In Episode 40 of Why Care? I am joined by the brilliant and highly entertaining David McQueen to delve deeper into his brand-new book, The Brave Leader. David shares some life experiences, powerful insights and we touch on subjects such as the importance of followership, his BRAVE framework for good leadership, and how to take a systems approach to inclusive leadership.
David’s dedication to DEI is apparent through his years of experience as an executive coach, international keynote speaker, and facilitator. David co-founded professional development company Q Squared Ltd. He also hosts The BRAVE Leader podcast and dubs himself the ‘compassionate provocateur’ as he offers ‘unapologetic insights’. In addition, he is also a blogger on all things leadership and cultural change.
During our discussion, David reveals how he has always had a penchant for writing and the pandemic provided the perfect opportunity for him to finally let his creative juices flow. He was initially motivated to write a book that inspired people to think about their decision-making processes. David shares many relatable personal experiences that shaped his career journey. He has an eclectic professional background - initially studying law, and then accounting, before later realising his passion for public speaking.
Throughout the podcast, David offers BRAVE reflections, and we touch on a range of subjects. He highlights the importance of followership, challenging the traditional narrative that followers are passive. He then shines a light on his five pillars of good leadership, or the BRAVE framework: Bold, Resilience, Agility, Visionary, and Ethical. David goes on to caution us about the signs of poor leadership, and encourages leaders to go beyond their titles and be more functional.
David continues to explore how to embed DEI practices in the workplace, and focuses on the importance of aligning collective values and approaching sensitive topics rationally rather than out of fear. He then suggests how organisations should expand their board and consider the diverse majority to help to nurture an inclusive mindset, future-proof technology and integrate DEI policies. David offers some helpful decision-making models, and acknowledges his constant journey of navigating discomfort with humility.
David delves into the following key concepts in his book:
The Power of Followership - When discussing the leader-follower power-dynamic, leaders are often portrayed as heroic and their ‘followership’ are passive. David challenges this narrative, since followers play an equally powerful role as they have to also ‘buy into their vision,’ and help bring that vision to life.
BRAVE - The five main pillars of good leadership, including being Bold, Resilient, Agile, Visionary, and Ethical. He shares some pertinent examples, to illustrate the significance of each one.
Function over Title - David warns against some of the pitfalls of poor leadership, such as inflated egos, and encourages how a good leader should be brave enough to go beyond their title and be functional.
The Alignment of Collective Values - David offers powerful strategies to help embed inclusion into the workplace and ensure the collective values of the organisation are aligned.
Rationality Over Fear - David outlines how organisations should be brave enough to embrace their discomfort, and confront their fears. He offers strategies to help create a system for rational dialogue and authentic conversations. There should be a ‘conversation system’ for internal discussions with staff and stakeholders.
An Inclusive Mindset - David advises how instead of approaching DEI as a ‘tick-box’ exercise, organisations should establish an inclusive mindset, especially over sensitive topics like ethnicity or race. He challenges leaders to look beyond their small avatar on DEI, broaden their board, and think about how each decision shapes the ‘organisation’s cultural DNA.’
