The Wellbeing Rebellion

Before we ask more from our teams this September, it’s worth asking what they need from us first. For me, it comes down to four things: reconnection, clarity, presence and the emotional tone we set as leaders. None of them require another initiative, but they can make a real difference to how people experience work as the pace picks up again. I also share a simple question to help you look at your own leadership through your team’s eyes, because trust and performance are shaped in the everyday moments long before they show up in a survey or KPI. Highlights: (01:05) What does your team actually need from you right now? (03:32) Why reconnecting should come before redirecting (05:39) Your team needs clarity more than certainty (07:30) Why leadership presence matters when work gets busy (10:30) How leaders set the emotional tone for their teams Connect with us here: Website Ngozi Obehi Aurora Company Profile 2026 Book a Call here

September has a habit of pulling us straight back into busy routines. Meetings return, inboxes fill up, and before long we’re back on autopilot. So rather than starting with targets, I’m asking a different question: what kind of leader do you want to be over the next few months? I share a few simple prompts to help you think about how your team experiences you, the leadership habits worth protecting, and the everyday behaviours that shape culture more than we sometimes realise. A useful reset before the pace of work takes over again. Highlights: (02:25) The question worth asking before September gets busy (04:46) How do you want your team to experience you? (06:28) A simple three-month leadership reset (07:41) The leadership habits worth protecting when work gets busy (10:08) What would you want your team to say about your leadership by Christmas? Connect with us here: Website Ngozi Obehi Aurora Company Profile 2026 Book a Call here

We tend to remember the big career moments. The promotion, the crisis, the major project, the thing that looked impressive from the outside. But some of the experiences that shape us most as leaders are much quieter. I reflect on a few of those moments from my own career, from getting performance concerns wrong, to learning how to hold space for emotion and recognise perspectives I might otherwise have missed. The challenge here is simple: look back at the ordinary moments that changed how you lead. They may tell you more about your leadership than the achievements on your CV. Highlights: (03:00) Why the biggest career moments aren’t always the most important (07:49) The performance conversation that changed how I manage people (12:19) What happens when leaders bring different perspectives together (14:30) Why emotion at work doesn’t always need to be fixed (18:30) Five questions to uncover the leadership stories you’ve overlooked Connect with us here: Website Ngozi Obehi Aurora Company Profile 2026 Book a Call here

Good judgement isn’t about having complete certainty. It’s about using evidence, experience and other perspectives to make the best decision available, then taking responsibility for how it’s carried out. Vanessa Blackburn and I unpack what separates good judgement from great judgement, particularly when decisions affect people, careers and organisational change. We look at where instinct helps, when it needs to be challenged, and why data should inform rather than replace human thought. We also explore fair hiring, reactive talent planning, feedback, sponsorship and the vague idea of “culture fit” that can allow bias to slip into important decisions. Anyone making high-stakes people decisions will come away with a clearer way to balance evidence, instinct and responsibility. Highlights: (01:57) Why judgement matters more than certainty (06:51) What separates good judgement from great judgement (16:35) Balancing fairness, integrity and instinct in people decisions (27:30) When gut feeling helps and when it needs to be challenged (40:54) How leaders can strengthen their judgement Check out Vanessa’s post about judgement on LinkedIn and share your views: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/vanessa-blackburn-1675956_leadership-futureofwork-ai-share-7485647051087777792-_Mfr/ Connect with us here: Website Ngozi Obehi Aurora Company Profile 2026 Book a Call here

Good intentions matter, but they don’t change much on their own. Joanne Vazquez-Kirby, a global DEI & HR Leader at Skyscanner, joins me to explore what helps organisations move from aspiration to something more tangible. We get into accountability, leadership, and the gap between saying inclusion matters and building it into how a business actually operates. There’s also a useful look at what this means in practice across global teams. From local context and data to community networks, executive sponsorship, and knowing where to start, Joanne shares what helps inclusion efforts gain traction instead of stalling out. A helpful listen for leaders trying to turn values into decisions, not just statements. Highlights: (02:14) What working across cultures teaches you about people (08:47) The difference between aspiration and embedded inclusion (11:30) How networks, sponsors, and structure help the work move (20:09) Why you can’t do everything, and where to start instead (27:30) What changes when inclusion work has to translate globally (34:30) What credible leadership looks like in a difficult climate (41:00) The one shift leaders can make tomorrow Connect with us here: Website Ngozi Obehi Aurora Company Profile 2026 Book a Call here

