S2 Ep1: Why the Gender Equity Conversation Isn’t Over — and Why Leadership Still Needs It.

In this opening episode of Season 2 of the She Leads Collective Podcast, Mary Gregory reflects on why this podcast still matters — and why now.

At a time when there’s a growing narrative that “enough has been done” on gender equity, Mary explores the gap between perception and lived experience. Drawing on her decades of leadership experience and years of coaching women leaders and their allies, she looks at what today’s complex challenges demand from leadership — and why more relational, inclusive and human ways of leading are no longer optional.

This episode sets the tone for Season 2, introducing themes of resilience, tenacity and community, and inviting listeners into honest conversations about leadership, confidence, allyship and the long game of change.

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✨ Produced by Mary Gregory Leadership Coaching

Transcript

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Hello and welcome to She Lee's Collective Podcast. I'm Mary Gregory and I'm so glad you're here. This podcast is a space for honest conversations about what it really means to lead as a woman today and how we can all show up with more courage, care, and clarity. You'll hear from inspiring women, powerful allies, and bold truth tellers who are changing the game not by playing tougher but by leading smarter, softer and stronger. Welcome to season two of the She Lee's Collective Podcast. And in this very first episode, I'm going to be considering why this podcast still matters and why now. And I'd like to explore the question of how we're really doing when it comes to creating workplaces where people of all genders have an equal opportunity to thrive. Not how it looks on paper, not what the policies say, but how it actually feels to show up, lead, contribute, and stay. That question sits at the heart of why I'm here and why this podcast is returning for a second season. So after decades of in leadership, after coaching women who are highly capable, experienced and committed and yet still questioning themselves, and after watching conversations about leadership and gender equity both becoming louder and at times more shallow, this work matters to me more than ever. We are living in a world facing complex, interconnected challenges, social, environmental, economic, and they cannot be solved by old cut and thrust models of leadership. Those models were never designed for the terrain that we're now navigating. What today's challenges require is innovation, creativity, and collaboration. They require us to embrace difference, not smooth it out, to value diversity not as a tick box but as a genuine source of richness. Because without it, we are leaving huge amounts of human potential untapped. I often talk about a more feminine approach to leadership, and I want to be clear that that's not about gender. It's about qualities that are accessible to all of us: empathy, relational intelligence, collaboration, the ability to flex with uncertainty and to respond to what's emerging rather than to try and control it. When we lead this way, we don't just perform better, we access parts of ourselves and each other that would otherwise remain dormant. Some estimate as much as 80% of our potential goes unused when these qualities are undervalued. That's why this conversation matters and that's why it's so personal. And over the last year or so, I've picked up a narrative that has been circulating in some spaces that we've done enough now when it comes to gender equity, that the work is largely complete, that the focus can move on, and yet when I see those on the coal face, leaders, founders, parents, allies, that simply isn't their lived reality. What I see instead is a far more complex picture. Yes, there has been progress, and at the very same time there's also been regression. We're seeing fatigue, particularly among women who feel they've been carrying the emotional and mental load and invisible labour of change for many, many years. We're seeing backlash, often subtle, sometimes overt, and we're seeing performative inclusion, where the language has moved on, so we're speaking the right things, but the behaviour hasn't. Progress doesn't mean parity, and visibility doesn't mean safety. Research continues to show that while representation at senior level may be improving in some sectors, retention is not. Many women are walking away. Not because they lack ambition or resilience, but because they've simply had enough. They've had enough of pushing uphill against systems that haven't shifted as much as they claim. And there's another cost too, and that other cost is silence. The cost of not wanting to rock the boat, or minimizing experiences, or second guessing whether something is worth raising or not. Those costs are real. They're real because they affect confidence, they affect well-being, they affect performance. And all of that ultimately affects organizations overall. So, yes, the dialogue exists, but the reality tells us that we can't afford to be complacent. My stance and the stance of this podcast is not about shaming, dividing, or oversimplifying. It's about holding complexity. It's about centering real lived experience and learning from others. This podcast is rooted in story, because story is where nuance lives. It's where we understand what's working, what's shifting, and what still needs our attention. I'm deeply interested in what helps, where we see positive change, and how we can keep supporting one another to stay in the game, particularly when it comes to raising issues that are still unaddressed and yet still need our attention. When I began my career, misogyny wasn't even a word that was spoken out loud. Now it is definitely part of our collective awareness, and that really matters. That shift in consciousness is significant. There is still far too much misogyny around, don't get me wrong. And at the same time, we now have language, we now have visibility, and we have a growing willingness to act and address it. That's why the themes of resilience and tenacity are coming through so strongly this season. Because this is long game work, and long games require community. They require allies, they require rest and resolve, and they require us to come together even when the progress might feel slower than we'd like. So looking ahead into this season, I want to share that I've got some extraordinary people coming on as guests. Women who have led at the most senior levels and are candid about what still needs to change. Founders and activists tackling some of society's darkest issues with hope and humanity. Leaders who believe the most powerful work begins on the inside. Allies who are actively engaging men as part of the solution. And voices bringing honesty to conversations about parenthood, guilt, identity, and worth. These are not abstract discussions. They are grounded in human experience and deeply practical. So in my final closing, this podcast exists because I don't believe change happens through slogans. I believe it happens through honest conversations, through brave storytelling, and through collective responsibility. If any of this resonates, I hope that you'll stay with me this season and also share with other people that you know in your network for whom it will also resonate. Because this work isn't done and none of us are meant to do it alone. And I really want to emphasise this podcast isn't meant to be a one-way conversation. If something you hear resonates or if an episode sparks reflection, challenge, or even discomfort, I really do want to hear from you. You can connect with me on LinkedIn, message me directly, or join the wider She Leads Collective community in the group that I've started on LinkedIn. Whether you're a leader, a business owner, an ally, or someone who's quietly navigating your own questions about confidence, equity, and how we do work better, you're more than welcome here. This work moves forward when we stay connected, keep talking and keep learning together. So if you want to be part of this conversation, I really would love you to reach out. Thank you so much for listening, and I'm so looking forward to us all learning together in this second season. Thank you so much for listening to the She Leads Collective podcast. If this episode resonated with you, follow the show or share it with a friend and leave a quick review below. Or leave us a comment. Change happens through conversation, so let's keep this one going. Listen out for the next episode and join me as we keep lifting the lid on the stories that matter. Take care and keep leading with heart.