Episode 106

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Published on:

19th Jun 2025

Beyond the Backlash - Insights From Inclusion Leaders

Ever wondered what it really feels like to lead inclusion work when the world seems to be pushing back? 

In this episode, I’m sharing what came up at our recent executive roundtable in London - no recording, just a closed-door, honest conversation between inclusion and HR leaders who are doing the work and feeling the weight of it. 

From burnout and budget cuts to shifting language and peer support, this one’s a reflective unpacking of where we are, what’s changing, and what’s still possible.

Highlights:

(01:02) Beyoncé and brave leadership? Yes please

(04:11) Why Pride Month feels quieter this year

(10:23) The tension between external comms and internal culture

(17:52) Is DEI being quietly cut or rebranded?

(22:14) The emotional toll no one talks about

(29:08) Peer support isn’t a ‘nice to have’ 

Join the next roundtable:

We're hosting our next Beyond the Backlash roundtable on Thursday 26 June 2025 in Manchester along with Global Recruitment Consultants Michael Page.

Sign up HERE

If you’re a senior HR Director, Chief People Officer, Head of DEI, Responsible Business lead, or hold a similar leadership role, and you’d like to join this session or a future roundtable in London, Manchester, or Birmingham, you can express your interest here.

Join us to be part of the conversation shaping the next chapter of inclusive leadership.

Connect with us here:

Website: https://aurorawellnessgroup.co.uk/

Ngozi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ngozi-weller-aurora/

Obehi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/obehi-alofoje-psychologist-aurora/

Aurora Company Profile 2025

Book a Call here: https://aurorawellnessgroup.co.uk/#book-meeting

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About the Podcast

The Wellbeing Rebellion
Welcome to The Wellbeing Rebellion, an award-winning podcast.

We’re Ngozi Weller and Obehi Alofoje, Directors at Aurora — a leadership and organisational effectiveness consultancy.

This podcast explores how the way organisations are led shapes performance, trust, wellbeing and culture over time.

The challenge with many approaches to wellbeing and culture is that they place responsibility on individuals to cope, rather than examining the leadership decisions, behaviours and systems that create the conditions people are working within.

This is where the conversation needs to shift.

On The Wellbeing Rebellion, we explore leadership behaviour, organisational systems and decision-making under pressure through honest conversations with senior leaders and advisors navigating real organisational complexity.

Some episodes are just us. Others bring in leaders and experts reflecting candidly on what works, what doesn’t, and what leadership requires in practice.

If you’re responsible for people, culture or organisational performance — and want to think more critically about how leadership shapes outcomes — this podcast is for you.

About your hosts

Obehi Alofoje

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Obehi is a psychologist and culture change consultant who helps senior HR and business leaders reduce employee burnout, absenteeism & talent attrition through mental wellbeing strategy, training & coaching.

Ngozi Weller

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Ngozi Weller is a culture change consultant and an ICF accredited coach who helps build resilience into your business by creating psychologically safe workplaces that enable employees to thrive.