Glenn Smith interviews Charlie Fleet

For 15 years, Charlie Fleet was told he was broken, unfocused, and unlikely to succeed. He was seen as the sort of person who needed to ‘fix’ himself to fit in. But the reality was that he was thriving—getting promoted, taking on more significant challenges, and ultimately realising that his so-called ‘flaws’ were his greatest strengths.

In this episode, Charlie shares his unconventional path to becoming a transformation leader—explaining why being different is an asset, how he learned to identify opportunities in chaos, and what it really takes to drive meaningful change within organisations. We analyse leadership blind spots, the hidden dysfunctions that hinder teams, and why transformation isn’t about large programmes, but about making small, deliberate shifts. We also explore the role of frameworks—how they can foster clarity, alignment, and accountability, as well as how they can be misapplied, weaponised, or induce a false sense of security.