
The Business Playbook
Do you ever feel like the real game at work has nothing to do with how hard you work? Do politics, power plays, and unwritten rules leave you frustrated — or stuck? And for therapists: are you trying to build a practice without ever being taught how business actually works?
Mark Bouris reveals what successful people actually do differently.
You're not alone — and it's not just them.
Most of us spend more energy navigating workplace politics than almost anything else in our careers. Here's what it typically looks like.
The politics you can't name
You feel it in every meeting, every promotion cycle, every conversation that goes nowhere. There are invisible rules — and no one's told you what they are.
The mindset holding you back
You're thinking like an employee when the game requires you to think like an owner. The rules are fundamentally different — and no one explained the shift.
The reaction you can't control
Someone pushes the wrong button and you fire back — or shut down entirely. Either way, you lose ground and credibility in moments that matter.
The gap between effort and reward
You do excellent work. You show up. And somehow, someone else gets the recognition. You know it's not just about merit — but what is it?
The conversations you avoid
The push-back you can't deliver. The boundary you can't hold. The pitch you can't make. You know what needs saying — but the words don't come.
The career that should be further along
You watch others get promoted, included, listened to — and you're left wondering what they know that you don't. The answers exist. You just haven't been shown them.
"At the end of the day when all is said and done, a lot more is said than done. Execution leads to results."
Mark Bouris AM
The problem isn't that office politics exist. They always have, and they always will. The problem is that most of us were never given the playbook — the unwritten rules that determine who rises, who stalls, and why.
So we work harder. We hope merit speaks for itself. We watch people with less talent get further — and we don't understand the mechanism.
This masterclass changes that.
Ready to learn the real playbook?
Join Mark Bouris live online for a masterclass that will change how you navigate every workplace dynamic — for good.
Tuesday 14th July 2026 · 5:00pm – 7:00pm AEST
Online · Live & Interactive
Limited places available · Exclusive to the Institute of Applied Psychology
~90 min presentation · 30 min moderated Q&A with Mark Bouris
Practical insight that works immediately.
This is not a motivational talk. It's a direct, unfiltered masterclass built on decades of real experience navigating the dynamics most business leaders never discuss publicly. Whether you're navigating a corporate boardroom, building your own business, or developing your professional toolkit, these principles travel with you everywhere you go.
- A clear understanding of the entrepreneur mindset vs the employee mindset — and why the shift matters
- The ability to recognise and navigate office politics without losing integrity
- Practical frameworks for managing emotional responses in high-stakes situations
- Insight into the habits, behaviours, and thinking patterns of high performers
- Understanding of the psychology of power, influence, perception, and informal hierarchies
- The unwritten rules of business — how credibility is built and communication wins
- A direct, unfiltered perspective from one of Australia's most experienced business leaders
- Direct answers from Mark Bouris during live moderated Q&A
What's covered
The masterclass moves through five structured chapters, each building on the one before it. The session closes with 30 minutes of live moderated Q&A direct with Mark Bouris.
The Mindset of a Business
- The entrepreneur mindset vs the employee mindset
- Introducing you to the world of business
- Responsibility, accountability, risk, and long-term thinking
- Preparing your mindset — business owner vs employee
- Aligning personal values with organisational or business values
What Do I Mean by Office Politics?
- What office politics really are (and what they are not)
- Why politics exist in every organisation and business
- What does it mean to truly adapt?
- Psychology of power, influence, perception, and informal hierarchies
- Corporate culture and values — alignment and misalignment
Managing Yourself in Political Environments
- Why not taking things personally is a critical business skill
- Managing emotional responses in high-stakes situations
- Adapting without losing integrity
- Working with politics rather than fighting them
- Maintaining professionalism under pressure
What Successful People Do Differently
- Success leaves clues: most people just aren't watching closely enough
- Habits, behaviours, and thinking patterns of high performers
- Long-term thinking; seeking discomfort; building relationships before you need them
- Discipline and self-management as competitive advantages
- The compounding effect of small daily decisions
The Unwritten Rules — Skills That Win
- Reading the room: navigating ambiguity and unspoken expectations
- Communication and rapport — the real currency of business relationships
- How you show up matters: credibility is built in small moments
Live Moderated Q&A
- 30 minutes of direct, live Q&A with Mark Bouris
- Questions can be pre-submitted prior to the masterclass
- Additional questions taken live during the session
- High-value discussion guided to keep flow and depth
Built for where you are.
The principles don't change. Only the context does. Whether you're in a corporate boardroom, building your own business, or developing your professional toolkit, the skills are the same.
Business Professionals
Navigate complex workplace dynamics with clarity. Build influence without compromising who you are — and stop spending energy on patterns that don't serve you.
Entrepreneurs & Founders
Think like a business owner. Understand the power dynamics that shape teams, partnerships, and growth — and the mindset shifts that separate those who scale from those who stall.
Therapists & Practitioners
Add business acumen and organisational insight to your clinical toolkit — especially as you build, grow, or rebuild a practice of your own.
Career Builders & Leaders
Build communication skills, leadership presence, and self-management that set you apart in any environment — whether you're climbing, pivoting, or leading.

Mark Bouris AM
Mark Bouris is one of Australia's most recognised business figures. As the founder of Wizard Home Loans and executive chairman of Yellow Brick Road, he has built, scaled, and led organisations across finance, media, and technology over more than three decades.
A long-time mentor and advisor, Mark brings decades of direct experience navigating the realities of corporate culture — the politics, the power plays, and the unwritten rules that shape every organisation. He has worked with, mentored, and watched closely some of Australia's most successful business people, and observed first-hand what separates the ones who rise from the ones who stall.
In this exclusive IAP masterclass, he shares the hard-won insights most business leaders never talk about publicly — the real dynamics that determine who succeeds, why, and what you can do about it.
Mark is known for delivery that is direct, grounded in real-world experience, and immediately useful. No fluff. No performance. Just the playbook.
Live Moderated Q&A — 30 Minutes
Questions can be pre-submitted by participants before the masterclass. Additional questions will be taken live during the session — moderated to ensure relevance, flow, and high-value discussion.
Five reasons not to wait.
- 01The politics, power plays, and unwritten rules in your workplace aren't going anywhere. The longer you operate without the playbook, the more entrenched the patterns become — and the further behind you fall.
- 02Every reactive moment has a cost — to your reputation, your credibility, and your trajectory. This masterclass gives you frameworks you can use as early as your next meeting.
- 03These skills compound. The ability to read a room, manage yourself under pressure, and navigate power dynamics — these transfer to every context in your life, and they get stronger with practice.
- 04For therapists, coaches, and practitioners: your clients are already dealing with this. Having Mark Bouris's real-world business perspective to draw from is a genuine professional advantage.
- 05Early bird pricing is limited, and places are limited too. This is a live, interactive session with moderated Q&A — not a recording. When places are gone, they're gone.
Ready to learn the real playbook?
Join Mark Bouris live online for a masterclass that will change how you navigate every workplace dynamic — for good.
Tuesday 14th July 2026 · 5:00pm – 7:00pm AEST
Online · Live & Interactive
Limited places available · Exclusive to the Institute of Applied Psychology
~90 min presentation · 30 min moderated Q&A with Mark Bouris