"If the business and I don't do something dramatically different, then we're pretty much screwed."

Mike House, a former survival instructor turned leadership consultant, shares his dramatic experience during the onset of the COVID-19 lockdowns, where an 18-month pipeline of “live” consulting work vanished in just three days. Instead of giving in to panic, Mike leaned heavily on his background in survival training to adapt and stack the deck in his favor.

Recognizing that he couldn't control the immediate business environment, Mike pivoted to offering pro-bono support conversations for leaders struggling under the immense duress of the pandemic. This selfless act not only provided immediate value to his community but eventually blossomed into deep, long-term commercial relationships years later.

Mike also details how the financial support of JobKeeper provided him the breathing room to write a book on navigating uncertainty. He used the global crisis as a real-time laboratory to road-test his leadership principles by interviewing executives dealing with the same pressures. Ultimately, the episode explores how core leadership principles—such as clarity, communication, and defining a shared purpose—remain constant and durable, even when tactical approaches rapidly change.

Contact Mike here:- https://www.mikehouse.com.au/

Get Mike’s Books and resources here:- https://www.mikehouse.com.au/shop

Follow Mike here:- https://www.linkedin.com/in/themikehouse/