Lead Well, Live Well: Women Leaders, Wellness and Purpose With Stacey Lewis
What Really Happened to DEI?
A Leadership Conversation with Stacey Lewis
For the past few years, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging have been everywhere — in boardrooms, job descriptions, corporate statements, and social media campaigns. And yet, many leaders and employees are now asking the same question:
What really happened to DEI?
In Episode 61 of the Her Resources Podcast, host Linda Misegadis sits down with Stacey Lewis, Founder & CEO of HR Interrupted, for an honest, nuanced conversation about where DEI started, where it went wrong, and what leaders need to understand moving forward.
This wasn’t a political debate.
It was a leadership conversation.
DEI Didn’t Start in 2020 — And It Was Never “New”
One of the most important reframes Stacey brings to the conversation is this: DEI did not begin in 2020.
For decades, equity work lived inside HR under compliance, affirmative action, and workforce representation. What changed wasn’t the work — it was the visibility.
In 2020, organizations made public promises, issued statements, and invested heavily in DEI initiatives. But many of those efforts lacked long-term strategy, infrastructure, or accountability.
When economic pressure and political backlash followed, DEI was often the first thing scaled back.
As Stacey explains, the problem wasn’t that DEI failed — it was that performative action replaced intentional leadership.
Why Race Became the Focal Point — And Why That Matters
Race became the dominant narrative around DEI because it is visible. And visibility makes people uncomfortable.
But as Stacey emphasizes, DEI was never meant to be only about race.
True inclusion includes:
Neurodiversity
Mental health
Disability
Caregiving responsibilities
Gender and identity
Socioeconomic background
Lived experience
When organizations reduce DEI to a single dimension, the work becomes oversimplified — and people stop listening. Worse, it unintentionally excludes individuals whose experiences don’t fit the narrow narrative.
The Problem with “We Just Want the Most Qualified Person”
One of the most powerful moments in the episode centers around a phrase leaders often use without hesitation:
“We just want to hire the most qualified person.”
On the surface, it sounds fair. Neutral. Objective.
But as Stacey explains, qualification is rarely assessed in a vacuum. Systems tend to give the benefit of the doubt to people who already look familiar — while others must prove themselves repeatedly.
The issue isn’t about lowering standards.
It’s about recognizing that bias influences who is seen as “qualified” in the first place.
Equity doesn’t remove excellence — it expands access to it.
Work Is a Relationship, Not a Transaction
Another core theme of the episode is the idea that work is a relationship.
For decades, employment was transactional:
You do the work
You get paid
Your personal life stays separate
That model no longer reflects reality.
Employees bring their full lives to work — caregiving, health challenges, trauma, growth, and responsibility. When leaders ignore that reality, trust erodes.
As Linda and Stacey discuss, relationships require:
Trust
Consistency
Accountability
Mutual responsibility
When organizations retreat from their stated values, employees feel it — even if nothing is said publicly.
Strategy Over Symbolism
One of the most important takeaways from this episode is the distinction between symbolism and strategy.
Logos, statements, and public campaigns do not create inclusive cultures. Systems do.
Stacey challenges leaders to stop talking about DEI and instead build it into how decisions are made, including:
Hiring and promotion
Leadership development
Performance evaluation
Flexibility and support structures
Inclusion doesn’t need to be loud — it needs to be consistent.
The Leadership Responsibility Moving Forward
So where does that leave leaders today?
According to Stacey, it starts with honesty:
Acknowledge personal and organizational bias
Admit where the work was rushed or incomplete
Create spaces for brave, respectful conversations
Leaders don’t need to agree with every lived experience.
But they do need to acknowledge them.
Awareness is the baseline.
Responsibility is the requirement.
Final Thoughts: Don’t Retreat — Do the Work
DEI is not a moment.
It’s not a marketing strategy.
And it’s not a checklist.
It’s leadership.
As Stacey Lewis makes clear in this episode, organizations that quietly continue the work — without performative gestures — will be the ones that retain trust, talent, and credibility in the long run.
The question isn’t whether DEI still matters.
The question is whether leaders are willing to lead with intention.
Listen to the Full Episode
🎧 Episode 61 — Her Resources Podcast
Guest: Stacey Lewis, Founder & CEO, HR Interrupted
Host: Linda Misegadis
Guest Links:
Website: www.hrinterrupted.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hr-interrupted/
If this conversation resonated with you, we invite you to listen, share, and continue the dialogue — because changing workplace culture starts with honest conversations.
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/7l9eC4nJpY5E0X2Xy3Z0YF
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@HerResourcesPodcast
https://www.linkedin.com/company/her-resources-podcast
https://www.instagram.com/herresourcespodcast
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@her.resources.pod
https://www.facebook.com/herresourcespodcast
Contact
Quick Access
Linktree
https://linktr.ee/hrpodcast
