How to build and elite leadership culture [part 2] with special guests Troy E. Black and John Neyer
In Part 2 of Episode 40 of The 11th Thing Podcast, host Paul Aladenika continues the conversation with retired Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Troy E. Black and executive coach, leadership consultant, speaker and Senior Vice President at Decision Reflex John Neyer to explore the hidden cultural dynamics that shape elite organisations.
The discussion examines why leaders can become isolated from honest feedback, how cultures of silence and compliance emerge, and why organisations often stop challenging poor decisions. The episode also explores what truly creates belonging, trust, loyalty, and resilience within teams; beyond branding, slogans, and corporate messaging.
Paul, Troy, and John also tackle one of leadership’s toughest questions: are organisations hiring for genuine competence or simply for comfort and familiarity? Drawing from military, executive, and organisational leadership experience, the conversation unpacks the importance of standards, fairness, diversity of thought, accountability, and the courage to challenge groupthink in high-performance cultures.
