For leaders in high-trust sectors, control has long felt like safety. Control the message, control the narrative, control how you show up, and nothing can go wrong.
But, as Alex Chapman explains in this episode, that instinct is now quietly doing the opposite of what was intended - particularly in our digital world - and executives risk being caught out.
Alex is Head of Communications for Europe and Canada at Allergan Aesthetics, and has spent his career advising executives on reputation in some of the most heavily governed environments, including global pharmaceuticals, the public sector, and as an experienced press secretary in Australian politics. He has held senior regional and international communications roles, including at one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies, where he focused on media and reputation across more than 190 international markets.
His assessment of communications, reputation and \"control\" has led to a memorable metaphor: as he describes it, managing a leader's voice today is like \"strangling water\" - the harder you grab, the less you actually hold. His reframe is subtle but powerful. The problem isn't control itself; it's what leaders and comms professionals try to control.
As he discusses in conversation with host Roger Christie, it's time for organisations to stop controlling the outputs (the words, the script, the message) and start controlling the inputs (the preparation, the guardrails, and - above all - a genuine understanding of the leader and their passions). Because the more something feels managed, the harder it is to believe.
Alex unpacks why digital has compressed the news cycle from a day to five minutes, how advisers can best push leaders forward rather than away, and how the most effective shifts happen like a dimmer, not a light switch. He shares the story of a leader who went from a deactivated LinkedIn and a fear of cameras to \"hungry to engage\" in under two months, and exactly what made that transition possible.
Tune in for a practical, refreshingly human take on why trust is built by participating (not performing), and why letting go of control is exactly how leaders can earn it today.
TIMESTAMPS:
00:02:26 – From Sydney to Switzerland: Alex's reputation career
00:03:30 – Why \"control = safety\" took hold in regulated sectors
00:07:00 – The point where control starts to erode trust
00:08:50 – \"You can't script a good conversation\"
00:11:30 – The commercial case that changes a leader's mind
00:17:20 – Signals vs behaviours, and the permanent digital record
00:19:30 – Control the inputs, not the outputs
00:28:00 – Two leaders, two very different journeys
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