If you’ve felt the ground shifting under your feet in corporate America recently, you are far from alone.
Between the retreat of corporate DEI commitments, the rise of “DEI hushing,” and the sudden encroachment of AI across workplace workflows, leadership today feels disorienting. We are living in a moment where the old playbooks no longer apply, and the language we once relied on is failing us.
In the latest episode of The Runway, we sat down with our long-time friend, mentor, and DEI leader Jennifer Brown. Jennifer is a best-selling author whose latest 2026 book, The Shape of Change on Leadership, Resilience, and the Urgent Art of Becoming More Human Together, speaks directly to the heart of this inflection point.
“What are we humans for? We’re here to sense this moment. We’re here to make meaning. We’re here to name things. We’re here to comfort each other. And we’re here to bring community together and say, ‘What do we want this world to look like?’” — Jennifer Brown
1. Navigating the Disassembly (And the Stages of Grief)
When the work that has defined your professional identity for decades undergoes a seismic shift, it’s normal to feel anger, sadness, and heartbreak.
“How do you prepare for losing access to the work that has defined you for two decades? ... I was attached to my shape as a DEI consultant. I was attached to the shape of the expert. But we are all more than the shape.” — Jennifer Brown
Moving through the stages of grief toward acceptance allows us to zoom out. In periods of institutional collapse or recalibration, advocates and leaders possess deep emotional wisdom, courage, and creative resilience that organizations desperately need.
2. The Failure of Rigid Leadership
For decades, business leaders were trained to display absolute authority and certainty. But in an era where market dynamics and technological advancements change by the week, claiming to have all the answers is no longer believable.
True leadership today requires:
Vulnerability: Admitting what you don’t know while remaining clear on core values.
Transparency: Leveling with employees about challenges rather than hiding behind corporate platitudes.
Relational Trust: Recognizing that short-term profit motives cannot erase the fundamental human need for safety, belonging, and respect.
3. Embracing the Winter Seasons
Nature doesn’t bloom year-round; it cycles through seasons. As Jennifer noted during our chat, we often curse the winter because it feels quiet, cold, or dormant. But winter is where essential preparation happens beneath the surface.
Instead of waiting for the storm to pass, this moment asks us to learn to “dance in the rain”—to experiment, shed outdated models, and rediscover who we are meant to be for the times ahead.
🎧 Stream the Episode above. Or, if you prefer the audio-only version, click here to listen on Spotify.
Join the Conversation:
What “shape” are you shedding in your professional life right now? Let us know in the comments below!
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