The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley

Many leaders need to deal with a tricky situation – balancing the needs of their boss with that of their team. In this episode, I take a look at why this can be difficult, and how failing to balance both aspects can be bad for your leadership and the workplace itself.  Book Your Discovery Coaching Session I invite you to a 90-minute Discovery Coaching Session , where we will: Get clear on your mos...

Ever had an influential stakeholder who blocked what you were trying to do? What about one who supported you and removed the roadblocks along the way? Leadership always involves gaining support from the key people around you, whether it's your boss, other colleagues or senior executives within the organisation. Leaders who ignore this aspect of leadership can come unstuck as they experience opposi...

Many leaders (especially the thoughtful ones) struggle to find the right balance between being too kind or lenient with their teams, and making them stand on their own two feet. In this episode, I pose 3 simple questions to help you work out whether you are being too kind to your team members, or whether perhaps you could benefit from taking a bit of a harder position with them. Book Your Discover...

What is the difference between leadership and management? Does it matter? And who cares? Well, in this episode, I answer all of these questions and provide some advice for those people who would rather be more "leader" and less "manager". I also discuss some of the negative stigma around management and some of the ways that you can add more aspects of leadership to your role, no matter where you s...

It can be super frustrating when your team members aren't working well together. Maybe you're seeing too much conflict, or perhaps people just aren't helping each other out the way you'd like.  Whatever the case, "team work makes the dream work", so try these simple tips to help you bring out that spirit of togetherness that you're probably craving in your team. Book Your Discovery Coaching Sessio...

Delegation is often seen as the saviour of leaders who are struggling with their workload.  "You just have to delegate more" is common advice for these leaders. While delegation is a useful tool and it can really help leaders control their workload and get more done, it also has its downsides.  In this episode, I'll look at some of these potential downsides and give you some aspects to consider wh...

Workplaces are busy, and different people have their own priorities that they are focused on. That's why to be productive and effective, leaders need to carve out their own space. Setting boundaries is critical because if you're not working towards you or your team's priorities, then you're probably working on someone else's! Boundaries prevent us from being stepped on, run over or controlled by t...

As part of my coaching, I wanted a simple model I could use as a reference to help leaders target strengths and shortcomings in their leadership. So, I came up with the MORE model of leadership which stands for Myself, Others, Results-Focus and Effectiveness. The model is simple, but I think it covers most (if not all) of the most important aspects of leadership. I included it in this episode beca...

Not all leaders are born equal. Some people will have personal qualities that will help them succeed in leadership positions better than others. However, the good news is that leadership qualities can develop over time, along with our personality. That means we don't need to be born with them, we can take steps to incorporate them into our leadership even if they might not come naturally. In this...

Some workplaces operate with a culture of "command and control" and toxicity that can have our team members quaking in fear. In this episode, I talk about the concept of Psychological Safety and how creating a safe culture can help to improve performance and the willingness to try new things. What are you going to do to help your people feel safe and enjoy coming to work each day? If you like this...

The sad reality in many workplaces is that leaders keep working harder and for longer, putting the needs of their organisations and bosses ahead of their own. Self-care is critical for leaders, because you will never be able to support or lead anyone effectively if your own mindset is not where it should be. In this episode, I cover some of the problems I see in our workplaces, why leaders don't l...

Have you ever wondered what the main parts of leadership are? Me too! That's why in this episode, I'm going to take you through what they are. It's important that we keep these components in balance, because when we focus too much on one area, other parts of our leadership tend to suffer. Listen to this episode to find out more about the components and let me know what you think in the comments be...

Job satisfaction is a critical aspect of team member motivation. If people aren't satisfied coming to work and are having to drag themselves into work every day, you're likely to see poor performance. In this episode, I highlight some of the common "Job satisfaction killers" that I see damaging motivation and performance in our workplaces, as well as some simple ways to try to overcome them in you...

Ever felt insecure during your leadership role? It's not uncommon to feel that way, as leaders are often having to deal with change and uncertainty in their teams and workplaces. But just because we feel insecure sometimes, it doesn't mean we should resort to insecure behaviour. If we are conscious of the signs of insecure leadership, we can stop ourselves from going down that path! In this episod...

Do you find yourself frustrated by team members who won't meet your expectations? You're not alone! Many leaders struggle with this issue, feeling like they always need to run around cleaning up after their team.  In this episode, I target some of the key areas which can cause this problem, and look at some ways to help your people step up and take on more accountability and ownership. Show Links:...

Have you ever had to lead people that don't really want you to? Awkward! But this can be quite a common problem in leadership, because there are lots of potential reasons why people might be resistant to your leadership. In this episode, I cover some of these situations, the root cause that is often behind this resistance and of course, what you can do to overcome this tricky problem. Don't forget...

As the leader of your team, the openness and honesty of your communication can be a bit of a balancing act. It can feel good to be open with your team, but this can cause problems too. In this episode, I cover the benefits and drawbacks of being open and honest with your team, including some of the ways to strike the right balance. If you like this episode, be sure to subscribe using your podcast...

Have you ever felt like you wanted your team, colleagues or your own boss to like you so much, that it has impacted your leadership? If so, you're not alone.  Some leaders would rather please the people around them than make the right decisions or take the right actions. In this episode, I'll take a look at some signs that you might be a bit of a people-pleaser and then look at some ways you can s...

Saying "No" is a critical leadership skill, and one that many leaders still struggle with. We all want to be seen as "team players" and good leaders, so it can be tempting to just say "Yes" to everything. In this episode, I talk about how to push back and say "No" to unreasonable requests and extra workload that would push you and your team over the edge! Show Links:  Article:  5 Ways to Say No Wi...

Have you ever fallen into the trap where you think you know what your team members want? And perhaps you've made assumptions based on your own experience and preferences.  In other words, you've assumed you know what your team members like, dislike or want to achieve in their careers, because you think they are just like you! This is a cognitive bias known as the "False Consensus" effect. Basicall...

Ever felt like you're just not good enough for your leadership role? Do you feel like other leaders seem more calm and confident than you do?  Well, you're not alone. In fact, I've felt all of these feelings and more during my leadership career. The problem with imposter syndrome in leadership roles is that it can make you step back and stop leading the way you should be. So in this episode, I'm g...

Building team accountability is a great way to improve performance in a team. Team members that take accountability are more likely to put in extra effort, care and attention to making sure the work is done right. Without accountability, leaders often feel like they are going it alone. If you are the only one who really cares about the quality of the work in your team, it can feel like you're runn...

The way that leaders behave can have a dramatic impact on the way our team operates. Leadership behaviour can be contagious, so we need to make sure we're sending the right signals to our team members. Like it or not, we are role models for our team members, and they'll often behave the way they think we want them to, even if they don't really believe in it. In this episode, I look at the impact o...

If you've ever had trouble with behaviour issues in your team, you're not alone! In this episode, I take a look at some simple steps to take to diagnose and start to fix behaviour problems from team members. This can be quite tricky so there might be some trial and error, but if you follow the steps you should be able to make some progress! Don't forget to  subscribe in your podcast app of choice...

With the rise of more inclusive and collaborative leadership, setting deadlines can be uncomfortable for many leaders. However, there are good reasons for deadlines and they really can help to improve performance. The trick is to make your deadlines meaningful, useful and real. This will help your people strive to achieve the target and feel motivated at the same time. In this episode, I look at s...