The Diverse Minds Podcast

Leyla Okhai

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.

  1. 6d ago

    #306 Yoga Mats Won't Fix Burnout: The Real Root Causes of Employee Exhaustion

    Welcome to the 306th episode of the award-winning Diverse Minds podcast! In this episode, I'm cutting through the superficial fluff of modern corporate wellbeing programs to uncover what is actually driving employee exhaustion. In today’s show on Yoga Mats Won't Fix Burnout: The Real Root Causes of Employee Exhaustion 00:56 - Why yoga classes aren't making systemic change. 01:33 - What burnout really is: WHO definition and Mental Health UK's 2026 report findings. 02:49 - The impact and legal risks of burnout in the UK. 08:16 - The need for systemic change over surface solutions. 09:05 - What really needs to shift to eliminate burnout in workplaces. Quotes on Yoga Mats Won't Fix Burnout: The Real Root Causes of Employee Exhaustion Organisations will say to me, 'Oh, we have yoga and mindfulness classes.' Great, but how is this making systemic change and really supporting people's burnout? Nine in ten adults (91%) reported experiencing high or extreme pressure in the past year, and one in five (20%) have taken time off due to stress-related mental health challenges. We must rethink our approach to systemic change. As the saying goes, a stitch in time saves nine. Yoga mats won't fix burnout. We really need to look at the root cause of employee exhaustion." .stk-4da79ac {margin-bottom:8px !important;} Resources for Yoga Mats Won't Fix Burnout: The Real Root Causes of Employee Exhaustion How stress and burnout will shape the workplace in 2026 Understanding Burnout in the Workplace — Why It Matters for Businesses and How to Address It Managing stress, burnout and fatigue in health and social care Mental Health UK: Burnout An Employer’s Guide to Preventing Burnout in the Workplace Episode 305: Your D&I Strategy is a PR Stunt: Here’s how to fix it Episode #114: Identifying and Combatting Burnout Episode #304: South Asian Women and Burnout with Neelu Kaur Episode 108: What's the Big Deal with Cultural Appropriation? Join my Mailing List and receive a white paper on mental health and inclusion here Check out my TEDx talk: The Connection between Culture, Race and Mental Health Leave me a message on my SpeakPipe .stk-ec55c3e {margin-bottom:0px !important;}   Work with me Have a look at my online work-life balance course on Thinkific. You can access it here: http://bit.ly/DMMHPONC One-hour focused Sessions £250 1-2-1 Power Hour Sessions for Organisations Complete the form to discuss your training needs: https://forms.gle/hgnYtmTu33Zeem489 Check 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.

