109: The relevance of context, leadership and doing DEIB right: Akin Thomas CEO and Founder AKD Solutions Ltd

SHOWNOTES:How does context help up define and be comfortable with who we are? In a recent conversation with Akin Thomas we spoke the role of context and how it helps us define our identity. We also spoke about his entrepreneurial streak, how the Johnson and Johnson credo inspired him to define it for his business. In this very thought provoking and sometimes difficult conversation we also spoke about 👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👉🏾 Organisational consciousness - the sweet spot, where an organisation’s intention and impact goes beyond their need👉🏾 Leadership - as an energy and force for change and the need for leaders to have long term vision as opposed to a tactical approach👉🏾 His optimism about progress on DEI in the UK, and belief that senior leaders are more authentic and genuine than ever before about the desire for change. The recognition of the existing fear (resistance to change) within active resistors👉🏾 #Tell your story project that was commissioned by UK Sport, Sport England, Sport Wales, Sport Northern and Sport Scotland to research Race and Racism in Sport👉🏾 The terrible reality that there are more alternative structures in sports now than in the 1950s when our forefathers came to the country.👉🏾 That nobody, absolutely nobody feels that it is worth investing in the cost of discrimination, the cost of belittling people, the cost of crushing people’s lives. 👉🏾 His advice to organisations seeking to be more authentic ‘stop looking at what others are doing, look within and get a real sense of what it means to you as an organisation. If you would like to listen more, head to the podcast….👇🏾👇🏾“And if you don't have context, it's very easy to be pulled in so many different directions. So as a child, I grew up in a place called xxxxxxxx, which was the largest council estate in Europe. I was one of very few black kids. I was the only black kid that went to school from 5 to 16. I didn't see anybody else other than myself. And I was void of context because I was fostered from six weeks old. And therefore I am this black child in the middle of this extremely white space. I knew I was different. I felt different. I didn't get a sense of belonging, but I didn't know what the context was because I just knew I was not within the right context.”PODCAST TRANSCRIPT: Sudha: Good afternoon, Akin. Thank you for being a guest on The Elephant in the Room podcast today. Akin: Yeah. Hi, how you doing? Sudha: I'm fine. Thank you. Okay. Let's get started with a quick introduction to who you are and what you do. Akin: Okay. So my name is Akin Thomas. I am the founder and CEO of AKD Solutions. We are an organisation of change consultancy.Akin: So we focus on three areas of business, which is research, learning and development, which is our core and consultancy services. We have evolved over the years and I've gone from a local brand to an international brand and the planet's become our global brand. Sudha: That's amazing. So have you always been entrepreneurial? And what made you get on that journey?Akin: Okay. I think the answer is, it was there. I used to...