Why a diverse team isn't automatically "inclusive"
So, I was at this amazing event yesterday, one of those moments where you leave with your brain overstimulated with new ideas, and I realized something huge about corporates.
For years, I’ve been proud of being part of different companies because we had people from all over, different backgrounds, you name it, but here’s what kept me awake all night: having a diverse team absolutely does not automatically mean you have an inclusive team. It's like having all the right ingredients for a cake but forgetting to turn the oven on. The real goal isn't just about who's sitting at the table; it’s about making sure everyone feels safe enough to use their voice and actually enjoy being there.
Being diagnosed with ADHD three years ago suddenly explained why my way of seeing the world, my quick thinking, and my different approach weren't always entirely accepted. We can talk all day about how inclusive and diverse we are, but then I have to ask: Why, in 2025, do I still feel like I have to mask parts of who I am just to fit in?
The answer is simple, and it's the core of the problem: We know differences exist—racial, ethnic, social, or neurodivergent—but we often don't put in the necessary effort to figure out how to co-live with different types of people. It's not that we don't accept them; we do, but acceptance is passive. The real issue is that we don't make the deliberate effort to make them feel at home.
Inclusion isn't about tolerating differences; it's about shifting the environment so those differences become strengths.
The culture cure: Building Resilience
Recognizing this need to actively embrace differences is step one. But how do we build a company culture that is strong and resilient enough to genuinely support everyone? It all comes down to resilience, and guess what? It has to start with leadership.
The sessions made it clear:
Wellbeing isn't a band-aid: We often see companies throw wellbeing benefits (like a subscription to a meditation app) at the problem. But this is just a bandage to what the real issue is. It puts all the responsibility on the individual to "get better" while ignoring the stressful system they're operating in. We need to put more responsibility on the leadership to fix the work environment itself.
The leader's invitation: If the leadership isn't open to being vulnerable and leading the charge, resilience won't happen. Leadership must invite people to be themselves. This means true executive sponsoring culture through authentic conversations about wellbeing, and that means getting leaders to talk about hard things, not just the easy wins.
A big concept we discussed from Organizational Psychology really resonated: Before helping anyone, make sure your wellbeing is healthy. You simply can't pour from an empty cup, especially when you’re trying to create a resilient environment for others!
The event left me with a challenging question for any leader or manager: Who are you hiring? People focused on themselves or people focused on the community?
Building resilience means recruiting people who understand that their success is tied to the success of the team. When people feel accepted, supported, and safe to be their authentic selves, they stop wasting energy masking and start spending it contributing.
If you're ready to stop putting on band-aids and start building that resilient, inclusive culture, the kind where everyone truly feels "at home", the best way start that journey is bringing people together.
That’s exactly what we design here at Caribou Events.