Awareness of neurodiversity has grown, but understanding still has a long way to go. Too many workplaces still rely on narrow ideas of what neurodivergence is supposed to look like, who gets recognised, and who gets support. That leaves a lot of people misunderstood, missed entirely, or expected to fit a picture that was never built with them in mind. Dr Chloe Farahar brings a much more nuanced lens to this, from observer bias in diagnosis and recognition to the role of race, gender, culture, and environment in shaping who gets seen. We also explore why the traditional idea of the spectrum falls short, and what a more useful understanding could look like instead. A valuable listen for anyone who wants to move past basic awareness and think more carefully about what meaningful neuroinclusion really requires. Highlights: (01:18) Why awareness still isn’t the same as understanding (12:20) What polyennic communication can look like in practice (28:30) Why the traditional spectrum model falls short (39:30) Chloe’s three-dimensional autistic space explained (48:20) What workplaces need to do differently right now (01:05:24) Five steps towards a more neuroinclusive workplace Links mentioned in this episode: Aucademy: https://aucademy.co.uk/ Building your Autistic profile: https://aucademy.co.uk/building-your-autistic-profile-brief-starting-page/ NHS Inclusive Workplace Plan template: https://www.cwp.nhs.uk/application/files/8017/3348/3604/Employment_checklist_-_Nov_2024__1.pdf Enna Global - Helping forward-thinking companies attract, recruit and retain neurodivergent talent: https://enna.org/ Connect with us here: Website Ngozi Obehi Aurora Company Profile 2026 Book a Call here

A lot of organisations still explain the lack of racial diversity in leadership as a pipeline problem. It sounds neat, but it doesn’t hold up. In this episode, I unpack why progress on race equity so often stalls the further up an organisation you move, even when there’s effort, investment, and a genuine desire to improve. I look at what the data actually shows, why the pipeline story keeps sticking around, and what’s really happening to ethnically diverse talent once it enters the workplace. From affinity bias to who gets backed, seen, and described as having potential, this is about the systems that quietly shape progression. If you’re serious about moving from good intentions to real change, this will give you something much more useful than another vague conversation about representation. Highlights: (03:33) Why the “pipeline problem” story keeps coming up (10:30) What the data says about talent and leadership (15:30) How professional racism hides in plain sight (17:03) Why affinity bias keeps shaping progression (20:30) What trickle-down equity looks like in practice (23:53) The harder question leaders need to ask themselves Connect with us here: Website Ngozi Obehi Aurora Company Profile 2026 Book a Call here

Learning can’t be treated like an extra anymore. Not when the pace of change is this high. Kerri O’Neill, Chief People Officer at Ipsos UK & Ireland, joins me this week, and we look at what it takes to build capability in an intentional and useful way, especially when strategies, markets, and tools keep shifting. We talk about why organisations need to focus less on big learning programmes and more on clear outcomes, everyday practice, and the human skills that still matter no matter how much technology changes. This episode is a useful one for leaders, HR teams, and anyone thinking seriously about how people keep learning, adapting, and making good decisions when the future feels anything but settled. Highlights: (02:28) Why capability building starts with commitment (05:28) Focusing on outcomes instead of fixed learning plans (09:48) Why learning with others matters, especially around AI (13:20) The human skills that still matter in an uncertain future (35:52) The risk of relying too heavily on AI for people decisions Connect with us here: Website Ngozi Obehi Aurora Company Profile 2026 Book a Call here

