Episode Overview
What happens when leaders are asked to change the very culture that made them successful?
In this candid and thought-provoking episode, Dominic and Ash explore one of the toughest challenges in leadership: having the courage to change – especially when you’re part of the reason things are the way they are.
From vulnerability to role modeling, from the groan zone to genuine transformation, this episode dives deep into what it takes for leaders to go first in culture change. Packed with personal reflections and practical wisdom, it’s a must-listen for anyone navigating change in a leadership role.
Leadership Courage: Key Insights & Takeaways
1. The paradox of success: Executives are often asked to shift behaviors and mindsets that have worked for them – and that takes courage. Change isn’t a critique of the past, it’s a commitment to the future.
2. Skill, will, and do: Ash introduces a simple but powerful framework:
- Do leaders have the skill to lead differently?
- Do they have the will to try?
- And do they actually do it?
3. Courage starts with ‘I don’t know’: Referencing David Marquet, the team explores how powerful it is for senior leaders to say, “I don’t know”—not as weakness, but as a catalyst for learning and trust-building.
4. Leadership is human: Leaders don’t stop being human when they take the title. Change takes time, discomfort is normal, and being “countercultural” can feel like wearing a jacket that doesn’t quite fit… at first.
5. Avoiding the ‘exception trap’: Many leaders support change – until it asks them to change. Courageous leadership means not becoming the exception to the culture you’re trying to build.
6. The groan zone is real: There’s always a point in change where it gets harder before it gets better. Stick with it just a little longer—it’s the only way through to the other side.
7. Culture follows leadership: Every time Dominic and Ash have seen leaders truly commit to constructive change, the organisation follows. 100% of the time.
Tools & Resources Mentioned
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David Marquet on leadership and saying “I don’t know”.
(Try his book Turn the Ship Around! for deeper insights.) -
The “Skill-Will-Do” Framework for diagnosing where leaders get stuck.
Great tool for coaching, reflection, or leadership development. -
Constructive Leadership via the Human Synergistics Circumplex.
Learn how thinking and behavior styles shape effectiveness. -
The Groan Zone – A classic concept from change theory reminding leaders to anticipate discomfort as a natural part of growth.
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