The CEO Activist

Introduction

I really want you to think back to a time when you felt excluded. When you felt you didn't belong, you weren't wanted or your opinion was irrelevant. Maybe, like most people, it was at primary school where ever-fluctuating friendship circles dictated our quality of life. Perhaps in senior school there was a teacher who demeaned you and crushed your spirit, or it's possible you've been trapped in a toxic and bullying work environment.

I truly hope you've never felt excluded, worthless, or an outsider – and for most people who have, hopefully, these feelings stem from temporary or fleeting interactions.

Now imagine if being excluded was the default setting of your life. Not necessarily presented in the overt bullying we witnessed at school, but in subtle signals you've received your entire life that you're somehow “different”.

I'm Leila McKenzie-Delis and I'm the founder and CEO of DIAL Global – an organisation that works with businesses to help them “do well, by doing good”. We support their economic growth and innovation by working with them to build inclusive cultures, help them understand why diversity is critical, and demonstrate how to drive faster change at all levels.

You may wonder why I have become an expert in diversity, inclusion, belonging, equity and culture (DIBEC) and what qualifies me to write this book. Well, over the coming chapters I will share with you my story – from an orphanage in Hong Kong, to being a dyslexic child in an English high school, ...