The Leaders in Strategy Podcast

Most business leaders believe they know who their competitors are. But what if the real threats to your business aren’t external at all? In this episode, we tackle a question that came directly from a business owner struggling to apply strategy in practice: Who is the real enemy in business? This conversation breaks down the hidden forces that quietly hinder businesses. Not obvious competitors, bu...

One of the fastest ways to grow your business is to learn from people who have already done it. In this episode, I’m joined by Jeannette Linfoot, business advisor, investor and founder of Brave Bold Brilliant. With over 30 years of global experience and a track record that includes leading major organisations such as TUI, Thomas Cook and Saga, Jeannette brings a level of insight most business lead...

What can a 2,500-year-old military text teach modern business leaders? Quite a lot. In this episode, we explore the timeless strategic principles from Sun Tzu’s The Art of War and why they remain surprisingly relevant for businesses navigating today’s competitive environment. From global uncertainty to rapid technological change, the challenges facing leaders in 2026 require sharper thinking, bett...

What separates businesses that grow from those that stall? In this episode of the Leaders in Strategy podcast, I share five more leadership lessons that regularly come up when advising business owners and leadership teams on strategy and growth. This is the kind of guidance organisations usually pay thousands for, but I’m sharing it openly to help you think differently about how you lead, scale an...

Juggling family and scaling a company is one of the biggest challenges for business leaders & entrepreneurs. In this episode I’m joined by Sian Brennan-Todd, award winning, business woman & confidence coach. Together we discuss strategy, leadership, and balancing work and family. If you’re a founder, business owner or leader looking to learn how to scale your business, then this strategic...

Company culture is one of the most talked-about topics in leadership. It’s also one of the most misunderstood. In this episode, I challenge the idea that the CEO owns the culture. Too often, culture becomes something that’s dictated from the top or shaped around a single personality. When that happens, it creates fragility, dependency, and long-term problems for the business. This episode is a can...

Your website is one of the most powerful growth tools in your business. Yet for many leaders, it becomes a digital brochure rather than a commercial engine. In this episode, I’m joined by Jess Williams, co-founder of Design in the Shires, an award-winning website design and digital marketing agency based in Malvern, Worcestershire. Together, we unpack what actually makes a website work for a busin...

Most business leaders don’t fail because they lack ambition. They fail because they focus on the wrong things. This episode breaks down five core principles that consistently show up in successful businesses. Not trends. Not theory. Practical leadership advice that helps you build long-term value for your clients, your team and the business itself. We explore what it really means to define a clear...

Most businesses and professionals are active on LinkedIn. But very few are making money from it. In this episode of the Leaders in Strategy podcast, we get practical about what LinkedIn is really for and how to turn activity into revenue. Brand awareness alone doesn’t pay the bills, and posting consistently isn’t the same as building a pipeline. I’m joined by Gus Bhandal, Founder of The M Guru and...

What will really challenge business leaders in 2026? We asked AI to analyse the landscape ahead and identify the biggest pressures facing entrepreneurs and leadership teams over the next year. In this episode, we break down the six challenges that consistently rise to the top and, more importantly, how you should respond to them. We cover: - Economic uncertainty and its impact on decision-making -...

Most businesses believe growth comes from more leads, more sales activity, and more pipeline. In reality, many are leaking value long before any new customer ever needs to be found. In this episode of the Leaders in Strategy podcast, we explore why customer management is one of the most overlooked drivers of sustainable business growth and why focusing purely on sales often creates more problems t...

Most business plans are written once, filed away, and quietly forgotten. That’s usually where the problems begin. Markets change. Competitors adapt. Technology moves faster than expected. And before long, the plan you’re working on no longer reflects the business you’re actually running. In this episode of the Leaders in Strategy podcast, we explore why reviewing your business plan is not a tick-b...

