQs or learn more about how 1:1 coaching can support your wellbeing. Subscribe to the podcast If you enjoyed this episode, then consider subscribing on Apple podcast, Spotify or wherever you access your podcasts from.If you enjoyed it, why not leave a review?You can also connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.Remember to tune in next week, where I’ll bring you more insights on mental health and inclusion.
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    23 min
  • #315: The Pay Transparency Panic: Moving from reporting on Pay Gaps to Action

    #315: The Pay Transparency Panic: Moving from reporting on Pay Gaps to Action
    29 Sep 2026
    Welcome to episode 315 of the award-winning Diverse Minds podcast! In this episode, I'm exploring mandatory pay gap reporting coming in 2027 for gender and potentially in 2029 for ethnicity and disability. Discover what organisations need to report, why transparency alone isn't enough, and practical steps to turn pay gap data into real action that actually closes the gaps.In today’s show on The Pay Transparency Panic: Moving from reporting on Pay Gaps to Action01:00 What mandatory equality action plans will require from organisations with over 250 staff.03:00 Why understanding the difference between equal pay and pay gaps matters.04:43 How women make up nearly half the workforce but only ten percent of CEO roles.05:56 Why publishing pay gap figures is only the starting point for real improvement.16:19 Examples of organisations doing good work on closing their gender pay gaps.Quotes on The Pay Transparency Panic: Moving from reporting on Pay Gaps to ActionPublishing pay gap figures is only the starting point to improving equity.Barriers that hold women back are often subtle and embedded within workplace cultures rather than being explicit discriminatory rules.People come out of a programme, and all the hurdles and barriers are still there, so they often go somewhere else.Trends are really important because they show you what's actually happening in your organisation.It's not rocket science; a lot of it is common sense, and a lot of it is about building trust and explaining to people what you're doing with their data..stk-4da79ac {margin-bottom:8px !important;}Resources for The Pay Transparency Panic: Moving from reporting on Pay Gaps to ActionThe Co-Op's Gender Pay Gap ToolkitCMS's Blog about LegislationRMS Blog On Equality Action PlansClosing our pay gapsPfizer – Spotlight on Closing Pay GapsMining Remediation's graph and information on closing their gender pay gapPets at Home: Promoting flexible workingEpisode #52: The Messy Myth of Meritocracy. Episode #29: Intersectionality and International Women’s Day.Episode #170: What is Disability and Intersectionality?Episode #180: Intersectionality for LGBTQ+ History Month.Episode #102: Beware the Tone Police!Episode #314: The Reward Disconnect: Why do the same people always get the recognition?Join my Mailing List and receive a white paper on mental health and inclusion hereCheck out my TEDx talk: The Connection between Culture, Race and Mental HealthLeave me a message on my SpeakPipe.stk-ec55c3e {margin-bottom:0px !important;} Work with meHave a look at my online work-life balance course on Thinkific. You can access it here: http://bit.ly/DMMHPONCOne-hour focused Sessions £250 1-2-1Power Hour Sessions for OrganisationsComplete the form to discuss your training needs: https://forms.gle/hgnYtmTu33Zeem489Check out my coaching FAQs or learn more about how 1:1 coaching can support your wellbeing. Subscribe to the podcast If you enjoyed this episode, then consider subscribing on Apple podcast, Spotify or wherever you access your podcasts from.If you enjoyed it, why not leave a review?You can also connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.Remember to tune in next week, where I’ll bring you more insights on mental health and inclusion.
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    20 min
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