The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley

Bashing the boss is a favourite pastime for many employees. We don't want to be a boss that's worthy of this sort of treatment, so in this episode I take a look at some of the common reasons why people generally complain about their boss. Then we can do things differently and give them fewer things to complain about! Like the Show? Please Leave a Review! ✅ If you like this episode or the show in...

Talk to many employees, and they'll tell you that their boss is one of their biggest time management challenges. So is this the case when it comes to your leadership? In this episode, I take a look at whether you might be time management problem for your team, and what to do about it.  Interested in working with me? If you're interested in potentially working with me, I invite you to  apply for a...

Reflection has significant benefits for leaders, but I find that many leaders don't engage in reflection very often. In this episode, I'll take a look at the benefits of reflection and some of the issues that people encounter with it. Then, I'll outline some practical steps to implement a reflective practice for yourself (and keep it up!) Like the Show? Please Leave a Review! ✅ If you like this e...

Having a sense of purpose is critical according to several motivation theories and models.  So how do we help our people find it? In this episode, I take a look at some practical ways that you can assist your team to find their sense of purpose.  It's not our responsibility to find it for our team, but we can help to create the right environment.  Like the Show? Please Leave a Review! ✅ If you li...

Getting out of your comfort zone is a worthwhile thing to do.  But being out of your comfort zone all the time is stressful and draining.  So when it comes to leadership, when should we make the effort to get out of our comfort zone? I take a look at this topic in this episode.  Like the Show? Please Leave a Review! ✅ If you like this episode or the show in general, please take a few minutes to l...

"Quiet quitting" is a relatively recent term that describes people doing the bare minimum at work.  They aren't exactly quitting, but they're no longer going "over and above" for their organisation. In this episode, I take a look at whether this is a real problem at all… and whether simply leading better could be the solution. Like the Show? Please Leave a Review! ✅ If you like this episode or th...

Thoughtful leaders have the positive quality of being… well… thoughtful. This can be a great thing, but it can also come with challenges of overthinking and rumination which aren't at all helpful. In this episode, I take a look at some research-based ideas that might help when you are struggling to get out of an unhelpful thinking rut. Like the Show? Please Leave a Review! ✅ If you like this epis...

Having career conversations with your team members can make a huge difference in leadership. However, many leaders don't make the time for them and I think they're missing an opportunity. In this episode, we'll take a look at the benefits of career conversations, how to have them effectively and some of the reasons why many leaders don't have them… or really struggle to deliver them effectively. L...

Displaying vulnerability takes courage, especially when you're in a leadership role.  Many leaders feel an expectation to know all the answers or give the perfect directions, or to display the "stiff upper lip" mentality and show resilience in the face of any challenge. In this episode, we're going to look at the potential benefits of showing vulnerability and how you might start going about it. ...

It's easy to fall prey to some common leadership excuses that stop us from taking action.  But… doing nothing is a choice like any other! In this episode I discuss some common excuses I hear for putting up with bad behaviour or poor performance. Do any of them sound familiar? Like the Show? Please Leave a Review! ✅ If you like this episode or the show in general, please take a few minutes to leav...

Dealing with people problems in a team can be stressful and frustrating.  But to manage them effectively, you need to demonstrate persistence! So in this episode, I take a look at some point to keep in mind that may help you feel a little more positive about your situation. Like the Show? Please Leave a Review! ✅ If you like this episode or the show in general, please take a few minutes to leave...

Most of us don't feel like we're very inspiring. We tend to leave that to the "celebrity" leaders out there. But wait a minute – being an inspiring leader might be easier than you think! In this episode I take a look at why being inspiring is important, and some simple ways you might go about it. Like the Show? Please Leave a Review! ✅ If you like this episode or the show in general, please take...