Accountability sounds simple, but it gets complicated quickly in fast-paced, global organisations. In this conversation with Aaisha Knights-Ihediwa, we talk about what accountability actually looks like in practice. From hiring the right people to creating space for individuals to speak up when something isn’t working. We also explore how values hold up under pressure, and what happens when there’s a gap between what’s said and what’s lived. There’s a focus on leadership too. Managing global teams, navigating trade-offs, staying aligned when expectations are high and conditions keep shifting, and figuring out what that actually looks like in practice. Highlights: (03:20) What accountability really looks like in practice (08:30) Values in principle vs values in execution (14:40) Navigating global teams and cultural differences (20:45) Leadership pressure, budgets, and difficult trade-offs (40:20) Why leaders need to stay connected to their “why” Connect with us here: Website Ngozi Obehi Aurora Company Profile 2026 Book a Call here

Career progression is often presented as straightforward. Work hard, perform well, and opportunities will follow. For many professionals, especially women and migrants, the path is rarely that simple. In this conversation, I’m joined by Elham Fardad, founder of Migrant Leaders. We explore the hidden barriers that shape career mobility and why talent alone does not always translate into opportunity. Elham reflects on her journey from investment banking to building a global leadership platform supporting migrants and diverse talent. We talk about confidence, visibility, and the difference between mentorship and sponsorship. We also explore how organisations can recognise potential earlier and create cultures where people from every background can step into leadership. Highlights: ( 02:30) Elham’s journey from banking to founding Migrant Leaders (07:10) Why talent alone doesn’t always lead to opportunity (14:20) The difference between mentorship and sponsorship (22:15) Confidence, visibility and leadership identity (39:40) Building organisations where diverse talent thrives Connect with Migrant Leaders: https://www.migrantleaders.org.uk/ Connect with us here: Website Ngozi Obehi Aurora Company Profile 2026 Book a Call here

Can business genuinely be a force for good, and if so, what does that actually require in practice? In this conversation, I’m joined by Anwar Ali OBE, CEO and co-founder of Upturn Enterprise. We explore what sustainable impact really looks like when you’re trying to balance commercial discipline with social purpose. Anwar shares how his upbringing shaped his values, from growing up in a family of ten in a three-bedroom house to leaving a successful private sector career to build a social enterprise rooted in opportunity and dignity. We talk about why social good must stack up commercially, what’s broken in procurement systems, and why passion alone is never enough. We also reflect on leadership in a divided society, the courage it takes to speak up, and what it means to be a visible role model for the next generation. This is a conversation about responsibility, resilience, and believing that business can still be used as a tool for collective good. Highlights: ( 03:00) Growing up in a family of ten and the roots of purpose (06:40) Leaving a global IT career to build a social enterprise (12:30) Why social good must be commercially sustainable (23:30) Immigration, belonging, and leadership in today’s climate (44:15) Advice for purpose-driven entrepreneurs Connect with Anwar: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anwar-ali-obe-6335811a/ Upturn Enterprise: https://www.upturn.org.uk/en/ Connect with us here: Website Ngozi Obehi Aurora Company Profile 2026 Book a Call here

Further education sits under constant pressure, balancing funding constraints, public scrutiny, safeguarding responsibilities, and rising learner need. This conversation explores what leadership really looks like inside that reality, not in theory, but in day-to-day decisions that shape culture. I’m joined by Hayley Ross, Head of HR and Organisational Development at Salford City College Group, to talk about the emotional load leaders carry in vocational systems, where people care deeply about outcomes and responsibility doesn’t end at the job description. Our discussion looks at culture as the result of small, consistent choices. From onboarding and workload management to accountability, values, and difficult conversations, Hayley shares how leadership teams can protect wellbeing while still delivering under sustained pressure. This episode is for anyone leading in complex systems, especially where the stakes are human and the margin for error is small. Highlights: ( 01:00) Why leadership decisions shape culture in further education (05:10) The emotional weight carried by leaders in mission-driven systems (09:30) How small operational choices influence wellbeing (14:00) Accountability, values, and difficult conversations (31:00) Pride, belonging, and what makes people stay Connect with us here: Website Ngozi Obehi Aurora Company Profile 2026 Book a Call here

