DIVERSITY INCLUSION and BELONGING

Author: The Growth House
Published: Tue 11 Mar 2025
Episode Link: https://thegrowthhouse.co.uk/podcast/

As we launch our new Diversity Inclusion and Belonging programme, we wanted to share our podcast interview that I did with Mona. At a time where the DIB agenda is under attack from some very powerful leaders around the world it feels absolutely appropriate for us to double our efforts in the space. We hope that you enjoy the conversation I had with this incredible leader. My biggest takeaway is that Diversity can only truly flourish if you create sustained energy and focus on the I & B of DIB.

Mona Shindy shares her experiences in the Navy, highlighting the challenges she faced as a woman in a male-dominated field. Mona discussed her journey from naval officer to leadership coach, emphasising the importance of vulnerability, resilience, and community in leadership development. Mona shares her 30-year career as an engineer in the Navy, including the challenges she faced as a mother trying to balance work and family life, and the difficulties of navigating gender roles and speaking up when incidents occur. Ben and Mona also discuss the importance of community, leadership, communication, respect, empathy, and acknowledging bias in creating an inclusive workplace culture, emphasising the need for leaders to prioritise diversity, inclusion, and belonging.

0:00 Intro

1:51 Mona’s career journey as a Naval officer and personal story.

4:58 Belonging and inclusion after a family tragedy in Australia.

10:57 Navy life, roles, and dynamics with a focus on women in the Australian Navy.

14:01 Challenges of being a female engineer in the Navy, including balancing work and family life.

22:25 Speaking up in the Navy, addressing unacceptable behaviors and cultural reluctance to report incidents.

25:56 Workplace culture and the responsibility of leadership in creating an environment where employees feel comfortable speaking up about inappropriate behaviour.

33:19 Exclusionary comments and microaggressions in workplace culture.

36:04 Diversity, inclusion, and belonging in teams, with a focus on communication, empathy, and permission to make mistakes

40:02 Diversity and inclusion in the workplace

49:37 Leadership, teamwork, and growth with a focus on empathy, inclusivity, and lifelong learning

Buy Mona’s book

Shattering Identity Bias by Mona Shindy: Buy on Amazon

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https://www.monashindy.com

linkedin.com/in/mona-shindy-csc-84ba54121

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