Many people are looking for one thing: a perfect way to have a challenging conversation without people getting upset or saying the wrong thing. Unfortunately, this doesn't exist, and a challenging conversation will always be uncomfortable! In this episode, I take a look at some principles to apply to challenging conversations, instead of focusing on the perfect preparation or process. Like the Sho...

"Pick your battles" is pretty good advice.  Unless you use this statement to avoid tackling important issues, when you should be trying to solve them.  In this episode, I take a look at some guidelines to help you decide whether you're actually practicing avoidance, or wisely picking your battles.  Like the Show? Please Leave a Review! ✅ If you like this episode or the show in general, please tak...

We know that communication is an important leadership skill.  However, I think we sometimes get stuck on the speaking and writing more than the listening.  In this episode, I offer some ideas of how you might listen better at work, and why this can be so important.  The DISC Model Like the Show? Please Leave a Review! ✅ If you like this episode or the show in general, please take a few minutes to...

I think there is a difference between  displaying  confidence and  being  confident.  One is within your control, the other isn't.  In this episode, I take a look at how you might start to display confidence in leadership from a simple starting point: noticing. Like the Show? Please Leave a Review! ✅ If you like this episode or the show in general, please take a few minutes to leave a review by c...

Hearing "it's not my job" from a team member can be frustrating, and it's a common occurrence in many workplaces. But before we blame the team member, it's worth thinking about the possible reasons for this statement. In this episode, I take a look at some of the common causes of this behaviour and what you can do about it. Apply For Your Complimentary Coaching Session I invite you to a compliment...

I'm a big fan of using self-assessment (or psychometric) tools to help people understand more about themselves and each other. However, they aren't perfect and we need to use them with a bit of caution. In this post, I take a look at some of the things to watch out for and clarify when you're using these types of tools for your team. Like the Show? Please Leave a Review! ✅ If you like this episod...

Being assertive is important in leadership, because it helps us to look out for our own needs and those of our team. But it doesn't come naturally to everyone, and we can fall into non-assertive habits.  In this episode, I take a look at some tips to appear more assertive, based on tweaking the language that we use. Like the Show? Please Leave a Review! ✅ If you like this episode or the show in g...

I find that many thoughtful leaders are introspective and often stuck in their own heads.  It goes with the territory of being thoughtful, I suppose! This can be problematic if we start to worry excessively about work.  So in this episodes, I've collected some tips that have helped me over the years and hopefully they can help you too. Like the Show? Please Leave a Review! ✅ If you like this epis...

Company values have been around for years, but they can certainly attract a lot of cynicism. If they are just a poster on the wall which nobody reads, they probably aren't doing much good. However, I think they can be valuable when you're trying to get lots of people working in the same direction! In this episode, I take a look at why many people don't care about company values, and some ways that...

We all have stories that we carry around in our heads like baggage.  Some of these stories are helpful, while others can actually work against us.  In this episode, I take a look at the concept of stories and think about how we might challenge them to put ourselves in a better place.  Apply For Your Complimentary Coaching Session I invite you to a complimentary  Discovery Coaching Session , where...

Encouraging someone to change their behaviour or attitude is hard work, because there are a bunch of barriers that may get in the way.  To help you understand and navigate your way through the process you can use the simple model in this episode. It's simple, generic and can be used in many situations! Apply For Your Complimentary Coaching Session I invite you to a complimentary  Discovery Coachin...

We often hear about controlling managers who micromanage people.  But what about controlling employees, who hoard information and wield influence? In this episode, I take a look at trying to lead a controlling employee, as well as what might be beneath the surface for them. Apply For Your Complimentary Coaching Session I invite you to a complimentary  Discovery Coaching Session , where we will: Ge...

Leadership is not easy, and sometimes we need a boost of courage and motivation to keep us going.   In this episode, I take a look at some of my favourite motivational resources that I've collected over the last few years. Hopefully they can help you too! Apply For Your Complimentary Coaching Session I invite you to a complimentary  Discovery Coaching Session , where we will: Get clear on your mos...