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What if the biggest threat to your organization isn’t disruption from the outside, but the way you operate inside? Tom Dennis argues that many companies have become overcontrolled and disconnected from the things that make organizations resilient: trust, adaptability, and human connection. A former Royal Marines officer, he’s the founder and CEO of Serenity and Leadership and author of Rewilding the Corporate Mind.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
Why relying on rigid control creates hidden organizational fragility
How Nelson’s naval strategies offer a modern template for leadership trust
What self-awareness reveals about your unconscious management habits
Why psychological safety drastically reduces costly operational mistakes
How setting up the right environment allows you to step back and let go
Episode Chapters
(00:00) Intro
(01:17) Rewilding as a Business Metaphor
(03:33) Military Strategy and Delegated Initiative
(07:52) The Power of Leadership Self-Awareness
(10:46) Overcoming the Urge to Micromanage
(13:27) Cultivating Psychological Safety
(19:34) Navigating Cultural Resistance at the Top
(24:40) A Brand That Made Him Smile
About Thom Dennis
Thom Dennis is a former Royal Marines officer and the founder and CEO of Serenity in Leadership. With over 30 years of experience helping executives rethink how they lead, Thom is the author of Rewilding the Corporate Mind. He specializes in helping organizations move away from rigid command-and-control structures toward cultures built on adaptability, psychological safety, and trust.
What Brand Has Made Thom Smile Recently?
Thom smiled thinking about Cadbury’s classic gorilla drum-solo commercial set to Phil Collins. While he laments how corporate acquisitions changed the company’s original Quaker-led approach to caring for people, the pure joy of that iconic campaign still stands out.
Resources & Links
Connect with Thom on LinkedIn.
Learn more about Serenity in Leadership.
Check out his book, Rewilding the Corporate Mind.
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Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet!
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