08/09/2026
We've just recorded another episode of Difficult Conversations, the podcast series we're producing for the University of Leicester's I-REACCH project. That's seven episodes recorded, with the first releasing on 1st October. 🎙️
This episode was recorded with Dr Cleo White, on empathic and inclusive research leadership.
Cleo has developed the CIRCLE Toolkit (Creating Inclusive Research Cultures through Leading with Empathy), built not for researchers but with them, shaped by listening to people's real experiences of leadership at the university.
Through that work, Cleo noticed that when people talked about leadership, they didn't mention policies or frameworks at all. They remembered the small moments: being interrupted, overlooked, not credited, or on the flip side, simply being asked how their morning had been. It's the tiny everyday interactions, good and bad, that add up to whether someone feels they belong.
There was a lovely distinction, too, between kindness and empathy. Kindness matters, but empathy asks more of you: being curious about the other person, challenging your own assumptions, and sometimes having the difficult conversation rather than just being nice.
Another thoughtful, honest conversation, hosted by K**e Ladipo, PhD, SFHEA and Gez Williams, PhD.
Seven recorded, the series launching 1st October.