Why Inclusive Leadership Beats Heroic Allyship: Lessons from DisruptHR

🧨 New Talk Alert – DisruptHR 🧨

“We don’t need another hero – we need inclusive leaders.”

Thrilled to share my recent talk at DisruptHR, where I challenge the idea that allyship is about heroic individualism – swooping in to “save” or “fix” people in underrepresented groups.

Because inclusion isn’t about saving the day or helping women thrive in a man’s world – it’s about changing the culture so everyone can thrive.

👥 Too often, we celebrate the ally as a hero – the saver, helper, coach and mentor.

But real inclusion happens when we lead with empathy, humility and curiosity – and when we create space for others, not just teach them how to take it.

This isn’t soft. It’s powerful.

💡 And finally – surprise, surprise – we’re realising that an inclusive culture is the great unlock. It drives the business case, builds trust, improves performance…
…and yes, it’s good for men too.

Thanks to DisruptHR Scotland & Hunter Adams – and I encourage everyone to listen to the other talks and find out about the next DisruptHR event here.