Join us for a special New Year episode of the Leaders and Strategy podcast, where we dive into hopes, aspirations, and bold visions for 2026! 🎉 In this episode, host Mike Harris is joined by award-winning business leaders Sian Brennan and Jeevan Punj as they discuss their New Year's resolutions, leadership lessons from the past year, and the importance of confidence and collaboration in business....

As the year draws to a close, this Christmas special episode takes a step back to reflect on something that often gets overlooked in leadership and business: your values. In a world of constant pressure, short-term decision-making, and commercial targets, it's easy to treat values as words on a wall rather than the foundation they are meant to be. But do values still matter in modern leadership, a...

Starting a business is one thing. Growing it into something successful is another. At the Festival of Entrepreneurs 2025, we asked founders, CEOs and industry leaders one simple question: What advice would you give to the next generation of entrepreneurs? The answers were honest, practical and often brutally real. In this episode, you’ll hear insights from people who have already built, scaled and...

Business strategy is never as simple as the textbooks make it sound. Every company grows differently, and there is no universal playbook that guarantees success. That's why the smartest leaders learn from those who have already been through the journey. At the 2025 Festival of Entrepreneurs, I asked some of the most experienced founders, leaders and investors one question that matters more than an...

Running a business has never been harder. Every leader is dealing with uncertainty. No rulebook. No blueprint. Just decisions that shape the future of their business. At the Festival of Entrepreneurs 2025, we asked some of the best minds in business one simple question: "What is the biggest challenge facing business leaders today?" Featuring former Defence Secretary Sir Liam Fox alongside founders...

We hear it all the time, “people are your greatest asset”, but is it actually true? In this episode, I challenge one of the most overused clichés in leadership and business, and break down the real thinking behind why this phrase is more misleading than helpful. I explore the origins of the saying, why it has become lazy thinking for many leaders, and what you should be focusing on instead if you...

Most business owners think they have a strategy. But in reality, they only have a plan. In this episode, we explore what real business strategy looks like through the eyes of successful entrepreneurs and leaders who have actually built and scaled thriving businesses. Strategy is the foundation of growth, but every leader defines and applies it differently. Over the past year, I’ve asked every gues...

Think you know what it takes to be a great leader? In this episode, I bust the top 10 leadership myths that hold many managers and business owners back. From misconceptions about charisma, extroversion, and fearlessness to the idea that a leader is always the smartest person in the room, these myths stop teams from reaching their full potential. Discover what really matters in leadership, why some...

What does it really take to be a successful entrepreneur? To coincide with the Festival of Entrepreneurs event, we’ve compiled the top 10 most important lessons for building and growing a business, drawing on insights from past guests and my own experiences. Learn what separates founders who thrive from those who struggle. From mindset and confidence to structure, personal branding, and thinking d...

Scaling a business is one of the toughest challenges a leader can face. In this episode, I sit down with Paul Hetherington, an experienced Non-Executive Director and Vistage leader, to explore the different types of support available to business leaders and how to decide which is right for you. We dive into the roles of Non-Executive Directors, coaches, and business advisers, uncovering the unique...

Most businesses fail not because of a lack of effort but because they underestimate the obstacles in their path. In this episode, we dive into the key challenges every business faces, from staffing and cash flow to maintaining culture and sustainable growth, and show how to anticipate them before they derail your strategy. Learn how to spot the obstacles that could silently sabotage your business,...

Scaling a business is tough, and self-belief is often what separates those who thrive from those who struggle. In this episode, award-winning business owner and confidence coach Sian Brennan-Todd shares how to build genuine confidence, improve your outlook, and tackle challenges head-on. From mastering public speaking to embracing failure and taking pride in who you are, Sian offers practical tips...

You can have the title, but if your team doesn’t want to follow you, are you really a leader? In this episode of Leaders in Strategy Podcast, I break down the 10 essential traits that separate good leaders from great ones. From being visionary and strategic to relatable and inspiring, learn the steps that have shaped my leadership journey and can transform your team’s performance. --------- #Leade...