Amanda Wallace
Making the Complex Simple for Real Transformation with Amanda Wallace Ep 268 - The Global Discussion
Simon Hodgkins catches up with Amanda Wallace on this episode of The Global Discussion. As Director of CDH Consultants Ltd, Amanda brings two decades of executive experience, combining a deep understanding of people with the complex realities of business transformation.
From Frustration to Foundation
Amanda founded CDH Consultants after years of observing one consistent pattern in large-scale projects: strategies often failed not because they were wrong, but because people were overlooked. “If transformation doesn’t succeed, it’s rarely the strategy,” she explained. “It’s the human side that hasn’t been thought through enough.”
Her company’s philosophy is simple but powerful: blend people and profit. Sustainable transformation only happens when both are aligned.
Rethinking “Politics” in the Workplace
Amanda challenged a familiar idea that many leaders hold: “I don’t get involved in politics.” Her perspective reframes it completely. “It’s not politics. It’s stakeholder management,” she said. “You have to understand motivations, relationships, and context if you want to influence change.”
That shift in thinking reflects her wider approach, taking what feels messy or complex in leadership and translating it into something actionable and human.
Why Speed Can Be the Enemy of Success
Amanda pointed out one of the most prominent mistakes organizations make in transformation: moving too fast. “You can feel the rush around AI and digital change,” she said. “But if you don’t pause to align leadership and define the ‘why,’ resistance will show up quickly.”
Her advice to executives: slow down before you speed up. Clarify purpose, understand your starting point, and take resistance seriously. Misalignment at the top, she noted, is one of the surest ways to derail progress.
The Power of Simplicity
One of Amanda’s standout lines from the episode captured her philosophy perfectly: “Making complex things simple.”
It’s the kind of clarity she helps leadership teams achieve through her consulting work. “If you can’t explain where you’re going and why in simple, clean terms, you’re not ready,” she said. “Complexity kills momentum. Simplicity creates it.”
Trust, Clarity, and Early Involvement
Amanda emphasized three essential ingredients for successful change: trust, clarity, and inclusion.
Trust: Create a safe environment where leaders can be honest about what they don’t know.
Clarity: Align on purpose and communicate it in straightforward language.
Inclusion: Bring people into the process early. Identify influencers within the organization who may not hold senior titles but have a strong cultural influence.
“Those are the people who can make or break a transformation,” she explained. “They’re the energy behind the success.”
Change as Loss
One of Amanda’s most insightful points was about resistance. “Change is loss,” she said. “You’re asking people to let go of something familiar, so of course they’ll resist. When you view resistance as loss rather than defiance, you respond with empathy instead of frustration.”
Leading in Complexity
For senior leaders balancing multiple demands, Amanda offered practical advice: stop chasing perfection.
“Some parts of your organization will be strong, others will lag,” she said. “Your job is to know where to step in and where to get out of the way.”
The best leaders, she believes, master the art of balance, removing barriers when needed and trusting teams to deliver when they can.
Looking Ahead
When asked about the future, Amanda spoke about the potential of technology to reshape leadership. She sees AI not as a magic solution, but as a tool that can enhance decision-making. “AI can help us lead with real data,” she said. “It can reveal what people are actually feeling and thinking in the organization, not just what the loudest voices are saying.”
That, she believes, will make leadership both more transparent and more human.
Amanda Wallace’s conversation with Simon Hodgkins was a reminder that transformation is less about technology or frameworks and more about people, clarity, and trust. Whether she’s advising executive teams or helping organizations navigate change, her approach stays grounded in real-world experience and empathy.
Or, as she put it best: “If you can make the complex simple, you can bring everyone with you.”
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