There’s a saying in business – those who can, do, those can’t, coach or consult. Marty Moore calls “bullshit”.

That’s not surprising. Moore calls “bullshit” a lot. In fact over the last few years, he’s carved out a business from calling out “Bullshit” .

His recently released book, “No Bullshit Leadership” has just made it onto the Wall Street Journal Bestseller list, adding further momentum to his “No Bullshit Leadership” podcast that’s already been downloaded almost two million times, in over 70 countries.

It seems business people just can’t get enough of Marty Moore’s straight talking, no bullshit approach.

The Sydney born, Sydney raised, Brisbane groomed, now Boston-based businessman has a genuine point of difference in the over-populated, under-whelming business leadership space that in recent years, has become more crowded than the Bondi Beach baths on Boxing day.

Unlike so many of the theorists and academics who proffer and pontificate, Moore wears the scars of battle. He’s been in the trenches and led people over the wall, out into the field. He’s fallen, he’s picked himself up, dusted himself off, time and time again.

His decorated 30 year corporate career, which began in IT but gradually filtered out into a whole range of different disciplines and industries, saw him rise to the top of Australian big business.

He couldn’t just bullshit his way through – he was at the helm – he had to steer the ship courageously or it would run aground.

Midway through that career journey, he moved from mining into the energy sector – that ultimately became his sweet spot. And while he enjoyed the challenges and was, by every measure successful, there was another calling ringing in his ears.

He wanted to help others grow, a more critical mass than the number he could influence running one large company at a time.

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After five years at the helm of Brisbane based electricity giant, CS Energy, Moore decided to turn his back on corporate and follow the scent of his true passion – leadership execution.

At the beckoning of his marketing and advertising trained daughter Emma, he packaged up “all his best stuff” – the longest and deepest scars of his 20 years at the top – and gave it away for free.

“That was completely counter intuitive,” Moore admitted. “I kept on questioning Emma – Darling what are we doing? This is my intellectual property! What I’ve learned over 30 years! We can’t just be farming it out for free. Why don’t we put it in a book?

“She looked at me and said – Dad, books are so 2010! We’re not going to lead off with a book – we’re going to do a podcast. Trust me, that’s the way it will work. You’ve got so much information in your head that’s incredibly valuable. People will jump on board – just watch. They’ll listen to what you have to say.” And they did.

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“So that’s how it all unfolded. And now I work for my daughter!”

Moore’s only part joking – for the past three years, the pair have been in partnership and working collaboratively, the daughter the CEO and driver of the doyen.

Of all the profound inspirational utterances that Moore might have referenced to encapsulate his thinking around leadership and his motivation for “taking the leap”, he defaulted to perhaps the least obvious source – Monty Python.

“If you’re a true Monty Python fan you’d remember the skit,” he says from Boston, where he’s now based.

“Cleese and Co. used to run a parody of the kids show called “How to do it” – how to split an atom, how to build a box girder bridge, then they got onto music – how to play the flute.

“Well, John Cleese says, You blow in this end and you move your fingers up and down the outside”.

And that was it!

“Of course that’s 100% accurate, but in true Monty Python fashion, the instruction does absolutely nothing to advance your ability to play the instrument.

“I categorised a lot of leadership talk in the Monty Python mould. It told you what to do, but not how to do it, or why it needed to be done.

“Instead, it was all about virtue signalling and desirable leadership attributes. This is how you should behave, these are the qualities you need.”

So Moore called bullshit, and with Emma’s direction, they began their leadership crusade, side by side, new world thinking and enthusiasm driving access to real-world wisdom and experience.

The decision to base himself in the States was a no brainer. Firstly, Moore’s wife Kathy is American, and secondly, the market in the US was much bigger than Australia.

The north east of the country – New York, Boston, Connecticut – was the epicentre of business leadership thinking, so he plonked himself in the middle of it and got to work.

He invested heavily, engaging the services of the best advisors, who helped him to secure one of New York’s top literary agents, eventually leading to a publishing deal which would help him showcase his talents and over time, reach the right audiences.

It’s comparatively early days, but his authentic, straight-shooting approach is gaining tremendous traction.

The heady mix of the relatable, the insightful, the practical and the applicable is resonating strongly with business people around the world, nowhere more so than in the US, where Moore is in demand as a keynote speaker and business coach.

“Don’t get me wrong – it’s not all about altruism – we are still business people and driven by making money,” he says. ‘But it comes on the back of genuinely wanting to make a difference. Income follows impact.

“I love watching the penny drop, that “aha” moment when the people you’re working with come to truly understand a specific challenge, and through your coaching and direction, now know what to do about it.”

Over his career journey, Moore has been industrious and persistent in “fertilising his own back yard”, on boarding a range of business mentors whom he’s sucked dry of their vast wisdom.

He strongly recommends having not just one mentor but a range, with skills and expertise in specialist areas, in his case for instance, industrial relations.

“IR is an area in which I’ve always struggled – I’m complete crap,” he admits. “I don’t have the patience for the shenanigans, so I rely heavily on somebody to guide me through. The direction they offer is invaluable.

“And that points to a broader issue – everybody in business – and I mean everybody, has strengths and weaknesses. Acknowledging those variances upfront is one of the first steps to becoming a strong leader.”

As further proof that everybody can – even should – have a hero, Moore has no hesitation in nominating another left field choice – one that makes Monty Python’s approach to coaching and instruction look positively benchmark.

“I just love Ricky Gervais – AKA David Brent, out of the UK version of The Office,” he says.

“David Brent is so wonderfully flawed – 98% of the time, he’s a complete mess-up. But there’s just that tiny thread of goodness that runs through his veins. He means so well. And that’s what I admire about him. His intentions are honourable. In leadership, that’s a great place to start.”

David Brent, Slough, Berkshire business icon. Nobody’s calling bullshit on that.

www.martingmoore.com