    24 min

  2. May 12

    #305 Your D&I Strategy is a PR Stunt: Here’s how to fix it

    Welcome to the 304th episode of the award-winning Diverse Minds podcast! In this episode, I'm tackling diversity disconnect and asking a controversial question: do we actually need diversity strategies, or are they just performative PR stunts? In today’s show on Your D&I Strategy is a PR Stunt: Here’s how to fix it 00:59 - The backlash against "wokeness" and performative workplace activism 01:30 - What makes DEI performative: diversity washing, tokenism, and surface-level marketing 06:17 - Why stunts backfire at work: disengagement, management resistance, and resource drain 09:15 - From strategy to action plan: Do you actually need a glossy diversity strategy? 10:12 - Policy shifts and accountability: mandatory pay gap reporting and new legal requirements. Quotes on Your D&I Strategy is a PR Stunt: Here’s how to fix it A diversity and inclusion PR stunt in the workplace is superficial, performative actions where a company promotes diversity when trending to enhance their reputation, without making any real structural changes. Do you hear anyone talking about Black Lives Matter at the corporate level anymore? Because I certainly don't, and yet we still know there is a huge disparity in the experience of black staff. What good is a strategy when people don't read the information, and need an awful lot of spoon-feeding about how it impacts them and what they need to do differently? Data and accountability are more powerful than a strategy. Allyship is often described as 'I'm helping you.' Coalition or solidarity is 'I'm in this with you because our own lives are also diminished by this systemic abuse. .stk-4da79ac {margin-bottom:8px !important;} Resources for Your D&I Strategy is a PR Stunt: Here’s how to fix it Read The Guardian article: UK firms ditching diversity and inclusion ‘face higher risk of lawsuits’ 2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey Employment Rights Act 2025 New protections from sexual harassment come into force Non-financial misconduct in financial services Consultation on mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting: government response What White People Can Do Next: From Allyship to Coalition Beyond Allyship: Coalition Episode #250: Do we have to do mandatory training? Episode #304: Stop Blaming Culture Fit: The Truth About Systemic Bias Episode #245: What is Psychological Safety at Work? Join my Mailing List and receive a white paper on mental health and inclusion here Check out my TEDx talk: The Connection between Culture, Race and Mental Health Leave me a message on my SpeakPipe .stk-ec55c3e {margin-bottom:0px !important;}   Work with me Have a look at my online work-life balance course on Thinkific. You can access it here: http://bit.ly/DMMHPONC One-hour focused Sessions £250 1-2-1 Power Hour Sessions for Organisations Complete the form to discuss your training needs: https://forms.gle/hgnYtmTu33Zeem489 Check 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.

    24 min

  3. Apr 28

    #304 Stop Blaming "Cultural Fit": The Truth About Systemic Bias in HR

    Welcome to the 304th episode of the award-winning Diverse Minds podcast! In this episode, I'm exposing the truth about "culture fit" and how this seemingly innocent phrase disproportionately affects underrepresented groups in hiring. In today’s show on Stop Blaming "Cultural Fit": The Truth About Systemic Bias in HR 00:59 - Why culture fit hurts: how this vague term masks bias and blocks opportunities 02:00 - The definition of cultural fit: what it's supposed to mean versus what it actually means in practice 02:40 - An eye-opening research on cultural matching. 04:38 - How likability trumps competence and hinders diversity when it comes to hiring in some organisations. 09:47 - Some recruitment fixes and mindset shifts organisations can make to improve their hiring process. Quotes on Stop Blaming "Cultural Fit": The Truth About Systemic Bias in HR What if the reason you didn't get a job wasn't your skills or experience, but something far more insidious? Hiring is more than just a process of skill sorting. It is also a process of cultural matching between candidates, evaluators, and firms. Concerns about shared culture were highly salient to employers and often outweighed concerns about absolute productivity or skills for the role. Cultural fit can simply mean 'we get along.' But it becomes a problem when your opinion of an applicant becomes a deciding factor. Interestingly, going to the pub always comes up in global majority leadership programs that I run. .stk-4da79ac {margin-bottom:8px !important;} Resources for Stop Blaming "Cultural Fit": The Truth About Systemic Bias in HR Read the BBC Work-Life article: What Does Being a Cultural Fit Actually Mean? Read the Sage Journals article: Hiring as Cultural Matching: The Case of Elite Professional Service Firms Episode #267: How to Handle Gatekeepers Episode #95: Shaking up your Recruitment Process Join my Mailing List and receive a white paper on mental health and inclusion here Check out my TEDx talk: The Connection between Culture, Race and Mental Health Leave me a message on my SpeakPipe .stk-ec55c3e {margin-bottom:0px !important;}   Work with me Have a look at my online work-life balance course on Thinkific. You can access it here: http://bit.ly/DMMHPONC One-hour focused Sessions £250 1-2-1 Power Hour Sessions for Organisations Complete the form to discuss your training needs: https://forms.gle/hgnYtmTu33Zeem489 Check 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.

    19 min

  4. Apr 14

    #303 Why Professional Courage is Dead. Standing up for what's right at work.

