The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley

By Ben Brearley

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Category: Management

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Subscribers: 4
Reviews: 0
Episodes: 307

Description

Short, sharp and practical leadership support for thoughtful, reflective, people-focused leaders who want to lead with confidence, without pretending to be someone they're not. Hosted by leadership coach Ben Brearley, each episode helps you build confidence, set boundaries, and stay true to your values in the workplace. No jargon, no hype. Just real strategies for thoughtful leadership.

Episode Date
#307: A better model for giving constructive feedback.
Dec 07, 2025
#306: Struggling to move from individual contributor to leader?
Nov 30, 2025
#305: Is adapting your leadership style authentic?
Nov 23, 2025
#304: Is leadership simply about finding the right balance?
Nov 16, 2025
#303: Feedback got you down? Introducing The Useful Feedback Journal.
Nov 09, 2025
#302: How open should you be with your team?
Nov 02, 2025
#301: How knowing your values helps build your confidence.
Oct 26, 2025
#300: Top tips for dealing with strong personalities.
Oct 19, 2025
#299: Cautionary tales for leaders using A.I. tools.
Oct 12, 2025
#298: How to adapt your style at work, without the exhaustion.
Oct 05, 2025
#297: Feel like you're on a rollercoaster? Bring more stable leadership to your team.
Sep 28, 2025
#296: It's time to stop owning other people's problems.
Sep 21, 2025
#295: Is your workplace a consequence-free environment?
Sep 14, 2025
#294: Q&A - Why should I bother to understand my values?
Sep 07, 2025
#293: Lay the groundwork to build your credibility.
Aug 31, 2025
#292: Yes, you can still lead effectively as a people-pleaser
Aug 24, 2025
#291: Why mindfulness is a must for thoughtful leadership
Aug 17, 2025
#290: Practical ways to build trust in your team
Aug 10, 2025
#289: What makes a high-performing team? A look at some recent research
Aug 03, 2025
#288: Why You Should Be Asking More, and Telling Less
Jul 27, 2025
#287: My Top 5 Tips for Introverted Leaders
Jul 20, 2025
#286: You Have the Power to Choose Your Response
Jul 13, 2025
#285: Common Misconceptions About Kind Leadership
Jul 06, 2025
#284: How to lead an ambitious employee
Jun 29, 2025
#283: Why Thoughtful Leaders stay in jobs for too long (and how not to)
Jun 22, 2025
#282: Feel confident without being the loudest
Jun 15, 2025
#281: Q&A - How do I speak up more in meetings?
Jun 08, 2025
#280: Do you know when to collaborate?
May 27, 2025
#279: Simple steps for a more effective week
May 13, 2025
#278: How to help your overwhelmed team
Apr 29, 2025
#277: Are you enabling bad behaviour in your team?
Apr 15, 2025
#276: How to stop taking things personally
Apr 01, 2025
#275: Not-so-obvious reasons for a "bad" employee
Mar 18, 2025
#274: Should you be yourself, or adapt to your stakeholders?
Mar 04, 2025
#273: Q&A Episode - How do you motivate other leaders who work for you?
Feb 18, 2025
#272: Feel like you need to micromanage your team? Let's stop it.
Feb 03, 2025
#271: Got a favourite employee? Watch out for these traps.
Jan 20, 2025
#270: Why the blame game is not helping you (or your team)
Jan 06, 2025
#269: How to accept feedback in a useful way
Dec 10, 2024
#268: Why being low in confidence can be a good thing.
Nov 27, 2024
#267: Leadership beliefs that will help your team.
Nov 13, 2024
#266: How to get more thinking time (and why you need it)
Oct 30, 2024
#265: How to motivate yourself as a thoughtful leader
Oct 16, 2024
#264: The 4-day work week, and what we can learn from it.
Oct 02, 2024
Special Episode: The Useful Thinking Journal
Sep 19, 2024
#263: Feeling guilty at work? Follow this simple process.
Sep 18, 2024
#262: Common phrases from an unproductive workplace
Sep 04, 2024
#261: Why people "hate the boss" and what it means for us
Aug 21, 2024
#260: Are you a time management problem for your team?
Jul 24, 2024
#259: Why leaders should have a reflective practice
Jul 10, 2024
#258: How to help your team find a sense of purpose
Jun 26, 2024
#257: When should you push out of your comfort zone?
Jun 12, 2024
#256: How to solve the "quiet quitting" dilemma
May 29, 2024
#255: Stuck in the unhelpful thinking trap? Try these ideas
May 15, 2024
#254: Let's prioritise that career conversation
May 01, 2024
#253: Why leaders should show more vulnerability
Apr 17, 2024
#252: Watch out for these common leadership excuses.
Apr 03, 2024
#251: Dealing with people problems? Remember these things.
Mar 20, 2024
#250: Want to be an inspiring leader? It's easier than you think.
