By
Matthew Hearfield
July 14, 2025
Updated
July 18, 2025
In this episode of The STEM Career Coach, host Donnie Maclary speaks with Dr. Telle Whitney, pioneering technologist, co-founder of the Grace Hopper Celebration, and author of Rebooting Tech Culture. Their conversation uncovers essential truths about leadership, inclusion, and what it takes to build a more innovative, diverse tech industry.
Listen to the full episode below:
Inclusive leadership in tech
Telle Whitney explores what inclusive leadership really looks like, and how companies can design cultures that help women not just enter, but stay and grow in tech.
It’s one thing to recruit women into STEM roles, it’s another to retain them. Whitney witnessed a frustrating pattern: bright, ambitious women entered the tech world energised but left within five years. The problem wasn’t their skills or ambition. It was culture. Whitney points out that innovation and inclusion are not mutually exclusive, they thrive together when organisations are intentional about designing cultures that support both.
The 'Six Cs' of leadership
Creativity, courage, confidence, curiosity, community and communication
What makes a truly transformative leader in STEM? According to Telle Whitney, it’s not just technical prowess, it’s six key traits: creativity, courage, confidence, curiosity, community, and communication. These “Six Cs” are the foundation of the leadership framework she explores in her book. Whitney believes that these human-centric qualities shape cultures where innovation and inclusion are sustainable and not just slogans. For leaders looking to evolve in today’s tech ecosystem, this framework offers a refreshing roadmap that blends empathy with excellence.
Listening as a core trait of great leaders
They were doing something quite special in the way that they were using data to drive their results. Now, that's just obvious, but back then, buying digital ads just like they buy newspaper ads or something like that.
Too many leaders believe their job is to have the answers. Whitney flips that on its head, emphasising listening as the most important skill a leader can develop. But this isn’t passive listening. It’s about seeking out diverse ideas, especially those that challenge your thinking. Whitney calls it “cognitive dissonance” the moment when ideas feel uncomfortable but hold the key to breakthrough innovation. Leaders who create space for these ideas aren’t just good listeners, they’re builders of inclusive teams.
Beyond hiring: Integration and advancement
It’s not enough to just hire people, we have to figure out how to give them opportunities to lead certain projects.
It’s not enough to diversify your hiring pipeline. If new hires aren’t integrated, empowered, and promoted, the effort falls flat. Whitney explains that inclusion must be operationalized: Who gets assigned leadership roles? Who’s given visibility? Who gets heard in meetings? Without attention to these details, even the most well-intentioned diversity initiatives won’t produce long-term change. Inclusion isn’t a headcount, it’s a commitment to structural and cultural transformation.
Structured and organic mentorship
Over time, I also found mentors that were women. And they are some of the most important people in my life.
Mentorship is essential, but it’s not one-size-fits-all. Whitney makes a compelling case for both formal programs and organic connections. Structured mentorship can break down unconscious bias by intentionally pairing mentors and mentees across gender, race, and role. But organic mentoring often starts with a simple question or moment of connection.
For Whitney, her most pivotal mentors were often men, simply because that’s who held leadership roles at the time. The key? Finding someone who sees your potential and helps you navigate the path ahead regardless of surface-level similarities.
Key takeaways
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Creating cultures that support both innovation and belonging is essential to retaining women and underrepresented talent in tech.
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Great leaders in STEM embody creativity, courage, confidence, curiosity, community, and communication to drive inclusive innovation.
- Listening deeply, especially to perspectives that challenge your own is the defining trait of transformational leadership.
- Inclusion only works when diverse hires are empowered, integrated into teams, and given real opportunities to lead and grow.
- Mentorship thrives both in structured programs and spontaneous connections, what matters most is finding advocates who invest in your growth.
Article and quotes have been edited for brevity and clarity.
