David Deane-Spread
Founder at Mettatude
Bio Info
David Deane-Spread is a leadership advisor, former military officer, and founder of Metattude, where he helps CEOs and executive teams turn company culture into a competitive advantage.
For over 25 years, David has worked with more than 150 CEOs and boards across Australia, the UK, and beyond, helping them align how they lead, behave, and converse—a model he calls the ABC Practice of Leadership: Attitudes. Behaviours. Conversations.
His background is forged in pressure and purpose. A former military leader and covert operations specialist, David learned what true leadership looks like under fire. As a CEO and board director, he saw how culture, done right can drive clarity, consistency, and performance. And through personal loss and recovery, he discovered what truly sustains people in leadership: purpose, presence, and integrity.
At Metattude, David helps organisations become both employers of choice and providers of choice by transforming how their leaders show up calmly, consciously, and cohesively. His work replaces buzzwords with grounded practice and drives lasting change through better thinking, behaviour, and dialogue.
Whether guiding companies through rapid growth or turbulent change, David’s philosophy is simple: Leadership is not a position it’s a practice.
Previous Interviews
21st Century Entrepreneurship
David Deane-Spread: How do you become employer of choice?" "21st Century Entrepreneurship
Proven Entrepreneur
Why Culture Beats Strategy in Leadership | David Deane-Spread
LifeBlood
Manual VS Automatic with David Deane-Spread
Topic Suggestions
The ABC of Leadership: Attitudes, Behaviours, and Conversations that Shape Culture
How CEOs can turn leadership from a concept into a daily practice that drives results.
The Calm CEO: Leading with Presence in a World of Pressure
Why calm leadership outperforms command-and-control in times of uncertainty.
Becoming the Employer and Provider of Choice
Why culture isn’t just an HR concern, and how CEOs can align people and purpose to win in competitive markets.
When Leaders Talk, Culture Listens
The hidden power of everyday conversations to build or break trust, accountability, and alignment.
Leadership Under Fire: Lessons from the Military to the Boardroom
What high-pressure environments teach us about calm, clarity, and decisive leadership.
Fix the Leadership Conversation, Fix the Company
How shifting the way executives communicate can unlock team performance and reduce turnover.
Culture as a Competitive Advantage
How organisations that invest in culture outperform those that focus only on strategy and structure.
Beyond Buzzwords: Building a Culture That Actually Works
Cutting through corporate jargon to create real behavioural change that lasts.
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