Episode 97

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Published on:

13th Feb 2025

DEI is NOT Dead! Out of Favour but More Important Than Ever - with Gardy Guiteau

Right, rebels, we need to talk.

You’ve probably heard the whispers - DEI is out of fashion, companies are quietly shelving their initiatives, and the world seems to be moving backwards.

But here’s the thing: just because something is out of favour doesn’t mean it’s not essential.

In fact, it’s more important than ever.

Today, I’m joined by the brilliant Gardy Guiteau, a powerhouse in this space, to unpack what’s really happening, why fear is driving the backlash, and what leaders need to do next.

Join me.

Highlights:

(4:11) Challenges in DEI Work

(7:54) Niceness vs. Authenticity

(16:33) Historical Context and Lessons

(26:10) Addressing Fear and Resistance

(40:01) Managing Polarisation and Fostering Inclusion

(46:35) Empowering Individuals and Organisational Responsibility

Find out more:

GJG Training & Consulting website

Gardy Guiteau LinkedIn

CCWE DEI Competency Programmes

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

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

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.