Risk Rebel Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to common questions about Unearth’s Risk Rebel Leadership Pathway. Learn who it’s for, how it works, and what results you can expect.
1. The Big Why
Why does this program exist, and what makes it different?
Most programs hand you a map and say, “Follow the route.”
The Risk Rebel Pathway hands you a compass and teaches you how to navigate — especially when the terrain gets challenging, uncertain, or even confronting. Because leadership isn’t about walking someone else’s path, it’s about having the clarity, courage, and conviction to chart your own.
For many leaders, it feels like a veil has been lifted: suddenly you’re seeing the world through a sharper lens — spotting risks and opportunities that others miss.
And when you shift your mindset, you transform not just how you lead, but how you engage with risk and opportunity — and how you inspire others to follow.
Here’s the Risk Rebel truth: Compliance is mostly a rearview mirror exercise. It’s become more about covering backs and proving you’ve met the minimum standard. Necessary? Yes. Transformative? No.
Compliance tells you where you’ve been, not where you’re going. It doesn’t mean you truly understand your organisation’s risk profile. And when compliance becomes too burdensome, it often creates risks of its own—distracting leaders, fostering fear, and diverting focus away from what truly matters.
Risk management, on the other hand, is about looking forward. It’s not just about limiting damage—it’s about unlocking opportunity. Every risk carries the seed of possibility. When you adopt a people-centred approach, you don’t just prevent problems—you fuel innovation, growth, and resilience.
So no—risk is not “just compliance.” Done right, it’s the difference between playing small and protecting your backside… or leading boldly, protecting your people, and seizing opportunities others never saw coming.
We understand that every organisation defines value differently — and it’s not our place to decide how you measure it. What we do know is that the costs of misalignment are real and manifest every day. Disengaged people, project overruns, lost opportunities, reputational hits, and a never-ending compliance checklist that often creates more risk than it resolves.
That’s why our work matters. We don’t sell box-ticking exercises or generic programs. We address the very symptoms you’re already feeling — the friction, the fatigue, the gaps between what’s promised and what’s lived inside your organisation. We bring clarity, alignment, and a people-centred approach that transforms risk into a strategic advantage.
So, are we worth it? If you want to keep fighting symptoms, we’re not for you. If you want to get to the heart of the matter, protect what makes your organisation unique, and unlock your people’s potential — then the answer is yes. Absolutely!
That’s great. Other programs often give you valuable knowledge, frameworks, and skills. But here’s the Risk Rebel truth: knowledge alone doesn’t transform leadership.
The Risk Rebel Leadership Pathway isn’t more of the same. It’s the upgrade that makes everything else work harder. It’s the missing lens, the mindset shift, and the accountability layer that turns what you already know into something alive, practical, and powerful.
Step 1 lays the foundation — pulling back the veil so you see risk and opportunity through a people-centred lens. Steps 2 and 3 are where leaders roll up their sleeves, put that clarity into action, and prove it through execution. This is where accountability takes centre stage and results become real. Leaders start tackling the “too hard basket” challenges with confidence, unearthing opportunities others avoid, and moving from talking about change to truly leading it.
Other programs fill your toolbox. The Risk Rebel Pathway hands you the compass, sharpens your edge, and dares you to use it. Not by title, but by action. Not in theory, but in transformation.
Because it’s earned, not claimed.
Proven in the Arena
This Pathway isn’t theory. It’s built on decades of leadership and risk consulting across government, enterprise, and high-stakes environments — where outcomes mattered and accountability was non-negotiable.
Respected Voice
Lisa Sisson, Founder of Unearth and the Risk Rebel movement, is recognised globally for pioneering a people-centred approach to risk and leadership. She’s the author of the best-selling book Risk Starts and Ends with People, a university guest lecturer shaping the next generation of leaders, and a regular voice in media, blogs, and podcasts that challenge the way leaders think about risk.
Proprietary Power
The PROTECT Framework and S4R model are exclusive to Unearth. No other program offers them. They’re not theories from a classroom — they’re tools refined in the real world, where stakes are high, now available to you.