This conversation felt deeply personal. Not just because Dr Ngozi Edi-Osagie and I share a name, but because her story touches on identity, leadership, resilience, and what it really means to navigate systems that were never designed with you in mind. We talk about growing up between the UK and Nigeria, the impact of family belief, and the early messages she received about what was and wasn’t possible. Dr Edi-Osagie reflects honestly on being told not to come to the UK because success would be unlikely, and the quiet determination it took to keep going anyway. The conversation moves into leadership, fairness, and the reality of working in systems like the NHS where bias is often subtle, embedded, and backed by data. We explore what good leadership looks like under pressure, why visibility matters, and how integrity, optimism, and calm can shape outcomes in the most high-stakes environments. This episode is about more than career success. It’s about belief, responsibility, and what we pass on to the next generation when we choose to keep showing up. Highlights: 03:00) Identity, names, and belonging in professional spaces (10:30) Growing up between the UK and Nigeria (15:40) Being told not to come to the UK and choosing to try anyway (23:15) Bias, meritocracy, and what the data actually shows (31:00) What good leadership looks like under pressure Connect with us here: Website Ngozi Obehi Aurora Company Profile 2026 Book a Call here

As Christmas approaches, it’s easy to keep pushing even when you’re already exhausted. This episode is about slowing down when your energy is already low, not forcing yourself to power through just because it’s the end of the year. I talk about why rest doesn’t need to be earned, how boundaries can help before the break begins, and what it might actually be helpful to stop doing over the holidays. There’s also space here for neurodivergent people and parents of neurodivergent children, because this season can feel especially intense. I share ways to reduce overload, keep some structure, and be clearer about what you need from others. Leadership comes into the conversation too, particularly the signals we send about availability, rest, and burnout at this time of year. This episode is an invitation to approach Christmas with less pressure and more care for yourself. Highlights: (01:30) You don’t need to earn rest (04:30) Setting boundaries before Christmas (08:30) Reducing sensory overload and protecting routines (13:10) Managing emotional noise during the holidays (19:45) What leaders unintentionally signal about rest and burnout Connect with us here: Website Ngozi Obehi Aurora Company Profile 2026 Book a Call here

Money shapes the way we dream, plan and build our lives, yet it is also one of the hardest topics to approach with honesty. In this conversation with Clive Black, a Director at Shore Capital, we explore why so many UK entrepreneurs struggle to scale their businesses, and why racially underrepresented founders face even higher barriers when it comes to investment, visibility and confidence. Clive brings a thoughtful and surprisingly hopeful perspective. He talks about the cultural narratives that hold people back, the role of ambition in building something truly transformative, and the uncomfortable truth that systems are only as fair as the people operating within them. We dig into why access to capital is uneven, why so many great ideas never reach their full potential, and how communities can create their own networks of support. This is a conversation about money, yes, but it is also a conversation about belief, ambition, community and opportunity. If you have ever wondered why some businesses thrive while others never move beyond survival mode, this episode will give you a lot to reflect on. Highlights: (04:41) Why capital markets miss entire communities (09:12) The role of confidence and ambition in scaling a business (14:45) Why the UK struggles with billion pound thinking (22:00) How systemic barriers affect early stage funding (31:00) Why solving real problems is the greatest business opportunity Connect with us here: Website Ngozi Obehi Aurora Company Profile 2026 Book a Call here

