Exploring the role of managers and leaders in change management

In this thought‑provoking episode of The Independent Minds Michael Millward meet leadership expert, author, and long‑time educator Paul Thornton to explore a simple idea: improving the status quo.

Drawing on over 20 years in corporate America and two decades teaching leadership and management, Paul shares how small, continuous improvements—and the mindset behind them—can transform teams, organisations, and individual careers.

Michael and Paul

• Unpack the subtle but powerful distinction between managingand leading,
• Examine why many workplaces still operate with expectations rooted in the Industrial Revolution, and
• Explore why shifting from command‑and‑control to collaboration requires both managers and employees to unlearn deeply ingrained behaviours.

Paul explains his “three Ds” of leadership—Directing, Discussing, and Delegating—and how these approaches help people think for themselves, solve problems independently, and ultimately contribute to a healthier, more adaptive organisation.

Rich with practical advice for leaders, managers, and anyone navigating incremental or transformational change, this is a conversation about developing people, evolving processes, and creating workplaces where improvement becomes a natural part of everyday work.

If you’re interested in leadership, organisational culture, or simply making things better without blowing everything up, this episode will make you think—exactly as The Independent Minds intends.

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