Lived, Not Just Taught
Every article, podcast, and keynote Lisa has openly shared over the years reflects the same principles leaders experience in this Pathway. This openness is intentional: so leaders know precisely what they’re stepping into — a safe zone built for courage, clarity, and growth. Nothing here is for show — it’s lived and designed to create accountability with impact.
In short: the credibility is clear. The choice is yours — to stay where you are, or to take the Risk Rebel step forward and turn leadership into your edge.
The Risk Rebel Leadership Pathway isn’t for everyone — and that’s the point.
It’s designed for leaders who feel the weight of complexity but refuse to settle for ticking boxes. Leaders who sense there’s more beneath the surface: hidden risks, unseen opportunities, and a bigger legacy waiting to be unearthed.
If that call resonates, this is your pathway. We’ll walk beside you with tools, frameworks, and support — but the choice, the effort, and the transformation will always belong to you.
If it doesn’t resonate? That’s okay. Real leaders own their path. And if this isn’t yours, then find the one that is — because playing small isn’t leadership, and you deserve more than that.
This is not a pitch. It’s an invitation: to lead differently, to see differently, and to step into a future only Risk Rebels dare to claim.
2. Who It’s For
Who benefits from the program, and how does it adapt to different levels?
Leading from the top means facing the challenges others avoid—culture cracks, hidden risks, silent disengagement. The Risk Rebel Pathway equips you to step into the shadows with clarity and courage, unearth the treasure buried there, and turn it into a legacy of resilience and opportunity. This pathway cuts through the noise to align your organisation’s identity, systems, and people—so you lead strategically with confidence, instead of firefighting.
That’s a fair question. Every organisation has a mix of mindsets—some ready for change, others more cautious. That’s why the Risk Rebel Leadership Pathway is designed to meet people where they are, rather than expecting them to instantly “get it.”
Step 1 (Protect the House)
We work directly with senior leaders to build the foundation—shifting mindset, creating clarity, and setting expectations that ripple outwards.
Step 2 (Risk Rebel Results)
We bring managers into the fold through targeted one-on-one and group sessions. These are practical, relatable, and built to connect the dots between leadership intent and daily reality.
Step 3 (Risk Rebel Mastery Fellowship)
By this stage, leaders and managers are not only getting it—they’re living it, mentoring others, and embedding it into the culture.
What that really means is: we don’t just deliver concepts and leave you hoping they’ll land. We walk alongside your managers and teams, making sure the message translates into action and accountability. This pathway isn’t about compliance—it’s about building confidence, alignment, and ownership across every layer of leadership.
At its core, the Pathway is about your story—your people, your challenges, your opportunities. We’re here to ensure your managers and teams not only understand it, but also own it.
After completing all three steps of the Risk Rebel Leadership Pathway, you won’t just know yourself better as a leader — you’ll have clarity that cuts through the noise.
You’ll feel not only prepared but energised to tackle the significant challenges, the ones most leave in the “too hard basket,” because you’ll see that’s where the real difference is made.
You’ll be looking through a new and improved lens, with the confidence to step into any arena or challenge. In fact, you’ll seek out the hard stuff — because you’ll finally feel equipped to take it on and deliver impact that matters.
And most importantly, you’ll understand the true power and effectiveness of your people.
Because, as Unearth’s Founder, Lisa Sisson, always says:
“It is only by focusing on risk with and through your people that you are going to truly solve your organisational risk exposure and drive transformational change.” – Lisa Sisson
That’s common. Step 1 has two streams — a mixed-level leadership version and an executive version. Steps 2 and 3 naturally adapt through their blend of one-on-one and group work, ensuring every leader is stretched at the right level.
For leaders at any stage (team leaders, managers, functional heads, or those aspiring to leadership):
The Risk Rebel Leadership Pathway is designed to meet you where you are. Whether you’re stepping into leadership for the first time or already managing teams, it equips you with the mindset, tools, and confidence to see risk differently. You’ll learn to:
- Lead with clarity instead of firefighting.
- Spot risks and opportunities others miss.
- Create safe-to-succeed environments where your people thrive.
Put simply: this Pathway gives you the missing piece that makes leadership feel less about surviving systems, and more about shaping outcomes.