Artificial intelligence promises efficiency, creativity, and innovation, but what happens when the speed of progress outpaces our humanity? In this episode, I’m joined by Professor Andy Miah, Chair in Science Communication and Future Media at the University of Salford. Andy has spent more than two decades exploring where art, science, and technology meet and what that means for how we live and work. We talk about what it really means to lead in the Gen AI era, how to embrace new technology without losing our sense of humanity, and why reflection matters just as much as innovation. From the unseen human cost of progress to the emotional impact on workplaces and education, this is a conversation about doing better, not just faster. Highlights: (03:18) The human cost behind rapid AI innovation (07:50) Generation AI and how it’s reshaping learning and identity (14:21) Why businesses must create space for AI experimentation (18:45) Encouraging transparency and psychological safety in the workplace (24:57) How to stay human while embracing AI Connect with us here: Website Ngozi Obehi Aurora Company Profile 2026 Book a Call here

If you think the legal world is all stiff suits and old traditions, think again. My guest today, Bridget Tatham, is shaking things up from the inside. She’s a partner at Browne Jacobson, heads up their Birmingham insurance team, and leads on all things inclusion - but what really stands out is how she’s changing the game for future black lawyers through REACH, the firm’s mentoring programme. Bridget’s story is full of honesty, humour, and heart, and it shows exactly what happens when you use your position to pull others up with you. Highlights: (03:15) The childhood moment that sparked Bridget’s legal dream (10:42) Growing up in Bedford - and proving people wrong (22:18) Why REACH is changing the face of law (45:50) Creating space where everyone can truly belong (51:10) Doing good is good business Find out more: 1% Extense report Bridget Tatham Connect with us here: Website Ngozi Obehi Aurora Company Profile 2026 Book a Call here

In this special episode, we’re joined by professional basketball player and mental health advocate Kofi Josephs. Kofi’s story takes us far beyond the game - from the pressure of performing at the highest level, to the loneliness that can come with chasing a dream across continents. He opens up about loss, identity, and what it really takes to stay when walking away would be easier. This is an honest, powerful conversation about resilience, purpose, and learning how to find yourself in the moments that test you most. Highlights: (04:12) When chasing your dream starts to feel lonely (11:36) The thin line between fear and excitement (35:08) What depression really feels like from the inside (41:20) The story behind Why Not I (48:03) Learning to dance in the rain Links from this episode: Samaritans Open Counseling Why Not I Why Not I Instagram Kofi Josephs Instagram Connect with us here: Website Ngozi Obehi Aurora Company Profile 2026 Book a Call here

Men’s mental health is still one of the hardest conversations to have, both at work and at home. Despite all the progress in recent years, too many men continue to stay silent, with devastating consequences. In this episode, I’m joined by Tim Wotton, who’s faced more challenges than most, living with cystic fibrosis and type 1 diabetes, and yet has built a life defined by resilience, discipline and hope. Tim shares what he’s learned about strength, survival, and why it’s time we change the way men are supported to talk about their mental health. Highlights: (05:03) Why silence is still mistaken for strength (11:37) Tim’s ‘power of three’ resilience philosophy (18:18) Discipline as the unglamorous key to survival (27:43) The unseen struggles hidden behind a smile (36:11) Why men still fear showing vulnerability Find out more: Paul McGee The SUMO Guy (Shut Up and Move On) ‘How Have I Cheated Death? A Short and Merry Life with Cystic Fibrosis’ by Tim Wotton HERE and HERE. Connect with us here: Website Ngozi Obehi Aurora Company Profile 2026 Book a Call here

What does it take to grow a global tech consultancy without losing sight of the humans who make it all happen? That’s exactly what Sarat Pediredla, co-founder and CEO of hedgehog lab, has managed to do. From two friends in Newcastle to a business working with Microsoft and Deliveroo, Sarat’s story is impressive. But what makes it powerful is how he’s put wellbeing at the heart of growth - even when it meant facing his own burnout. In this episode, we talk about what it really looks like to scale with soul. Highlights: (07:15) Protecting a team while battling burnout (14:40) The honesty of saying “I am burnt out” (21:05) Vulnerability, shame, and finding support through therapy (29:20) How hedgehog lab makes wellbeing a lived value (36:50) Why culture is their real competitive advantage Find out more: https://hedgehoglab.com/ Connect with us here: Website Ngozi Obehi Aurora Company Profile 2026 Book a Call here