    Welcome to the 303rd episode of the award-winning Diverse Minds podcast! In this episode, I'm exploring professional courage and asking a critical question: what do people do when they witness unethical behaviour at work but fear the consequences? In today’s show on Why Professional Courage is Dead. Standing up for what's right at work. 01:22 - What counts as unethical behaviour: fraud, bullying, discrimination, conflicts of interest, and more. 02:49 - Defining professional courage through whistleblowing, challenging authority, and ethical decision-making. 04:37 - Challenging authority and advocating for diversity and inclusion in practice. 06:36 - An alarming survey data: why 60% of UK employees don't report bullying and harassment. 14:15 - Why professional courage matters long-term for wellbeing and organisational sustainability. Quotes on Why Professional Courage is Dead. Standing up for what's right at work. We can do all the training in the world, but if the environment is still very negative, it's not going to be possible to speak up. It's much easier, I feel, for people to be nasty and rude and get away with it than it is for positive, kind, accountable behaviour to be held up as a positive way to do things. Professional courage is an interesting topic that we don't talk about enough in the workplace, and it can be very difficult to do, nigh on impossible if you're a lone voice. Whistleblowing is the act of exposing wrongdoing within an organisation to safeguard public interest. It's not easy to confront a peer who said something racist, sexist, ableist, homophobic or transphobic — especially if the workplace environment is very emotionally immature. .stk-4da79ac {margin-bottom:8px !important;} Resources for Why Professional Courage is Dead. Standing up for what's right at work. Read about the Theranos whistleblowers: Tyler Shultz and Erika Cheung Learn about Boeing whistleblower Curtis Eubank Read my blog: Speaking out about workplace bullying Episode #11: Bullying and harassment in the workplace: what you can do about it. Episode #302: Why do HR Leaders Stay Silent When Things Get Toxic? Episode #267: How to Handle Gatekeepers Episode #245: What is Psychological Safety at Work? Episode #63: Anti-bullying initiatives that work Join my Mailing List and receive a white paper on mental health and inclusion here Check out my TEDx talk: The Connection between Culture, Race and Mental Health Leave me a message on my SpeakPipe .stk-ec55c3e {margin-bottom:0px !important;}   Work with me Have a look at my online work-life balance course on Thinkific. You can access it here: http://bit.ly/DMMHPONC One-hour focused Sessions £250 1-2-1 Power Hour Sessions for Organisations Complete the form to discuss your training needs: https://forms.gle/hgnYtmTu33Zeem489 Check 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.

    17 min

  5. Mar 31

    #302 Why do HR Leaders Stay Silent When Things Get Toxic?

    Welcome to the 302nd episode of the award-winning Diverse Minds podcast! In this episode, I'm exploring toxic workplace culture after attending a darkly comedic show about HR dysfunction. From redundancies out of nowhere to poor management and increased bullying, traditional workplaces have become akin to the Wild West. Discover what truly defines toxic culture, why HR leaders often stay silent, and the radical preventative and investigative measures needed to create real change.   Listen to the episode If you enjoyed this episode, then consider subscribing on Apple podcast, Spotify or wherever you access your podcasts from. In today’s show on Why Do HR Leaders Stay Silent When Things Get Toxic? 00:37 - Comedy meets HR: reflections on "You Are All Resources A Work In Progress" by Emma Davies. 01:12 - What toxic workplace culture actually looks like. 03:08 - Current pressures faced by employees in the workplace. 08:04 - Alarming stress statistics and their impact in the workplace. 08:42 - Why HR leaders stay silent in toxic environments. 10:52 - How HR leaders can fix toxic cultures. Quotes on Why do HR Leaders Stay Silent When Things Get Toxic? Traditional workplaces have become very much akin to the Wild West. We can read something, but that doesn't mean we can absorb deep tacit knowledge from one piece of information. Senior leaders are not God. They are not a higher being. They are mere mortals like the rest of us. It's very easy to say we have a zero-tolerance policy. Again, like the word toxic, what does it actually mean? The problem is that if people bring in money, if they are good at collaborating, if they are big hitters in some way, they are exempt. And we see this all the time. .stk-4da79ac {margin-bottom:8px !important;} Resources for Why do HR Leaders Stay Silent When Things Get Toxic? Read Monaco Solicitors' definition of toxic workplace culture Read my blog post: Speaking Out About Workplace Bullying Check out Shavonne O'Reilly's blog: 10 Tips: How to Survive a Toxic Workplace Explore Rad HR - radical approaches to workplace culture and HR practices Episode 300: 5 Things I learned from Careless People by Sarah Wynn Williams Episode 245: What is Psychological Safety at Work? Episode 63: Anti-Bullying Initiatives That Work Episode 267: How to Handle Gatekeepers Episode 11: Bullying and Harassment in the Workplace: What You Can Do About It Join my Mailing List and receive a white paper on mental health and inclusion here Check out my TEDx talk: The Connection between Culture, Race and Mental Health Leave me a message on my SpeakPipe .stk-ec55c3e {margin-bottom:0px !important;}   Work with me Have a look at my online work-life balance course on Thinkific. You can access it here: http://bit.ly/DMMHPONC One-hour focused Sessions £250 1-2-1 Power Hour Sessions for Organisations Complete the form to discuss your training needs: https://forms.gle/hgnYtmTu33Zeem489 Check 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.