For senior executives and board-level leaders (executive version):
At the top, the stakes — and the accountability — are most significant. Strategic decisions made in the boardroom ripple through every layer of the organisation. The Risk Rebel Executive stream is tailored for those carrying that responsibility. It challenges and equips you to:
- Navigate complexity with clarity and conviction.
- Align systems, people, and culture to your organisation’s true identity.
- Transform risk from a compliance burden into a strategic advantage.
- Hold accountability with courage — protecting your people, your organisation, and its future.
- Leave a legacy of resilience, trust, and impact.
The higher you lead, the more essential it becomes to see risk through the right lens. This program ensures you’re not just “managing” risk — you’re mastering it at the level where it matters most, where accountability truly lives.
3. Program Structure & Delivery
How the pathway works, and how it can be delivered.
The Risk Rebel Leadership Pathway is built in three powerful steps, each designed to take leaders beyond traditional compliance thinking and into a new way of leading. Think of it as evolving through versions of risk management—moving from Risk Management 2.0(reactive, tick-the-box) toward Risk Management 7.0 (people-centred, strategic, and transformative).
Step 1 – PROTECT The House (Foundations)
The entry point into the pathway. This can be experienced as either a 9-week program or a 2-day intensive workshop. To ensure it resonates across different leadership levels, Step 1 is offered in two tailored versions: a mixed-level leadership program (ideal for managers and team leaders) and an executive versionfor senior leaders. This is where the shift begins—leaders move from box-ticking to recognising that risk starts and ends with people. It introduces the PROTECT framework and S4R tool.
Step 2 – Risk Rebel Results (Application & Acceleration)
Leaders build skills, confidence, and accountability by applying tools like PROTECT and S4R to real-world challenges. Through a blend of one-on-one coaching and group learning, leaders accelerate results—aligning risk, culture, and performance in a way that’s visible and measurable.
Step 3 – Risk Rebel Mastery Fellowship (Execution & Legacy)
The highest level of leadership alignment and accountability. Leaders don’t just “know” the tools—they live them. This stage is about execution, influence, and legacy. Leaders become true Risk Rebels, mentoring others, creating safe-to-succeed environments, and embedding people-centred risk leadership into the DNA of their organisation. Delivered through a potent mix of one-on-one mentoring and peer sessions, this is where mastery takes hold.
By the end, participants don’t just manage risk—they master it, lead through it, and transform it into their leadership superpower.
Step 1: PROTECT. The House can be experienced in two ways, depending on what works best for your leadership team:
- 9-Week Program → Short, high-impact weekly sessions (remote) designed to integrate learning into your leadership rhythm without overwhelming your schedule.
- 2-Day Intensive Workshop → A focused deep-dive (in-person or online) that creates rapid clarity and momentum in a condensed timeframe.
Both formats introduce the PROTECT Framework and S4R tool while reshaping your relationship with risk — so whether you prefer steady immersion or a fast reset, the outcomes are the same.
Yes. The complete Pathway can be delivered online, making it accessible no matter where your leaders are located. Remote delivery works exceptionally well for distributed or global teams.
For organisations that value in-person connection, we also deliver the PROTECT The House 2-Day Intensive Workshop onsite. In-person sessions create powerful shared experiences, but they typically require additional coordination and overhead.
The key is flexibility — the Pathway is designed to work with your world, not against it.
It’s a mix — because leadership growth happens in both spaces.
- Step 1, “Protect the House,” can be run for groups (mixed-level leadership or executives) or tailored for one-on-one use.
- Step 2, Risk Rebel Results, and Step 3, Risk Rebel Mastery Fellowship, intentionally combine one-on-one coaching with small-group sessions to provide a comprehensive approach. This ensures leaders develop personal clarity and collective alignment.
That balance means your leaders don’t just learn concepts — they apply them in their own roles while building shared accountability across the team.
Wherever your leadership needs it most.
- In-house → At your offices, creating immersion without your team having to travel.
- Remote → Online delivery, flexible for busy schedules or dispersed teams.
- Offsite (in-person workshops) → For teams who benefit from stepping outside their usual environment to focus, reset, and realign.
Yes. The Risk Rebel Leadership Pathway can be delivered anywhere in the world.
