314: Pushing back Against the Zeitgeist with Dr. Chantelle Jessica Lewis and Jason Arday
Release Date: 10/12/2025
334: Men at Work with Jennifer McCollum
Allyship in Action
In this episode, Julie Kratz welcomes Jennifer McCollum, President and CEO of Catalyst, a global nonprofit focused on workplace equity. They discuss the critical role of men in gender partnership and the release of Jennifer’s book, Men at Work. The conversation delves into the systemic challenges women face, the data supporting inclusive leadership, and how men can transition from passive support to active, mutually accountable leadership. Key Takeaways Mutual Accountability Over Passive Support: The concept of "men as allies" has evolved into gender partnership, emphasizing that...
info_outline
333: How Capacity Erosion Is Redefining Leadership in 2026 with Kathryn Landis
Allyship in Action
In this episode of Allyship in Action, Julie Kratz is joined by HBR writer, executive and team coach, Kathryn Landis, to explore capacity erosion—the gradual depletion of energy and focus facing today’s leaders. In an era of constant change and cognitive overload, Landis shares how leaders can reclaim their impact by shifting from micromanagement to intentional empowerment and strategic reflection. Key Takeaways Focus on Your "$100 Activities": Leaders often gravitate toward low-impact tasks for a quick sense of productivity. Reclaiming capacity requires identifying the high-level...
info_outline
332: The Future of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) with Alyssa Dver
Allyship in Action
Alyssa Dver, founder of the ERG Leadership Alliance, joins us this week to highlight the critical shift toward structured governance and the use of hard metrics to demonstrate how these groups drive corporate engagement and long-term business impact. My Key Takeaways: Governance is the future of ERGs: Alyssa emphasizes the shift from informal groups to structured organizations with clear governance and professional development paths for leaders. Measurement is mandatory: To gain executive buy-in and sustainability, ERG leaders must track metrics ranging from membership growth and event...
info_outline
331: How to Nurture Workplace Culture as a Living Ecosystem with Abi Adamson
Allyship in Action
In this episode, Julie Kratz discusses global workplace culture strategies with Abi Adamson, founder of the Culture Partnership and a LinkedIn Top Voice. Abi introduces her "SERN" framework—Soil, Exposure, Roots, and Nutrients—as a way for leaders to move beyond performative DE&I and begin gardening their organizations for sustainable growth. Three Key Takeaways Cultivate Your Culture Like a Living Ecosystem. Instead of treating culture like a static construction project with a fixed end date, leaders should act as gardeners who constantly tend to the environment. "Organizations still...
info_outline
330: Beyond DEI, Fixing Workplace Fairness with the FAIR Framework with Lily Zheng
Allyship in Action
Lily Zheng is a no-nonsense DEI strategist and best-selling author of DEI Deconstructed and Fixing Fairness. They discuss the limitations of traditional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and introduce Lily’s FAIR framework: Fairness, Access, Inclusion, and Representation. Lily challenges the industry’s reliance on "one-and-done" training and advocates for a 90/10 split—prioritizing system-level changes over individual interventions. This conversation is a masterclass for leaders who want to move beyond performative buzzwords to create workplaces that truly work for...
info_outline
329: How to Use Validation to Revolutionize Your Relationships and Leadership Influence with Dr. Caroline Fleck
Allyship in Action
In this episode, I’m sitting down with the incredible Dr. Caroline Fleck, clinical psychologist and author of the transformative new book, Validation. We often talk about allyship as a series of seemingly small, intentional actions, and some of the most profound work happens in the small, everyday moments of how we see and hear one another. Dr. Fleck joins me to pull back the curtain on validation—a skill that is frequently misunderstood but serves as a fundamental prerequisite for belonging and true connection. We dive into her "Validation Ladder" and explore how these techniques can...
info_outline
328: How Equality Wins, the New Vision for Inclusion with David Glasgow and Kenji Yoshino
Allyship in Action
This week, I welcome David Glasgow and Kenji Yoshino, co-authors of the new book How Equality Wins: A New Vision for an Inclusive America. As leaders of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at NYU School of Law, David and Kenji discuss the legal and political landscape of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) following the 2023 Supreme Court decision on affirmative action. They provide a practical roadmap for leaders to advance equality while navigating legal risks and political backlash. My Key Takeaways The "Three Ps" of Legal Risk: A DEI program is generally only...
info_outline
327: Leadership Lessons from the Pitch with Ciaran McArdle
Allyship in Action
In this episode, Ciaran McArdle, CEO of XL Sports World and author of The Soccer of Success, joins Julie Kratz to discuss how the principles of the "beautiful game" can be used to transform corporate leadership. McArdle shares three key strategies for high-performance leadership, drawing parallels between the soccer pitch and the professional workplace: 1. Tailored Leadership: Meet Team Members Where They Are Effective leadership requires a nuanced approach, much like a soccer captain managing a diverse squad. Individualized Communication: McArdle notes that while one teammate may need...
info_outline
326: The Engagement Paradox: Why Leaders and Gen Z Are Both Disengaged with Sean D'Arcy
Allyship in Action
Join us for an insightful conversation on the critical state of workplace culture and talent retention with Sean D'Arcy, Chief Solutions Officer at Kahoot!. Based on their latest research, we explore a startling paradox: many leaders are burned out, and nearly half would give up their title to feel engaged at work. This lack of manager engagement creates a difficult environment for the newest generation, with almost two-thirds of managers finding Gen Z to be the hardest group to engage. Sean D'Arcy dives deep into the findings on both leader burnout and Gen Z's unique needs, covering...
info_outline
325: When the Business Baby Meets the Biological Baby with Hana Milanov and Amelie Pahl
Allyship in Action
This week, I welcome researchers Hana Milanov and Amelie Pahl on their work exploring entrepreneurship through the lens of first-time parents. The researchers interviewed founders who were already deeply identified with their "venture baby" before having a "biological baby," challenging the common narrative that parenthood diminishes career success. They discovered that instead of being a hindrance, parenthood can be a catalyst for positive change in a founder's business and their professional growth. The key finding revolves around two main strategies founders adopt: Founder Firewalling:...
info_outlineChantelle Lewis and Jason Arday, co-authors of the book We See Things They'll Never See, join the show to discuss their work. Arday, a professor of sociology of education at the University of Cambridge, and Lewis, an Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Black British Studies at Pembroke College, the University of Oxford, delve into how their experiences as Black, neurodivergent academics influenced their book.
Together, they share the motivation behind their work, highlighting the importance of challenging societal infringements and advocating for marginalized communities.
Here are my favorite takeaways:
-
We discuss the importance of showing compassion and empathy, especially to those who seem to deserve it the least. As Arday states, "sometimes when people least deserve it, that's when they deserve the most compassion".
-
Lewis explains the book's critical look at the workplace, where neurodivergent individuals are sometimes seen as "superhumans" who can produce more for a capitalist system. This creates a system in which their marginalization is used to uphold a system of oppression. "The way we are marginalized can also be used as a way to keep this system in place," Lewis says.
-
Arday and Lewis propose that to improve society, there must be a move away from the current educational model. This includes the abolition of exams, as they are not necessarily correlated with future success or positive academic outcomes. Lewis argues that "we need to stop measuring education outcomes by just test scores."
Follow Dr Chantelle Jessica Lewis' research at Pembroke College, University of Oxford, podcast Surviving Society