Walking Out Loud

Why do most culture change efforts fail? Drawing on their own boardroom and executive experiences Liam and Dave explore performative change, resistance, and hard choices. What does it really take to shift “the way we do things around here” without losing yourself in the process? What does ‘culture change’ really demand of leaders?  How willing are we to make unpopular calls when enthusiasm fades and the really hard work begins?

Boards can be a CEO’s greatest asset, or a slow-burn disaster. Liam and David explore what makes the CEO–chair relationship work: clarity, trust, timely information and the ability to handle conflict without it turning toxic. They look at where boards fail and what founders often miss when investors take seats at the table. Do you look forward to your board meetings? Why not?

Five years on from Black Lives Matter, where are we with DEI? David and Liam explore the shifting ground: fatigue, backlash and the limits of performative gestures. When should leaders speak out and when should they keep their mouths shut? Has HR lost the plot and replaced real business needs with activism? Are companies really more profitable if they are more diverse? Should Dave be platforming an old white man as his mentor?

Liam and Dave strip senior leadership back to what really drives it and what quietly erodes it. They explore the positive pull of purpose, mastery and claiming your power. They talk candidly too about loneliness, self-doubt and how identity and background shape authority. What makes you think you are a ‘leader’?  Is this the toughest time to be a CEO? Is “imposter syndrome” real?  Should Liam write a book called “Leadership and Daddy Issues”?

What does the rise of Trump and the return of “strongman” politics mean for purposeful leadership? As they walk, Liam and David explore how power is exercised, and abused, in business. Liam the good liberal wrestles with doubt and disillusion; David argues for historical perspective and pragmatic hope. How do we stay human and courageous in a world that often rewards brute power over purpose?

A good mentor helps confront blind spots, test decisions before they become public mistakes, and talk about the parts of leadership you can’t discuss with your board, your team, or your family. Liam and David talk about their mentoring relationship and how to judge if the time and money spent is worth it. They explore trust, candour and vulnerability, the difference between coaching and mentoring (and if it matters) and if some leaders are uncoachable.