In this episode of the Throttle Up Leadership Podcast, Dr. John Dentico interviews Dave Chauhan.

Dave Chauhan didn't just study leadership, he lived it through two value systems. Born in Libya to Punjabi parents working in embassy health roles, young Dave was raised by his grandmother in India, creating an early identity crisis that became his secret weapon. Two sets of parents meant two conflicting value frameworks: disciplined professionalism from one, sage wisdom seeking deeper meaning from the other. This Australian leadership coach and co-founder of Purple Spark Advisory spent 17 years discovering that outdated control-based playbooks fail spectacularly in today's chaos.

As author of "Captain Set Sail" and creator of the Nautical Leadership Framework, Dave champions courage, clarity, and compassion over quarterly obsessions. His devastating metaphor cuts deep: leaders forget why they got in the car, becoming infatuated with traffic lights, fuel levels, and maintenance schedules, the rules of the game, while losing sight of the destination itself. When boardroom decisions chase 5% profit at the expense of stated values, actions reveal truth marketing can't hide. Dave argues leadership transcends KPIs; it's about unleashing talent that exceeds every metric leaders fixate upon.

Born in Libya, Raised by Grandmother - 02:30

Two Sets of Parents, Two Value Systems - 03:04

The Identity Crisis That Shaped Leadership - 03:16

Captain Set Sail and Nautical Leadership - 05:12

Purple Spark Advisory in Australia - 08:45

Courage, Clarity, and Compassion - 11:30

The Car Metaphor: Forgetting the Destination - 34:48

When Actions Don't Align with Purpose - 33:31

Falling in Love with KPIs - 35:14

5% Profit Versus Core Values - 34:18

Leadership Beyond Quarterly Results - 36:25

Unleashing Talent Beyond KPIs - 36:33

If you enjoy our podcasts please like, share and subscribe we genuinely appreciate your support.