Leaping Over Obstacles: Carolyn Lawrence on Leading Change
Carolyn Lawrence walked away from her dream job — Global DEI Leader at Deloitte — not because it wasn't working, but because she could no longer see what was next. What followed was a masterclass in exactly what she'd spent her career teaching others: how to read a system, resist the urge to fight it head-on, and move through obstacles with strategy instead of force. If you've ever felt the fire to change something but watched it fizzle the moment you walked back to your desk, this episode is the one you've been waiting for.
In This Episode:
- Why pushing hard for change inside an organization can backfire — and what to do instead (the "what we resist persists" principle Carolyn learned the hard way at Deloitte)
- The exact tactic she used to get a skeptical senior leader to voluntarily open up their hiring process — and how that single conversation unlocked 19 of 20 DEI KPIs moving in the right direction over four years
- How Carolyn embedded inclusion scores into annual performance reviews tied to variable compensation — and why the COO sitting in on those reviews changed everything
- The four maturity levels of organizational inclusion, from "checking a box" to "this is just how we do business" — and what it looks like when a company truly doesn't need a DEI strategy anymore
- What it actually felt like to leave a dream job at Deloitte Global: the fear, the six months of community conversations, the third-of-asking-price first client, and the pivot to "impact strategist" that changed how she talks about her work
- Why equity at home directly creates equity at work — and the Deloitte study that proved men carry hidden burdens too
Episode Highlights:
00:00 - Change That Backfires
00:30 - Podcast Premise Intro
00:56 - Meet Carolyn Lawrence
02:51 - Purpose And Career Path
03:58 - Early Equity Awakening
05:26 - Role Model Eureka Moment
07:53 - From Inspiration To Systems
09:25 - Curiosity Over Confrontation
12:46 - Deloitte Strategy Story
17:47 - Accountability That Works
22:10 - Coaching Passionate Teams
23:58 - Finding Your Voice
27:41 - Leaving Deloitte To Leap
31:20 - First Pitch To New Positioning
34:00 - DEI Maturity Levels
35:26 - DEI Maturity Integrated
36:36 - Equity Starts At Home
38:18 - Flexible Work Inclusion
39:41 - Hybrid Work Preference
40:31 - Sport For Wellbeing
42:19 - Meditation For Clarity
43:55 - No Regrets Lessons
45:06 - Leaping Over Obstacles
46:12 - Where To Find Carolyn
46:39 - Gut Check Debrief
48:24 - Building Teams Mentorship
53:28 - Podcasting Career Path
59:28 - Purpose And Impact
01:01:53 - Question We Missed
01:03:43 - Final Sign Off
Resources Mentioned:
- Heather Reisman — CEO of Indigo Books & Music (referenced as Carolyn's early inspiration)
- Deloitte — the global consulting firm where Carolyn led DEI strategy and global people leadership
- Women of Influence — the social enterprise Carolyn previously led
- A Clear Path — Carolyn's own company - https://clearpathtoimpact.com/
Quotes:
"If I want to inspire change, resisting or fighting it is actually going to strengthen it. Like what we resist persists." - Carolyn Lawrence
“So I tracked the numbers at Deloitte. I was in that role for four years. Our numbers on literally 19 out of 20 KPIs that we measured. In the right direction. So that method works and I can prove it.” - Carolyn Lawrence
“I was very afraid and thought multiple times that I perhaps had lost my mind because here I was global diversity, equity and inclusion leader for Deloitte. Where do you go from there?” - Carolyn Lawrence
“You can't go from a great inspiring talk and then go and stand in a boardroom and yell off the top of your lungs. Hey everybody, I am completely inspired. I'm gonna change everything. Everybody come and listen.” - Sarah Jeanneault
“This year I’ve been looking at obstacles a little differently and trying to think about them as stepping stones and that I'm leaping over them, not with effort and strength, but with this internal lightness and power within.” - Carolyn Lawrence
Carolyn Lawrence is an Impact Strategist who helps leadership teams eliminate the invisible barriers blocking results. With a decade at Deloitte — where she built Canada's inclusion consulting practice and served as its first Global DEI Leader — plus firsthand experience as a purpose-driven business owner, she's a sought-after advisor for organizations navigating growth and change.
Connect with Carolyn Lawrence: https://clearpathtoimpact.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolyn-lawrence-619bb16/
Connect with Us!
Email: whytotheway@gmail.com
This show is produced by Twisted Spur Media Ltd.
Disclaimer: The views, information, or opinions expressed by guests during Why To The Way Podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Sarah Jeanneault, Twisted Spur Media Ltd. and/or her affiliates. Sarah Jeanneault, Why To The Way Podcast, and Twisted Spur Media Ltd. are not responsible for and do not verify the accuracy of any of the information contained in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. Listeners are advised to consult with a qualified professional or specialist before making any decisions based on the content of this podcast.
