The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley

Kind leadership isn't about being nice all the time. It's about leading with respect and care, without falling into the trap of people-pleasing. In this episode, I unpack some of the common misconceptions about kind leadership. Thoughtful leaders often gravitate towards kindness, but it can backfire if we confuse kindness with always saying yes or avoiding difficult conversations. You'll hear: Why...

Ambitious team members can be exciting to lead, but they can also be tricky to manage. So how do you support them without burning out yourself? In this episode, I explore what to do when you're leading someone with big goals, a strong drive, and a desire to move quickly. These employees often have great potential but without the right leadership, they can become frustrated, disengaged or even disr...

Are you staying in a job that no longer supports you, just because you feel loyal to your team or unsure of your next step? It's a common challenge for thoughtful leaders. In this episode, I explore why we sometimes stay too long in roles that aren't working, and how to start thinking clearly about whether it's time to move on. What You'll Learn: Why staying to "protect" your team might actually h...

Can you be a confident leader without being the loudest in the room? Absolutely. This is a common challenge for thoughtful, introspective leaders. We often feel pressure to be more outgoing or "on show" to be seen as confident. In this episode, I explore how to build genuine leadership confidence without changing who you are. What You'll Learn: Why the "shoulds" are holding you back How to reframe...

Feeling stuck in silence during meetings, even when you have something valuable to say? You're not alone. In this episode, I respond to a listener question about how to speak up more in meetings – a common challenge for many thoughtful, quieter leaders. If you're someone who finds it hard to contribute when others are dominating the conversation, or you feel like everything worth saying has alread...

Episode Summary Collaboration is often seen as the default approach in leadership, but it's not always the most effective choice. In this episode, Ben Brearley explores a practical model to help leaders decide when to collaborate and when another strategy might be more appropriate. By understanding the dynamics of goals and relationships, leaders can make more intentional decisions that benefit bo...

Episode Summary In this episode, Ben Brearley shares three straightforward strategies to help leaders feel more in control, reduce stress, and make better use of their time each week. These practical steps are designed to enhance your effectiveness without adding complexity to your schedule. In This Episode, You'll Learn The distinction between being effective and feeling effective How to create a...

Episode Summary Feeling overwhelmed is a common challenge in today's workplaces. In this episode, Ben Brearley delves into practical strategies to support team members grappling with stress and burnout. Ben offers actionable advice to help leaders navigate this pervasive issue. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Identifying Overwhelm: Recognize signs of stress and burnout in your team. Clarifying Work...

Episode Summary Sometimes, despite our best intentions, we can accidentally enable bad behaviour within our teams. In this episode, Ben explores three subtle but powerful ways leaders might unintentionally allow bad behaviour to grow and how to address it before it causes bigger issues. In This Episode, You'll Learn: How being unavailable to your team can create opportunities for bad behaviour to...

Welcome to Episode 276 of the  Thoughtful Leader Podcast ! In this episode, we explore why thoughtful leaders tend to take things personally and how to break free from this habit. If you find yourself internalising feedback, criticism, or workplace challenges, this episode is for you. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why thoughtful leaders are prone to taking things personally. The impact of persona...

Welcome to Episode 275 of the  Thoughtful Leader Podcast ! In this episode, we explore why an employee might appear "bad" and uncover some hidden reasons behind poor performance and behaviour. Before jumping to conclusions, it's essential to dig deeper and find out what's really going on. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why an employee might be struggling  – skill gaps, motivation issues, or person...

Welcome to Episode 274 of the  Thoughtful Leader Podcast ! In this episode, we explore the balance between authenticity and adaptability in leadership. Should you stay true to your natural style, or adjust to meet the preferences of those around you? Let's dive in. In This Episode, You'll Learn: The Benefits of Being Authentic:  How staying true to yourself can build trust and make leadership more...