    21 min

  6. Mar 17

    #301 Why we need the Alphabet of Happiness by Klaudia Mitura

    Welcome to the 301st episode of the award-winning Diverse Minds podcast! It's March and Women's History Month, and this year's UN theme is "Rights, Justice, Action for All Women and Girls." In this episode, I'm reviewing a completely different kind of book: The Alphabet of Happiness by female author Klaudia Mitura. Discover why cultivating joy and happiness isn't toxic positivity—it's essential fortification for making positive change in the world. In today’s show on Why We Need the Alphabet of Happiness 01:31 - Why this happiness book matters now and how it differs from toxic positivity 02:08 - Klaudia's moving story behind the book and podcast, plus links to previous episodes together 03:41 - Current happiness data and context: why UK wellbeing is at a national mood slump 05:33 - The clever A-to-Z book structure and thematic approach, and how to use it your way 09:11 - My final takeaways on everyday joy as resistance and how to connect with Klaudia Quotes on Why We Need the Alphabet of Happiness We do really need a place and space for happiness and joy to fortify ourselves, to keep going, to make positive change. Finding our happiness and everyday joy is a form of resistance. The language isn't patronising. It doesn't make you feel bad. It is very much optional, and it gives you lots of ideas that work for your life and where you are. Over a quarter of adults in the UK report they are unhappier than they were 18 months prior. This stagnation in wellbeing is heavily influenced by financial pressures, chronic health issues, and a sense of post-pandemic stagnation. .stk-4da79ac {margin-bottom:8px !important;} Resources for Why We Need the Alphabet of Happiness Check out Klaudia's website: thehappinesschallenge.co.uk My appearances on The Happiness Challenge podcast: Episode #43: Identity and Happiness Episode #101, Hack 19: Give Yourself a Break with Gratitude Episode #161: Happiness and Personal Development with Klaudia Mitura Episode #186: Celebrating the International Day of Happiness Download my 10-Step Stress Resource Access the Podcast Episode Guide with clickable links Join my Mailing List and receive a white paper on mental health and inclusion here Check out my TEDx talk: The Connection between Culture, Race and Mental Health Leave me a message on my SpeakPipe .stk-ec55c3e {margin-bottom:0px !important;}   Work with me Have a look at my online work-life balance course on Thinkific. You can access it here: http://bit.ly/DMMHPONC One-hour focused Sessions £250 1-2-1 Power Hour Sessions for Organisations Complete the form to discuss your training needs: https://forms.gle/hgnYtmTu33Zeem489 Check 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.

