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

Manage Self, Lead Others: Emotional Intelligence and Leadership for Managers

#74 Difficult Conversations Made Easy, with David Deane-Spread

Leading Your Best Life with Leigh Farnell

Hidden Leadership Secrets Finally Revealed by David Deane-Spread

Business Builders Show

Unlocking Business Excellence: Cultivating a Vibrant Workplace Culture – David Deane-Spread

Video Confidence Collective

146: Mastering Authentic Leadership on Camera with David Deane-Spread

In The Raw with Mark LeBusque

David Deane-Spread - Humans Are An Investment Not An Overhead

The Today's Leader Podcast

404 David Deane-Spread - The 5C's to Better Leadership

Supercharging Business Success

How to Improve Your Business – Fast! – in Just 7 Minutes with David Deane-spread

Business Ready For Sale

Why Leadership is Critical In Business with David Deane-Spread

Biz Bites for Thought Leaders

David Deane-Spread - Metattude

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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