I read this the same way you did about a bubble to protect egos being a big part of it.

It's like there are two ways for a company to do DEI work. One is to do just enough to avoid being yelled at. That's the put on a big show, hire a Chief Diversity Officer, etc.

The other option is to do the work in a way where the result raises the bar. Francoise seems like the kind of leader you get and keep when you see DEI as raising the bar. And Pinterest lost her because they don't.

I've definitely been in the situation where one coworker was just relentlessly more professional and prepared than the rest of us. And it is unnerving. But the solution isn't to fire them, it's for everyone else to raise their game.