In this episode, Mike Phillips sits down with Doug Gray, PhD, CEO of Action Learning Associates, to unpack practical, outcome based leadership and family-business succession that actually works. Doug reframes SWOT so leaders focus on what they can control, explains why the least structure necessary accelerates execution, and walks through his simple rubric for succession: pace, space, grace. You will also hear when to use closed LLMs to protect sensitive data, how to leverage AI as a right-seat tool, and why curiosity is currency for modern leaders.

What you’ll learn

• A cleaner way to apply SWOT for real decisions

• How to assess organizational maturity without bureaucracy

• The “pace, space, grace” model to reduce conflict in family transitions

• Smart AI adoption for compliance-heavy workflows

• Actionable next steps leaders can run this week

Guest highlightsDoug has coached thousands of leaders across sectors, authored multiple books on leadership and OKRs, and builds tools that help teams make better decisions with measurable results.

Resources mentioned

• Action Learning Associates: Action-Learning.com

• Family Business assessment directory: Family-Wealth.org

• JIT Coach: JITcoach.com

Contact Information:

Doug Gray, PhD

Web: Action-Learning.com

LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/Doug-Gray-PhD

Mike Phillips

Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠mike@TheLeadshipToolkit.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Linkedin.com/in/LeadTheTeam⁠⁠⁠⁠

Twitter: ⁠⁠@LeadershipTLT⁠

YouTube: ⁠YouTube.com/@MikePhillips

Credits:

Hosted by Mike Phillips

Produced by The Leadership Toolkit Team

Guests: Doug Gray, PhD — Outcome based leadership strategist and family-business succession guide

Watch more episodes of the Leadership Toolkit at https://spotify.TheLeadershipToolkit.com

If you enjoyed this episode please consider leaving a 5-star review!

Make sure you share this as a resource with friends and colleagues.

Thank you for watching and listening!

* Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by guests on this show are solely those of the guest(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the host, producers, or any affiliated parties. The host and production team make no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information discussed by guests on the show. Listener discretion is advised.

*** Affiliate Disclaimer: Some of the links listed go to my websites and some are affiliate links that may generate me a sales commission if you make a purchase.