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David's Blog

Useful insights on What Matters Most to you and me and everyone else.

A Year on Stages Around the World (And What It Taught Me About What Matters Most)

I'm supposed to be writing a book right now.I'm sitting at my desk in Vancouver, third cup of coffee going cold beside me, staring at a manuscript that needs my attention. But I've got my speaking calendar pulled up on a second screen because I was looking for a specific date I needed for a chapter, and then I just started scrolling. I didn't mean to go down this road. I do this sometimes, though. I get lost in the memories of my travel itinerary, the way some people get lost in old photo albums.

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David Alison

All Articles

Remote Work Isn't Killing Culture; Bad Leadership Is

Every week brings another CEO announcing return-to-office mandates. The justification is always culture. "We need people together to maintain our culture." This is lazy thinking dressed up as leadership wisdom.

David Alison

Employee Engagement

Leadership Development

Psychological Safety Is a Values Problem, Not a Training Problem

You've done the workshops. Your managers have learned the terminology. Everyone can define psychological safety. And somehow, people still don't speak up in meetings. Still don't admit mistakes. Still don't challenge ideas from above.

David Alison

Employee Engagement

Leadership Development

Place Branding Starts Inside: Why Internal Culture Determines External Perception

Your city hired a branding agency. You got a new logo, a clever tagline, and a campaign that won awards. And somehow, the world still sees your place the same way it did before you spent the money.

David Alison

Sales

Employee Engagement

People Don't Quit Jobs, They Quit Managers; What the Values Data Really Shows

You've heard the phrase so many times it's become a cliché. But clichés become clichés because they contain truth. The question isn't whether the manager relationship matters; it's understanding why it matters and what specifically goes wrong.

David Alison

Employee Engagement

Leadership Development

Next Generation Wealth: What High Net Worth Millennials and Gen Z Actually Value

If you work anywhere near financial services, you can feel the shift in the air. A massive transfer of wealth is underway, and it’s bringing a massive transfer of expectations with it. The inheritors stepping into financial power are building different lives, different definitions of success, and different relationships with the people who claim to serve them.

David Alison

Sales

Making Better Decisions: The Values Filter That Cuts Through Complexity

Your analysis is thorough. Your options are well-defined. Your criteria are clear. And you're still paralyzed or worse, making decisions you regret almost immediately after making them

David Alison

Leadership Development

Leading Through Conflict and Division: Values-Driven Leadership for Associations and Boards

Leaders are often required to be referees, particularly in these polarized times. How can you facilitate and moderate effectively in such an environment? Regardless of the issue, when we find shared values, we’ve found common ground. And we can begin to resolve disagreements. Together.

David Alison

Leadership Development

Leading Through Change Without Losing Your People: The Values Approach

Your change initiative is necessary. Your plan is solid. Your communication is clear. And you're watching your best people check out not because they disagree with the change, but because of how it's being handled.

David Alison

Employee Engagement

Leadership Development

Leading Real Estate Teams: The Values Approach That Keeps Top Performers

Your brokerage offers competitive splits. Your technology is current. Your brand has recognition. And your best agents keep leaving sometimes for competitors with worse offerings, sometimes for independence, sometimes for reasons they can't quite articulate.

David Alison

Leadership Development