- Remote delivery → Works seamlessly across locations and time zones, making it accessible for global teams and leaders.
- In-person delivery → Possible for organisations wanting deeper immersion, whether onsite or offsite, but requires additional planning to align schedules, travel, and logistics.
In short: location isn’t a barrier. If you’re ready to create impact, we’ll work with you to make it happen — wherever your leaders are.
4. Time & Commitment
How long does it take, and will it fit into our schedule?
I hear you — time is the one thing you can’t buy back. That’s why the Risk Rebel Leadership Pathway is built with flexibility and focus at its core.
Step 1: PROTECT The House
- Option A: A 9-week program with short, high-impact weekly sessions (plus tools you can apply immediately in your role).
- Option B: A 2-day immersive workshop for those who prefer to consolidate quickly.
- Available in mixed-level leadership groups or a dedicated executive version.
Step 2: Risk Rebel Results (3Rs)
- A mix of one-on-one coaching and small group sessions designed to embed skills without overwhelming schedules.
- Think of it as bite-sized breakthroughs that fit into your world, not bolt-ons.
Step 3: Risk Rebel Mastery Fellowship (RRMF)
- A leadership fellowship-style program with tailored one-on-ones, peer groups, and masterclasses.
- Built to align with your real challenges so you’re not “adding extra work” — you’re transforming how you lead while you lead.
The truth? This isn’t about giving you more to do. It’s about reframing how you lead, so the time you’re already investing in leadership delivers greater clarity, confidence, and results.
Because when you shift from firefighting to foresight, you don’t just get time back — you gain energy, focus, and strategic advantage.
“Each step of the Risk Rebel Leadership Pathway is designed to work with you, not against you. This is your story, your leadership journey. We simply walk alongside — offering the tools, perspective, and support that let you lead with clarity, courage, and confidence.”
Steps 2 and 3 are designed to integrate into real leadership work:
- Step 2: Risk Rebel Results → Blends one-on-one coaching and small group sessions. Think of it as bite-sized breakthroughs that fit into your world without being a bolt-on.
- Step 3: Risk Rebel Mastery Fellowship → Fellowship-style with one-on-one mentoring, peer groups, and masterclasses. Built around your live challenges — so you’re not “adding extra work,” you’re transforming how you lead while you lead.
The entry point into the Risk Rebel Leadership Pathway is always Step 1: PROTECT The House — delivered in different formats depending on what works best for your leaders.
Step 1 for Organisations and Teams
- 2-Day Workshop (in-house or offsite) → Dates are set in collaboration with you, aligned to your leadership calendar.
- 9-Week Program (remote) → A tailored weekly series, designed to fit into your team’s rhythm.
Step 1 for Individuals
- Open Group Programs → Mixed-level programs run twice a year, in a public format.
- Executive Version → Senior-leader-only stream, also run twice a year.
Step 1 for One-on-One
- Leaders can experience the full program individually, with timing and progression customised.
In short: Step 1 can be entered through open scheduled programs (run twice yearly) or through tailored delivery for your team or one-on-one.
Results show up as quickly as you lean in.
- Step 1 (PROTECT The House) creates immediate clarity. Leaders often notice blind spots closing, sharper conversations, and a shift in perspective within the first few weeks — or even days in the 2-day format.
- Step 2 (Risk Rebel Results) embeds accountability and practice. This is where results become visible in culture, performance, and decision-making, as leaders move from seeing differently to acting differently.
- Step 3 (Risk Rebel Mastery Fellowship) hardwires transformation. By this stage, leaders aren’t just shifting their own behaviour — they’re mentoring others, building safe-to-succeed environments, and embedding resilience into the organisation’s DNA.
Think of it this way: clarity comes quickly, momentum builds with practice, and mastery shapes the long game.
But here’s the Risk Rebel truth: this isn’t a cookie-cutter program. Outcomes are as individual as the leaders who step in — shaped by their skills, courage, and willingness to embrace the process. What we provide is the lens, the tools, and the support to elevate what you already know into a sharper, more powerful leadership edge.
When you fully engage, results come fast. When you stay the course, they last.
5. Results & Impact
What outcomes can be expected, and how are they measured?
