Hey, I am David McQueen
I enjoy helping my clients get clarity, judgement, and composure to be the best leader they can be.
I am an advisor to CEOs, founders, and senior executives navigating critical decisions, capital strategy, and leadership moments that carry real consequence.
This work sits at the intersection of judgement, risk, and responsibility.
What this page is for
- How I work
- How I think about leadership under pressure
- The posture behind my advisory work
- Where this perspective is most useful
- How leaders typically engage
How I work
My role is not to motivate, reassure, or provide off-the-shelf answers. It is to slow thinking at the point where speed feels seductive, surface risks that polite conversations avoid, and support decisions leaders can defend as scrutiny intensifies.
At senior levels, most challenges are not technical. They are behavioural, systemic, and existential. That is where my work is concentrated.
- Clarity before commitment
- Risk surfaced early, not late
- Decision quality over decision speed
- Trade-offs named, not avoided
- Language that makes action possible
- Composure when the room moves
Context
Governance + accountability
Alongside my advisory work, I hold directorships and governance roles across multiple organisations. It keeps my work grounded in what boards actually carry: scrutiny, fiduciary responsibility, and decisions that don’t come with perfect information.
Global operating context
I have worked with leaders across six continents, operating in varied cultural, regulatory, and economic environments. Context changes, but the consequences of poor judgement compound quickly at senior levels.
Decisions are never isolated — and leadership errors rarely stay local.
A note on decisions
Leadership is revealed less by intention and more by the quality of decisions made under pressure.
When context shifts, incentives distort, and information is incomplete, leaders are forced to rely on judgement rather than expertise alone. My work helps leaders slow thinking at exactly those moments — before second-order consequences take hold.
Chairs and non-executive directors often engage when the question is not what should we do, but what can we responsibly stand behind.
This is where experience, ethics, and accountability collide.
What shapes the work
Judgement
- Executive decision-making under pressure
- Second-order consequences and risk accumulation
- Shared criteria for “good judgement” at senior level
Systems
- Systems thinking over simple fixes
- Hidden constraints, incentives, and drift
- Culture as a strategic and financial asset
Responsibility
- Ethical leadership when trade-offs are unavoidable
- Governance realities: scrutiny and accountability
- Composure and credibility in moments that matter
MY BOOK
The BRAVE Leader
I am the author of The BRAVE Leader, which codifies much of the thinking behind my work with senior leaders — particularly around clarity under pressure, ethical courage, and leadership judgement.
The ideas introduced in the book underpin my speaking, coaching, and advisory work today, providing a shared language for leadership behaviour and decision-making.
It exists to be used — in boardrooms, leadership teams, and moments where responsibility cannot be deferred.
How leaders typically engage
Three common entry points — depending on whether you need clarity, a shift, or ongoing support.
Coaching & Advisory
For leaders navigating critical decisions, growth, or complexity — individually or with senior teams.
Explore coaching & advisory →The Premium Lounge
A private thinking environment for leaders who want continuity, perspective, and depth between decisions.
Explore the Lounge →Speaking
Strategic keynotes and leadership interventions designed to shift judgement when it matters most.
View speaking →Selected contexts: Board advisory • Executive leadership • Founder-led organisations • Scale-ups and established firms • Cross-border and multi-jurisdictional environments • Public-facing leadership roles
If you’re responsible for the room, let’s make the work worth it.
Share the context, the decision pressure, and what needs to shift. I’ll propose the simplest path forward.
Quick briefing checklist
- Role + context (CEO / founder / exec team / board)
- What’s at stake in the next 90 days
- Decision pressure points
- What must shift (clarity, alignment, action)
The clearer the stakes, the sharper the work.