    11 min

  7. Mar 3

    #300 5 Things I learned from Careless People by Sarah Wynn Williams

    Welcome to the 300th episode of the award-winning Diverse Minds podcast! In this milestone episode, I am discussing the eye-opening book Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism by Sarah Wynn Williams. As we enter Women’s History Month, I explore how the internal culture of big tech often contradicts the glossy public images of inclusion, and what this teaches us about building truly just workplaces. In today’s show on Managing Your Emotions at Work 00:53 – Celebrating Women’s History Month and the UN theme: Rights, Justice, and Action for All Women. 01:56 – Why Careless People is a vital, yet suppressed, whistleblower account of big tech. 02:49 – Peeling back the curtain: The stark reality of Facebook’s internal culture and decision-making. 06:23 – Five key lessons on leadership arrogance, the failure of HR, and the myth of "Leaning In." 16:30 – Why this is a must-read for inclusive leaders and where to find more resources. Quotes on Managing Your Emotions at Work We live in an intense period. Talking about politics at work can feel psychologically dangerous, particularly for the global majority, disabled, LGBTQIA+ and women employees. I wish we didn't have to manage our emotions. I wish we could be open. I wish we could get support. I wish it didn't have to be like this. The penalty for anyone from an underrepresented group speaking openly about political inequality can be labelled as troublemaking. It's not wrong to have the reactions; it's just that we don't necessarily want to react. .stk-4da79ac {margin-bottom:8px !important;} Resources for Managing Your Emotions at Work Check out my resources on Stress and Mental Health Listen to my episode series on Politics in the Workplace Download my 10-Step Stress Resource Access the Podcast Episode Guide with clickable links Join my Mailing List and receive a white paper on mental health and inclusion here Check out my TEDx talk: The Connection between Culture, Race and Mental Health Leave me a message on my SpeakPipe .stk-ec55c3e {margin-bottom:0px !important;}   Work with me Have a look at my online work-life balance course on Thinkific. You can access it here: http://bit.ly/DMMHPONC One-hour focused Sessions £250 1-2-1 Power Hour Sessions for Organisations Complete the form to discuss your training needs: https://forms.gle/hgnYtmTu33Zeem489 Check 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.

    19 min

  8. Feb 17

    #299 Managing Your Emotions at Work

    Welcome to the 299th episode of the award-winning Diverse Minds podcast! In this episode, I'm exploring how to manage your emotions at work amid relentless, painful news cycles. In today’s show on Managing Your Emotions at Work00:57 - Why the news feels relentless and why work isn't a vacuum02:05 - How overwhelm shows up: recognising stress signs and accessing helpful resources03:56 - Why politics at work can feel psychologically unsafe, especially for underrepresented groups05:16 - Practical steps for managing emotions when political discussions arise09:56 - The importance of documentation, allies, and finding supportive spacesQuotes on Managing Your Emotions at WorkWe live in an intense period.Talking about politics at work can feel psychologically dangerous, particularly for the global majority, disabled, LGBTQI+ and women employees.I wish we didn't have to manage our emotions. I wish we could be open. I wish we could get support. I wish it didn't have to be like this.The penalty for anyone from an underrepresented group speaking openly about political inequality can be labelled as troublemaking.It's not wrong to have the reactions; it's just that we don't necessarily want to react..stk-4da79ac {margin-bottom:8px !important;} Resources for Managing Your Emotions at WorkCheck out episodes on Stress, Money and Mental HealthListen to my episode series on Politics in the WorkplaceDownload my 10-Step Stress ResourceAccess the Podcast Episode Guide with clickable linksJoin 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/DMMHPONC One-hour focused Sessions £250 1-2-1Power Hour Sessions for OrganisationsComplete the form to discuss your training needs: https://forms.gle/hgnYtmTu33Zeem489 Check 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.

    12 min
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About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Leyla Okhai
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    308
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Leyla Okhai

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