You can expect more than surface-level improvements—you’ll see a transformation in mindset, behaviour, and leadership outcomes.
At Step 1: PROTECT The House, leaders and teams develop a shared language and framework for risk, identity, and alignment that elevates—rather than competes with—what you already do. The result is sharper clarity, stronger engagement, and fewer blind spots.
At Step 2: Risk Rebel Results, leaders develop the skills, habits, and accountability necessary to transform clarity into momentum. This is where action takes centre stage, and results become visible in performance, culture, and decision-making.
By Step 3, the Risk Rebel Mastery Fellowship leaders are no longer just participants—they become Risk Rebels, not by title, but by execution. They embody people-centred risk leadership in the way they act, decide, and lead. They grow into future leaders who mentor others, share knowledge, and create safe-to-succeed environments where resilience and innovation thrive.
What this really means is that the results are not temporary fixes, but a sustainable shift—building organisations that are more engaged, more resilient, and more future-ready.
Outcomes aren’t handed to you — you own them.
The Risk Rebel Leadership Pathway provides you with the frameworks, tools, and lens to view risk, leadership, and opportunity in a new light. Once you’ve seen it, you can’t unsee it. The potential is always there. But the results depend on your courage, accountability, and the effort you’re willing to invest.
At Step 1 (Foundations), you’ll notice clarity rising, blind spots diminishing, and a new shared language for leadership emerging.
At Step 2 (Application), accountability grows — results become visible in culture, performance, and decision-making. Leaders start leaning into the “too hard basket” because they see it for what it is: a space where the most significant opportunities hide.
At Step 3 (Mastery), accountability and courage go hand in hand. Leaders become Risk Rebels not by title, but by execution. They mentor others, create safe-to-succeed environments, and shape transformation that lasts.
Practically, this translates to fewer blind spots, stronger decisions under pressure, improved engagement, cultural resilience, and, in many cases, enhanced performance as a byproduct. Leaders tell us the fundamental shift isn’t just in numbers — it’s in how their people show up day-to-day: more engaged, more confident, and more willing to step into the arena.
In other words, outcomes are measured in transformation. And while the tools are powerful, it’s courage and accountability that turn them into lasting results.
6. Customisation & Scalability
Can this be adapted for our needs and team structure?
We tailor it to fit. Some organisations prefer a small group of senior leaders; others open Step 1 to broader leadership levels. Smaller groups foster greater intimacy and individual focus, while larger sessions promote shared alignment.
Yes. While the frameworks (PROTECT + S4R) are universal, the application is always tailored to your organisation’s identity, culture, and challenges. This ensures leaders don’t just learn theory — they apply it directly to their context.
That’s built into the design. The Pathway doesn’t force leaders to “drink the Kool-Aid” — it meets them where they are. By the end of Step 1, even sceptics usually start to see risk through a sharper lens, because it’s practical, people-centred, and makes their jobs easier, not harder.
If you’re unsure whether this program is the right fit, let’s have a conversation to discuss further. We’re not here to be all things to all people. But we do know that our approach to risk management is often the missing piece for many leaders, managers, and executives — a perspective that turns risk into their leadership superpower.
Ultimately, it is their decision. Our role is to walk alongside, providing tools, frameworks, and support that elevate what leaders already do. The choice to step into the Pathway is theirs — and when they do, the results can be transformational.
7. Cost & Investment
What does it cost, and what drives the price?
The investment depends on the format — whether you choose a 9-week program or a 2-day intensive, whether it’s delivered remotely or in-person, and whether it’s run for a group or tailored one-on-one.
In-person delivery often carries additional overheads (venues, travel), but the impact of face-to-face immersion can be significant.
Remote delivery keeps costs lean and flexible, and is often the most practical option — mainly for leaders spread across locations.
Leaders can also enrol individually into a mixed-group program. These are typically run online for practicality, though from time to time there may be opportunities for in-person delivery, which we’ll advise as they arise.
In short: there’s no one-size-fits-all — the structure is flexible to suit your context, your people, and your goals.
Contact Us to Learn More
Let’s start building the next generation of leaders. Together, we’ll unlock the full potential of your leadership team and create a legacy worth leading.