Cambridge Judge Business School Workshop

• 1 July 2026
• Kintillo

Today’s workshop at Cambridge Judge Business School wasn’t about whether inclusion matters. It was about what effective leadership looks like when inclusion, fairness and organisational values are increasingly contested.

I had enormous fun co-facilitating a workshop for faculty and professional staff at CJBS, where we explored the practical challenges of leading inclusively in today’s complex legal, political and social landscape.

Rather than focusing on theory, we worked through a series of case studies based on real-life incidents, inviting participants to grapple with difficult questions around positive action, fairness, representation, leadership decision-making and organisational values. What made the workshop particularly rewarding was the willingness of participants to engage with complexity rather than search for easy answers.

In multicultural Britain, and within a world-renowned institution that brings together people from across the globe, diversity, equity and inclusion are rarely about finding a single ‘right’ answer. They require leaders to navigate competing perspectives, evolving legal frameworks, organisational values and lived experiences with curiosity, courage and humility.

The richness of today’s discussion reinforced something I have long believed: meaningful progress is made not by avoiding difficult conversations, but by creating spaces where people can respectfully challenge assumptions, examine different viewpoints and develop the confidence to lead through uncertainty.

My thanks to everyone who participated so thoughtfully, to my wonderful co-facilitator, Sharon C. Brooks for another stimulating and insightful collaboration, and to Manaz Javaid for making this session happen.

These conversations are not becoming easier, but they are becoming more important than ever.