In this episode, Dan sits down with Paul Coates, Head of International Consultant and Delivery Excellence at FranklinCovey — and a leader who has spent more than two decades shaping how organisations learn, adapt and transform.

Paul’s journey is a rare one: first a FranklinCovey client, now one of its global senior leaders. That dual perspective gives him a unique lens on what truly drives performance and culture — and why learning has shifted from “training sessions” to leader-led journeys that build resilience, trust, and real behaviour change.

Together, Dan and Paul explore:

• Why culture change only happens when leaders go first and the powerful truth behind “people will do it when they see it being done”.

• The five essentials that make learning stick — from intentional design to shared language and accountability.

• The role of storytelling in unlocking emotion, inspiring change, and building connection across teams, countries and cultures.

• What it takes to deliver learning at scale — and why real stories from real people matter more than ever.

• How apps, digital tools and habit-building techniques can reinforce learning long after the workshop ends.

Paul also shares honest reflections on leadership, vulnerability and the challenge of prioritisation - plus the moment a CEO tried a new questioning technique for 15 minutes and came back saying it was “the best meeting I’ve ever had.”

This is a rich, practical and deeply human conversation for anyone working in learning and development, people leadership, organisational change, or culture transformation.

Listen now — and explore more episodes and resources at dmbfilms.co.uk.