For over two decades, Michael Bunting has helped leaders grow, not just in skill or influence, but in emotional maturity, self-awareness, and ethical alignment. He has worked with executives, teams, and entire organisations to close the painful gap between the values leaders claim and the behaviour they actually embody.
In the debut episode of The Secret Life of Great Leaders, host Michael Bunting invites us into a very different kind of leadership conversation, one that begins not in the boardroom, but within.
Rather than starting with frameworks or tactics, Michael begins with something far more personal: his own story of disillusionment, emotional unravelling, and eventual transformation. It’s a bold choice, and it sets the tone for a podcast that aims to reveal the unseen inner journeys behind effective leadership.
And most importantly, he explains how that inner work, when done consistently and courageously, becomes the most powerful force in leadership.
The Real Work of Growth
Michael shares that he’s taught all the leadership techniques, from accountability conversations to empowerment strategies. And yes, he’s watched countless leaders fail to implement them. Why?
Because the obstacle isn’t intellectual; it’s emotional. Michael describes the inner gap between what leaders say they value and how they actually show up, a gap that breeds cynicism, disengagement, and disconnection in organisations and beyond.
Key themes Michael explores:
- The invisible drivers of approval-seeking behaviour
- Why self-awareness is a practice, not a buzzword
- The transformational power of emotional honesty over technical mastery
Michael shares his own like “fell apart” in the middle of a career built on teaching self-awareness. Despite meditating daily and standing on stages as a leadership expert, he hit a wall and discovered that what he was missing wasn’t knowledge, but deep inner honesty.
Approval, Image, and the Power of Letting Go
One of the most striking moments comes when Michael recalls a powerful exercise with Enneagram expert Russ Hudson. After drawing a beautiful picture, Michael was told to destroy it. In his resistance, he uncovered something profound.
“It’s not really about excellence,” Russ told him. “You want to be seen to be excellent. What you’re really after is love and approval.”
That realisation unravelled decades of perfectionism and revealed a core wound: the belief that he wasn’t enough without achievements.
Michael now helps leaders explore this very dynamic, the ways unconscious approval-seeking shapes decisions, team dynamics, and even entire company cultures. And how breaking that pattern frees us to lead from a place of integrity, not fear.
What that journey looks like in practice:
- Learning to speak honestly, even when it feels risky
- Letting go of image management, even in leadership roles
- Choosing inner alignment over external applause
And yes, it’s hard. Michael admits it took months to truly process what he’d discovered. But the reward? A quieter, steadier confidence, one that doesn’t depend on impressing anyone.
Growth Never Ends
Michael ends the episode by stressing that growth isn’t a destination. It’s a lifelong process, and leaders who embrace this truth find deeper meaning not only in their work, but in their lives.
He shares a recent insight about how he unconsciously takes responsibility for the emotions of others, sometimes becoming overly accommodating. Even after decades in this field, he’s still uncovering new patterns. And that’s exactly the point.
“If you ever meet an awareness teacher or a psychologist who says, I’m perfect. I’ve got all my stuff together, run a mile.”
This show is for the leaders who want to keep growing. Who wants to show up more honestly at work and at home? Those who believe leadership is about more than performance; it’s about becoming a better human being.
Final Thoughts
The Secret Life of Great Leaders isn’t a podcast about quick wins or silver-bullet strategies. It’s about the inner terrain leaders must navigate to grow into their full potential. Vulnerability, emotional intelligence, and self-reflection aren’t soft skills here; they’re the bedrock of meaningful leadership.
Michael’s mission? To make that inner process visible, logical, and actionable, so leaders everywhere can do the deep work that transforms not only careers but also lives.
Michael’s Background
Michael Bunting is a keynote speaker, lifelong beginner, best-selling author, and the Founder of TripleGoal, a globally recognised expert in leadership development, adult development, and cultural transformation with over two decades of experience. As an author who has collaborated with Kouzes and Posner on leadership research and a trained psychotherapist, Michael combines Eastern and Western philosophical approaches to personal growth and organisational change. He specialises in helping leaders bridge the gap between stated values and actual behaviours, drawing from his extensive work with thousands of leaders worldwide and his own transformational journey.
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