From Warships to Boardrooms: Craig Sproul’s Lessons on Risk, Trust and Resilience
What does real leadership look like when everything is on the line?
In this compelling episode of Everyday People, Extraordinary Performance, we sit down with Craig Sproul, a former Naval warfare and navigation officer who now leads risk and resilience strategy in the global energy sector with Zurich Resilience Solutions.
With 16 years of military experience and a career that spans commercial shipping, ship management, and corporate leadership, Craig brings a grounded and practical view of leadership that cuts through the noise.
Whether you are a senior leader, part of a high-stakes project team, or simply navigating complexity in your day-to-day role, this episode offers real insight into what it takes to build trust, respond under pressure, and develop high-performing teams that succeed in the real world, not just on paper.
In this episode, Craig shares:
How military and corporate leadership differ, and why one is often harder than the other
What “Stop the ship” and “Turn the radar down” mean for modern leaders managing overwhelm
Why trust should be a starting point, not something people have to earn
What truly high-performing teams look like, and how to create cohesion across large, diverse groups
Why making mistakes can build more trust than avoiding them
Why listen to this episode?
This conversation is packed with practical insights for anyone interested in:
Leadership under pressure
Building trust in complex, multi-disciplinary teams
Improving performance in high-hazard or fast-changing environments
Embedding psychological safety in the workplace
Translating military precision into corporate adaptability
If you are looking for fresh thinking on leadership, resilience, and performance in today’s complex world, this is an episode worth your time.
Featured Guest
Craig Sproul, Risk and Resilience Leader, Zurich Resilience Solutions (Zurich UK)
Former Naval Officer, specialist in warfare and navigation, with experience across oil and gas, petrochemicals, mining, power generation, and renewables.
Hosted by
Natalie Byrne and Abigail Wilson
From the FidesOak® team, exploring the human side of performance.
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