Risk Culture and Decision-Making: Leadership Lessons for Chief Risk Officers and Boards with Leroy Roberts

In this episode of RiskMasters, I speak with Leroy Roberts, founder of Team-Worth Solutions and a leadership and risk advisor specialising in risk culture, conduct risk, and decision-making in high-pressure environments.With more than 19 years of frontline leadership experience across the British Army, the Jamaica Constabulary Force, and board-level advisory roles, Leroy brings a practical perspective on how risk management frameworks, leadership behaviour, and culture interact to shape outcomes.This conversation focuses on a critical but often overlooked reality: risk culture is not a values exercise. It is a control mechanism that directly influences risk decision-making and operational risk outcomes.🎯 What You Will LearnHow risk culture influences decision-making at every level of the organisationWhy operational risk often builds through behavioural drift, not isolated eventsHow chief risk officers and board directors can identify early warning signalsWhy silence and hesitation are indicators of weakening risk controlHow “decision drag” impacts risk management effectiveness and executionPractical ways to strengthen leadership accountability and governance discipline⏱️ Episode Highlights02:30 – Risk decision-making under pressure and leadership accountabilityHow leaders behave when decisions carry consequence, and why accountability often weakens under stress.06:45 – The role of risk culture in operational risk outcomesWhy culture acts as a control mechanism shaping how risks are identified, escalated, and managed.12:10 – Early warning signals in risk management systemsHow behavioural drift, hesitation, and delayed escalation signal weakening control before incidents emerge.21:30 – How boards can improve oversight of risk culture and conduct riskWhat boards should actually look for, moving from narrative to evidence-based oversight.30:15 – Strengthening governance through clear ownership and escalation disciplineWhy clarity of ownership and decision rights is the most direct lever to restore control and execution pace.🧠 Key Insight“Risk culture determines whether issues are surfaced early or allowed to accumulate. It is a control mechanism embedded in how decisions are made.”👤 About Leroy RobertsLeroy Roberts is the founder of Team-Worth Solutions, specialising in risk culture, leadership, and conduct risk.He advises organisations on strengthening risk management, decision-making, and governance frameworks, helping leaders identify and act on early signals before risks escalate into incidents.Find Leroy on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/leroy-roberts-leadershipconsultant/Learn more about the Culture and conduct scorecard mentioned during the episode: https://forms.gle/xf2RmgTsYGP57KJf7Learn more about Leroy’s book The Risk Owner’s Reset: A 90-Day Culture & Conduct Operating System for Executive Leaders Under Scrutiny 📝 Related Resources·  Psychological Safety in Risk Leadership: The silent foundation of trust, culture, and challengeExplores how psychological safety directly impacts risk culture, decision-making, and escalation behaviour.·  From Approval to Impact: Repositioning Risk Appetite as a Board ToolHow board directors and chief risk officers can align risk appetite with decision-making and governance outcomes.·  What Would Change if Risk Identification Was Treated as a Strategic Advantage?Reframing risk management as a forward-looking capability that strengthens leadership and strategic execution.·  Strategic Uncertainty Governance: Who Owns Strategic Uncertainty?Clarifies ownership and accountability in risk decision-making under uncertainty.·  Risk Capacity: The Hidden Constraint Behind Strategy and GovernanceHow operational risk, capacity, and leadership decisions interact to shape strategic limits. 🎓 Download your CPD certificate:The CPD Group – Accreditation #501145