Inside the Decision

The Podcast about Leading on the Edge—and Beyond.

What is Inside the Decision?

Inside the Decision is a conversation among and about leaders in high-stakes environments —where the pressure is real, the moment is now, and everything depends on what happens next.

Managers monitor and control resources, budgets, and timelines. Leaders—true leaders—inspire their team toward a shared purpose and aspire individuals to achieve goals they once deemed impossible. At the heart of great leadership is the courage to make strong, principled, and impactful decisions under pressure.

This podcast isn’t about gurus, formulas, hacks, or platitudes. It’s about what happens when you’re standing at the edge—of a decision, a relationship, a mission, a personal limit, a crisis —and you must lead anyway. It’s about the quiet pressure, the trusted influences, the gut checks, and the internal dialog that shape your choices. It’s about consequences that radiate like ripples across a pond, impacting everything and everyone they touch.

Each episode features candid conversations with leaders from across sectors—executives, entrepreneurs, innovators—who’ve faced high-stakes moments that tested their identity, values, and resilience. We explore what they confronted, the pathway that led them to that moment, how they made sense of it, and the story they carried forward.

Why This Show Exists

After decades working in executive leadership, high-value consulting, and narrative strategy, I’ve observed the most transformative leadership doesn’t come from strategy, planning, or certainty. It comes from deep reflection, reframing, moral fortitude, and courage.

Inside the Decision creates a space for those stories—the ones rarely told, but deeply needed.

What We Ask of Guests

I invite guests to bring one or two defining leadership moments—personal or professional—that challenged you to rethink who you are and how you lead. I’m not looking for a catalog of “victories”. I seek a dialog—an emotionally honest account—of complex and messy experiences that drive and shape enduring leadership.

The conversation is recorded and edited in a format that’s structured but human. No gotchas. No hype. Just real, honest dialogue.

Who Listens

Our audience includes senior professionals, entrepreneurs, coaches, and decision-makers who want more than soundbites—they want to understand what leadership feels like from the inside.

If this topic resonates with you, I would be honoured to speak with you. Your story could be the one someone else needs to hear when they’re standing at their edge.

-Alex McPhail