In this Q&A episode, we dive into an important topic:  How to Keep Supervisors Motivated in Leadership Roles. Supervisors are the middle layer between senior management and the front line. In many ways, they set the scene and role model the behaviours that you want the front line employees to be following.  So what happens when your supervisors aren't motivated? Well… not good stuff. In This Episo...

Micromanagement is not a good thing, but I think it's natural to feel like doing it sometimes.  But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try to reduce the habit! In this episode I take a look at the problems with micromanagement, and how you can reduce the feeling that you need to do it with your team.  Interested in working with me?  Book your free 30-minute consultation, where we'll discuss your goals...

If you have a favourite employee at work, you aren't the only one! Good employees are like gold – they help you out, make your job less stressful and lighten the load.  But… there's always a but… what is happening in the team when you have a favourite employee?  Let's find out in this episode.  Interested in working with me?  Book your free 30-minute consultation, where we'll discuss your goals an...

Blaming others is a common past time in many workplaces.  And it's so easy to slip into the habit of blaming, because we want to protect ourselves and let everyone know it wasn't our fault! In this episode I look at some of the reasons why we blame, and what to try doing instead.  After all, it's not helping you or your team! Interested in working with me?  Book your free 30-minute consultation, w...

The phrase "feedback is a gift" is pretty common in many workplaces.  While feedback can be a great way to know how you're doing and to improve, it can also be a bad thing.  Many people are terrible at giving feedback, so accepting it all would be a mistake.  In this episode I take a look at how to decide whether to accept or reject feedback, and how to use feedback to keep improving.  >>> Struggl...

Everyone wants to feel more confident, because we worry less and feel as if we've got everything under control.  The problem is, we all have those self-doubting thoughts from time to time.  And the more you push yourself and improve, you'll be putting yourself in new situations which will stretch you even more, and potentially make you feel even less confident! But, what if your lack of confidence...

Our beliefs shape the actions we take, which makes a big difference in how we lead.  In this episode, I'm going to look at some key beliefs which can make a positive difference on your team. But what if you don't have these beliefs? Well, I'll discuss that too.  >>> Stop overthinking, make sense of your emotions and start taking action:  The Useful Thinking Journal . Interested in working with me?...

Leaders have a huge impact on the people they lead in terms of job satisfaction, morale and performance.  So do we want leaders who are running around busy, with no time to think? No, you need time and space to think, so you can be more intentional about what you're doing.  You'll make better decisions, and that will benefit your teams and your organisation (not to mention yourself). In this episo...

Self-motivation is an important ingredient in the leadership puzzle.  After all, we generally know how we should be leading. We've read the leadership books and listened to all the leadership podcasts.  But it's hard to show up every day with a great attitude and feeling motivated. That's why in this episode, I take a look at some self-motivation ideas to help you show up in the best way you can,...

The 4-day work week is becoming more popular these days, following several trials in various countries.  There are a few characteristics of the 4-day work week which I find contribute to its success. In this episode, I look at these characteristics and how we can apply them to any workplace, even if you aren't lucky enough to have a 4-day work week! Like the Show? Please Leave a Review! ✅ If you...

Regular reflection is generally regarded as a great thing to be doing, but I've found that the majority of leaders (that I speak to anyway) don't do it! That's why I created  The Useful Thinking Journal , which is a journal aiming to help you reflect in a structured way, and turn those reflections into real action so you can improve, or keep achieving success. In this episode I talk about some of...

Many thoughtful leaders find themselves feeling guilty at work.  Not because they've necessarily done anything wrong – more that they are heaping pressure on themselves and suffering under the weight of expectation.  In this episode, I look at the common sources of guilt and introduce a simple process you can follow to unravel these feelings and feel better about taking action.  Like the Show? Ple...

You might think of unproductive workplaces as ones where people aren't doing much.  I've found it's quite the opposite – often people are running around madly… being busy. In this episode, I take a look at the cost of an unproductive workplace (other than just the money) and some of the common signs that we might hear that make it a bad place to be! Like the Show? Please Leave a Review! ✅ If you...