Why diversity of thought is vital for organisational success
Julie Brignac, Senior Vice President at Proxima and Diya Badigar, Partner, Head of Operations Consulting, North America Lead & WomanWise Ambassador
In a recent WomenWise podcast episode, InX Partner Diya Badigar sat down with Julie Brignac, Senior Vice President at Proxima, to explore what truly drives organisational performance at the leadership level.
With over 30 years of experience spanning procurement, supply chain, consulting and outsourcing, Brignac's perspective on executive leadership carries considerable weight. Her career trajectory — from administrative assistant to senior vice president — provides a unique vantage point on the challenges and opportunities within corporate hierarchies.
Beyond conventional diversity frameworks
Brignac challenges executives to reconsider how they approach diversity within their leadership teams. Whilst traditional diversity metrics remain important, she argues that organisations often overlook a critical element: cognitive diversity.
Her central thesis is straightforward yet frequently neglected. Organisations that fail to cultivate diverse thinking patterns within their leadership ranks fundamentally constrain their strategic capabilities and competitive potential. When leadership teams think alike, they limit their capacity to identify emerging risks, capitalise on market opportunities and navigate complex transformation initiatives.
Key insights for executive leaders
Throughout the conversation, Brignac addressed several critical themes for senior leaders:
The primacy of diverse thinking over hierarchical titles. Effective organisations harness varied perspectives regardless of where they originate within the structure.
Strategic relationship-building. The distinction between networking, mentorship and sponsorship—and why senior leaders must actively participate in all three to develop robust leadership pipelines.
Personal advocacy and career ownership. Why waiting for recognition is a flawed strategy, and how leaders must articulate their own value propositions.
Sustainable leadership practices. Addressing burnout, establishing boundaries and modelling healthy work-life integration for teams.
Permission versus initiative. Why high-performing organisations encourage leaders to claim space and drive change without waiting for formal authorisation.
Brignac's insights offer practical frameworks for executives seeking to build more resilient, innovative and strategically capable leadership teams.
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