“Every business needs a maniac and a minder.” Following a friend’s advice, Liam Black has been how to train the manic and feed the minder.

Liam is a mentor, with a wealth of experience to draw on, who provides practical advice for generative leaders who want to make a difference in the world. In his conversation with Julia, he discusses understanding one's purpose, navigating difficult bureaucracies, and staying healthy while achieving great results.

His book, How to Lead With Purpose provides detailed, practical guidance as well as real-world examples that illustrate how purposeful leadership can have a positive impact on society.

Key takeaways

• Liam has an incredible ability to detect bullshit, even in himself. He is self-reflective and asks tough questions, which can make people uncomfortable, but they can help us break through our current understanding and push us further.
• The only thing that can truly hinder you is yourself. Learning to stay grounded and move away from anxious, backward-looking thoughts is something we could all benefit from. Taking a moment to be present and focus on what we know to be true can help us more than we realise.
• Living your purpose is a feeling – you know it when you're in it. But it's easy to get lost and drift away from that feeling. That's why it's important to reflect on your own thinking. A mentor can help in exploring your own thinking when you can't do it on your own.

Links

• Connect with Liam on LinkedIn
• Lian’s website
• How to Lead with Purpose: Lessons in Life and Work from the Gloves-off Mentor – Liam’s book
• Leadership BS: Fixing Workplaces and Careers One Truth at a Time, by Jeffrey Pfeffer