The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley

Open communication is something that is valuable to every leader and team. In this episode, I talk about some of the benefits of open communication in a team, as well as simple ways to start encouraging it in your team. Open up those communication channels... because ignorance is not bliss! Links: Article:  5 Powerful Ways to Create Open Communication in Your Team .

Toxic workplaces are horrible places to be, but they don't just happen by accident. In this episode, Ben talks about some of the ways that toxic behaviour can start to cause problems and then looks at how we can try to do something about it before your workplace turns septic. Resource: If you struggle to have the hard conversations in your team, try the Difficult Conversations eBook , with tools a...

Employee turnover is a topic that can see leaders breaking out in a cold sweat. However, it's not all bad. In this episode, Ben talks about some of the reasons why turnover in your team can be a good thing. However, it's not always good - Ben also covers some of the situations when you actually should worry about turnover in your team. Links:  Article:  5 Reasons Why Employee Turnover is Your Frie...

We all want to hold our teams accountable. In almost every workplace I've been, I hear the familiar phrase "There's just no accountability!" This episode deals with that issue. In this episode, I talk about 4 of the most common reasons why I believe leaders can't hold people accountable, and what we need to be doing to make sure that doesn't happen. After listening to this episode, if you would li...

One of the primary causes of bad outcomes in our workplaces is short-term thinking on the part of leaders. Taking action or failing to take necessary action often occurs because we don't take the time to think of the long-term outcomes of what we're doing. In this episode, Ben talks about short-term thinking and some of the simple questions to ask yourself to help you shift from a short-term to a...

It's never fun having a stressed and overworked team. But did you know that all stress is not created equal? In this episode, Ben talks about Eustress vs. Distress and how applying the right amount of pressure to your team can improve work performance, without burning everybody out. Learn how applying just the right amount of pressure and stress can be beneficial to your team. Links:  Shownotes:  ...

Early in my career I remember thinking that people who were unmotivated at work were just "slackers". Now, my perspective has changed a lot, because I believe that one of the biggest factors in motivation is the work environment and how people are treated, rather than it all being up to the individual. In this episode, I talk about some questions you might try asking your unmotivated team members,...

Softly spoken leaders face some challenges in the workplace, struggling to be heard over the noise of their dominant, outspoken counterparts. In this episode, Ben talks about the challenges and strengths of being a softly spoken leader, and some things softly spoken leaders can do to succeed in leadership. Links:  Article:  Why Softly Spoken Leaders Make a Big Impact . Article: Important Ways That...

Ever walked away from a meeting you thought was going to be controversial, where there was actually no conflict at all? You could have a problem, because your team isn't speaking up. You don't have all the answers, so you need your team to be offering up their opinions to help you to achieve better results. In this episode, Ben talks about some common reasons why your team doesn't speak up at work...

Leaders can be one of the greatest sources of wasted time in the workplace. This is unfortunate, but true! In this episode, Ben talks about how leaders who manage their time better can have a positive effect on their teams and improve their productivity. We also cover some of the ways that poor time management can really waste a lot of time in the workplace...and we don't want to let that happen!...

Ever worked in a team where an adversarial attitude builds against people outside of the team? This can be a damaging mindset if left unchecked. In this episode, Ben talks about trying to break down some of these adversarial attitudes that often build up between teams in large, complex organisations. Shownotes: https://www.thoughtfulleader.com/podcast/25/

Having the confidence to speak up and out about issues and inefficiencies in your workplace is a key role of a leader. But it's not always easy to do that. In this episode, Ben speaks about some of the reasons why leaders need to speak up, and the reasons why they don't. Shownotes: https://www.thoughtfulleader.com/podcast/24/

Self-confidence is one of the most critical parts of leadership. Without it, you'll second guess yourself, be less decisive and have difficulty getting people to follow you. In this episode, we look at the benefits of self-confidence in leadership and how to start building your self-confidence to improve the way you lead. You can sign up for the free email leadership confidence course by going to...

Self-fulfilling Prophecy is a phenomenon I've seen in workplaces for a long time, and it can make or break your team. In this episode, Ben talks about Self-fulfilling Prophecy and how it often has negative effects in the workplace, resulting in reduced motivation and low confidence in team members.

Ever micromanaged someone? I certainly have, and it's not a great thing for a leader to do. What I have noticed over my career is that micromanagement isn't something that people want to do... but they feel like they have to. In this episode, Ben talks about some of the issues with micromanagement and also some ways to stop your micromanagement tendencies from getting out of control!

Perfectionism seems to be quite a common trait in our workplaces. What is the impact of perfectionism on leadership and is it just another form of procrastination? In this episode, Ben discusses the topic of perfectionism and how you can take action to stop it damaging the way you lead your team.

Most leaders want to manage a team of happy employees. But what does it take to get there, and how can leaders go about it? In this episode, Ben talks about his recipe for employee happiness: Clarity, Consistency and Transparency. Listen to the episode to see how they all fit together!

Delegation isn't about just getting rid of your most hated tasks and giving them to your team members. We can use delegation as a great way to improve our team performance and motivation. In this episode, Ben outlines the basics of delegation as well as some ways to use it to improve your team performance.

Feedback is one of the most important tools leaders can use to both manage performance and to recognise team members. However, many leaders avoid providing feedback in the right way, which reduces its effectiveness. In this episode, Ben outlines his top 10 tips for giving effective feedback.

Hiring people is difficult, and sometimes it's difficult to know just what to look for when you're interviewing your next potential team members. In this episode, Ben talks about the "5 Factor Model of Personality" or OCEAN model, which is a simple tool to help you assess your next candidate and make sure their personality is a good fit for your team.

I find pushing back to be an underrated skill. Pushing back means sometimes, you need to say "No" to people who try to burden you with too much work, or tasks that are not even yours to do. This might be your boss, or other colleagues. It's not easy, but if you continuously say "Yes" to everything that comes your way, you are heading for burnout, and so is your team. In this episode, Ben discusses...

Sometimes, it feels as if we're still stuck in the mindset that we need to do a training course to learn anything. Nothing could be further from the truth. In this episode, Ben discusses the benefits of the 70-20-10 model for learning and development, and how you can start applying it to your team.

I see it often today - leaders are too busy in meetings and stuck working on other people's priorities to actually fulfil their leadership roles effectively. But I would ask the question... if you're too busy, then what are the things that aren't being done? In this episode, Ben talks about the "busyness mindset" and how being too busy stops you from being effective in your leadership role, as wel...

Sometimes in the hustle and bustle of our leadership roles, we start to wonder what we're doing. It's easy to lose sight of why our roles matter and how we're adding value as leaders. So in this episode, I wanted to take a step back and look at 5 reasons why I think leaders are so important in the workplace.

Do you ever rely on a single person for important tasks in your team? What happens if they aren't able to attend work, or happen to resign unexpectedly? In this episode, Ben talks about the possible risks and some possible ways to address this in your team.