Why We Don’t Do What We Say We’ll Do?
In this episode of Tiny Shifts, Andrew Nunn shares the core ideas behind his leadership keynote speech Mind the Gap, exploring why even high-performing leaders struggle to follow through on their intentions.
As a leadership speaker in Australia, Andrew works with organisations across industries and sees this challenge consistently—leaders know what to do, but in the moment, behaviour doesn’t always align.
Andrew explores the real reasons behind this gap between intention and action, and why insight alone isn’t enough to create meaningful behaviour change.
We know what we need to do… why do we still struggle to do it?
This episode breaks down the hidden gap between intention and action. Andrew explains how behaviour is often driven not by logic or knowledge, but by the stories we tell ourselves, our desire for psychological safety, and the brain’s instinct to avoid discomfort.
Drawing from his experience as a keynote speaker and leadership expert in Australia, Andrew shares practical insights into why leaders hesitate, avoid difficult conversations, or fall back into привыч patterns—even when they know better.
Using examples from performance psychology, cognitive bias research, and real-world leadership situations, Andrew unpacks how these patterns show up in day-to-day leadership and communication.Key topics covered
Leadership mindset
Behaviour change
Cognitive dissonance
Stress beliefs
Performance psychology
Identity and self-story
Bias and decision-making
Public speaking anxiety
Communication under pressure
The GO Method
Personal growth
Mindset shifts for leaders
The Go Method: A practical framework for behaviour change
Andrew also introduces a practical framework from his keynote Mind the Gap—designed to help leaders move from awareness to action.
Rather than focusing on more knowledge, this approach focuses on:
Recognising the moment where behaviour breaks down
Understanding internal triggers and patterns
Taking small, deliberate actions under pressure
This is particularly relevant for leaders looking to improve communication, decision-making, and performance in high-stakes environments.
What you’ll learn in this episode
Why people often fail to follow through—even when they know what to do
How leadership performance is shaped by behaviour, not intention
What cognitive dissonance is and why it matters for leaders
How the brain uses bias and shortcuts to conserve energy
Why better decisions don’t always lead to better outcomes
A practical approach to handling performance anxiety when speaking or presenting
How to reframe pressure as preparation rather than threat
A simple framework to help leaders move from awareness to action
Key topics covered
Leadership mindset
Behaviour change
Cognitive dissonance
Performance psychology
Identity and self-story
Bias and decision-making
Public speaking anxiety
Communication under pressure
The Go Method
Personal growth and leadership development
Why this matters for leaders
For many organisations, the biggest challenge isn’t capability—it’s execution.
As a leadership keynote speaker in Australia, Andrew works with teams to close the gap between knowing and doing. This episode highlights why that gap exists and what leaders can do to bridge it in real, practical ways.
Whether you’re leading a team, presenting to stakeholders, or navigating uncertainty, your ability to act in the moment matters more than your intentions.
Timestamps
00:00 – Welcome back to Tiny Shifts
00:30 – Becoming a father and a major life perspective shift
01:45 – Why this episode matters and the question behind Andrew’s keynote
02:10 – Why do we know what to do but still fail to do it?
03:35 – Introducing the idea of “Mind the Gap”
04:20 – The role of magic, perception and audience reactions
05:20 – Cognitive dissonance and why discomfort matters
06:40 – The three things inside the gap: stories, safety and bias
07:05 – How identity stories shape behaviour
08:10 – Anxiety, ADHD and the danger of over-identifying with labels
09:20 – Why changing your story can change your experience
09:45 – Safety, resistance and fear of discomfort
10:25 – Steven Pressfield and the idea of resistance
10:50 – Stress research and why beliefs about stress matter
12:35 – Performance anxiety and the problem with trying to stay calm
13:05 – A better way to reframe fear before speaking
14:10 – Difficult conversations, meetings and internal stories
15:00 – Why this is not about denial or fake confidence
16:00 – How the brain uses shortcuts to protect you
17:00 – Biases, heuristics and the illusion that we are objective
18:10 – Why smart people are often better at rationalising bias
19:20 – Making hidden bias visible through live audience experience
20:00 – Why change is so difficult in daily life
20:20 – Daniel Kahneman and automatic thinking
20:50 – Introducing the GO Method
21:10 – G = Ground yourself
21:30 – Procrastination, avoidance and the stories we tell ourselves
22:00 – Time, mortality and Oliver Burkeman’s 4,000 Weeks
23:00 – Why fear often increases when something matters
23:35 – O = Override
24:20 – Pattern interrupts and the role they play in behaviour change
25:00 – Using identity and language to break old habits
26:00 – Applying the GO Method to health, leadership and everyday decisions
26:45 – Final reflections on the keynote, the podcast and the book Andrew is writing
28:15 – Subscribe, share and what’s coming next
Related insights
You may also want to explore:
Home – www.andrewnunn.com
Mind the Gap keynote – Link
Speaking and contact enquiries – Link
LinkedIn – Link
Social and Podcast links
Instagram: andythementalist
Tiny Shifts Podcast: Why can’t we do the things we say we are going to do?
