In this episode of People First!, Morag Barrett is joined by Dr Riza Kadilar, global executive, leadership thinker, and author of The Contemporary Leader.

They first met at Thinkers50 in London — a moment that became a living example of inclusion in action — and that spirit carries through this wide-ranging, honest conversation about what inclusive leadership really requires when things get uncomfortable.

This is not a conversation about slogans, policies, or box-ticking. It’s about power, privilege, maturity, and the inner work leaders must do if inclusion is going to move from intention to impact.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why diversity is inevitable — but inclusion is not
• How well-meaning leaders unintentionally undermine inclusion through everyday behaviour
• The difference between being invited to the party and actually feeling able to dance
• Why inclusion is as much an inner journey as a societal one
• How privilege shifts with context — and why awareness matters more than guilt
• The paradox of inclusive leadership and the loneliness many leaders experience
• Why exclusion is easier to spot than inclusion — and how that awareness becomes a choice
• How curiosity, discomfort, and humility shape the contemporary leader

This episode is for leaders who genuinely want to build cultures where people feel seen, heard, and valued — not because it’s fashionable, but because it’s essential for performance, resilience, and humanity.

If inclusion feels complicated, uncomfortable, or even threatening at times — you’re not alone. This conversation helps name why.

📘 Learn more

• The Contemporary Leader (Wiley)
• Connect with Dr. Riza Kadilar on LinkedIn