Catalysts for Change
Catalysts for Change is a podcast about leaders who drive meaningful impact by balancing strategy, purpose, and action. Hosted by Adam Lister, each episode dives into the pivotal moments, values, and lessons that shape how change really happens in business, government, education, and beyond.
Catalysts for Change
Institutions, Influence, and the Long Game with David McIntosh
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David McIntosh has spent four decades at the center of the American conservative movement. First, co-founding the Federalist Society as a law student, then serving in the Reagan and Bush administrations, authoring the Congressional Review Act as a freshman congressman, and leading the Club for Growth into one of the most influential political organizations in the country.
In this conversation, Adam and David explore the principles behind building institutions that outlast their founders, the role of networks as the true currency of influence, and how to balance principle with pragmatism when the political process is designed to slow you down.
David shares hard-won lessons from a loss in the Indiana governor's race that reshaped how he leads. He opens up about navigating the tension between free market orthodoxy and modern populism, when to take half a loaf and when to walk away, and why telling the truth, even when it's inconvenient, is the foundation of every lasting relationship in politics and in life.
This episode is for anyone building something bigger than themselves and who wants to understand how ideas actually become impact.
Catalysts for Change is brought to you in part by the Southern Research Collaborative. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts or visit catalystsforchangepod.com.
Catalysts for Change is an initiative of One Twelve Strategies, brought to you in part by the Southern Research Collaborative