In this episode of Leadership That Sells, I sit down with Torben Nurby, former Danish military recon captain, leadership expert, and author of The Contextual Leader. We dive into the crucial difference between situational and contextual leadership—why understanding the broader business environment is the key to leading effectively. Torben shares his insights on how to diagnose before acting, shape organizational culture for success, and align leadership approaches to different business challenges. If you want to stop leading with a one-size-fits-all playbook and start making a real impact, this episode is for you.
How to lead effectively in different contexts:
- Understand that context sustains performance—it’s not just about reacting to daily situations.
- Before making changes, assess the external complexity and align internal structures accordingly.
- Set the right guardrails—structure teams, decision-making, and processes to enable the desired behaviors.
- Adapt leadership styles to match the organization’s stage—a turnaround requires different leadership than a high-growth startup.
- Identify and leverage subcultures to drive performance instead of seeing them as obstacles.
- Diagnose first—prescription without diagnosis is malpractice in leadership too.
Timeline summary:
[01:15] - Torben’s journey from military recon to leadership consultancy and authorship. [06:45] - What is contextual leadership, and why does it matter more than situational leadership? [12:20] - A real-world example: How one leader turned around a struggling furniture company by reshaping its context. [19:30] - The role of subcultures in performance—how to harness them instead of fighting them. [25:10] - Why great leaders don’t come in with pre-set solutions but instead analyze first. [31:00] - Universal leadership traits: Authenticity, relationships, and adaptability.
Links & resources:
- The Contextual Leader by Torben Nurby
Enjoyed this episode? If you found value in this conversation, please rate, follow, and share the podcast with fellow leaders. Your support helps us continue bringing expert insights to help you lead first and sell more!
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.