Mar 06, 2024
#249: Challenging conversation? Follow these principles.
Feb 21, 2024
#248: Are You Avoiding Something Important?
Feb 06, 2024
#247: How to Listen Better at Work (and Why It Matters).
Jan 23, 2024
#246: Want to Display Confidence? Start by Noticing.
Jan 16, 2024
#245: Hearing "It's Not My Job"? Here's What to Do.
Dec 19, 2023
#244: How to Get the Most Out of Self-Assessment Tools
Dec 11, 2023
#243: Be More Assertive By Watching Your Words
Dec 04, 2023
#242: Tips for Thoughtful Leaders Who Worry About Work
Nov 27, 2023
#241: Nobody Cares About Your Company Values (and Here's What to Do About It)
Nov 20, 2023
#240: How Are Your Stories Shaping Your Leadership?
Nov 13, 2023
#239: Encourage Change With This Simple Model.
Nov 06, 2023
#238: Tips for Leading a Controlling Employee.
Oct 30, 2023
#237: 5 Thoughtful Resources to Help Your Leadership.
Oct 23, 2023
#236: Leadership Lessons From Younger Generations
Oct 17, 2023
#235: Innocent Actions That Make You Seem Like an Uncaring Leader
Oct 10, 2023
#234: Could You Be Taking Yourself Too Seriously?
Oct 03, 2023
#233: The 5 Stages of Team Development and How to Navigate Them
Sep 26, 2023
#232: Trying to Give Your Team More Autonomy? Watch These Traps.
Sep 18, 2023
#231: Tips to Set More Effective Team Goals.
Sep 11, 2023
#230: The Problem With Praise, and How to Do It Better.
Sep 04, 2023
#229: Is a Direct Conversation Needed? Use This Checklist.
Aug 28, 2023
#228: Should You Be Friends With Your Team Members?
Aug 21, 2023
#227: Want Your People to Change? Ask This Leadership Question!
Aug 07, 2023
#226: Simple Negotiation Concepts for Leadership (and Life!)
Jul 24, 2023
#225: Confused About All This Leadership Stuff? Follow This Simple Process
Jul 16, 2023
#224: Are You a Quiet Leader? Use These Tips to Lead More Effectively.
Jul 10, 2023
#223: Pull These 3 Levers to Motivate Your People.
Jul 03, 2023
#222: Compelling Reasons to Say "No" Today.
Jun 26, 2023
#221: How to Reduce the Impact of Staff Turnover
Jun 18, 2023
#220: Some Tips For All the "Nice" Leaders Out There.
Jun 11, 2023
#219: 4 Steps to Grow Your Leadership Confidence
Jun 04, 2023
#218: Master These Top 3 Time Management Skills
May 29, 2023
#217: Good Communication: What It Is & How to Do It
May 22, 2023
#216: Great Leadership Is About What You DON'T Do
May 15, 2023
#215: Why Autonomy Matters For Your People and How to Provide It.
May 08, 2023
#214: How to Start Being More Trustworthy For Your Team.
May 01, 2023
#213: Don't Send Your People On Training Until You've Answered These 3 Questions
Apr 24, 2023
#212: Managing by Exception - Is It a Good Approach?
Apr 17, 2023
#211: What To Do If You Work For An Insecure Manager
Apr 11, 2023
#210: Empowering Leadership Actions to Try In Your Team
Apr 04, 2023
#209: How to Build Empathy Using the Iceberg Model
Mar 27, 2023
#208: How to Feel Like a More Useful Leader
Mar 20, 2023
#207: Is "Sweeping the Sheds" Good Leadership?
Mar 12, 2023
#206: Lead Better By Understanding Your Core Values
Mar 05, 2023
#205: Confident Leaders Ask These 5 Simple Questions
Feb 27, 2023
#204: Create Better Leadership Habits With These 3 Key Ingredients
Feb 19, 2023
#203: Want to Feel Better Leading? Self-Acceptance Is a Good Start
Feb 13, 2023
#202: Why Leaders Don't Delegate and How to Do It More
Feb 05, 2023
#201: How to Bring More Honesty to Your Leadership
Jan 30, 2023
#200: How to Feel More Positive at Work
Jan 22, 2023
#199: Leadership Focus Areas For 2023
Jan 19, 2023
#198: Going From "Doer" to Leader? Watch For These Challenges.
Dec 12, 2022
#197: Stressed Team Member? Look For These Common Causes
Dec 06, 2022
#196: Integrity Risks for Thoughtful Leaders
Nov 29, 2022
#195: Don't Believe These Common Leadership Misconceptions
Nov 21, 2022
#194: 4 Overrated Leadership Attributes We Can Stop Admiring
Nov 15, 2022
#193: Want to Manage Your Time Better? Focus On These Areas.
Nov 07, 2022
#192: Want to Stop Being a Bottleneck In Your Team? Do These Things.
Oct 31, 2022
#191: Are Your People Clock-Watching? Try These Ideas.
Oct 25, 2022
#190: 3 Ways to Be a More Reliable Leader
Oct 18, 2022
#189: 4 Leadership Focus Areas for Thoughtful Leaders
Oct 10, 2022
#188: Ideas to Help You Create a More Committed Team
Oct 03, 2022
#187: Leading High Performers? Remember These Things
Sep 26, 2022
#186: Could Doing the Opposite Be Good For Your Leadership?
Sep 20, 2022
#185: How a Chaotic Work Environment Is Hurting Your Team
Sep 13, 2022
#184: Let's Reclaim Your Leadership Freedom
Sep 06, 2022
#183: Power Dynamics: How Are They Impacting Your Team?
Aug 30, 2022
#182: Are These Helpful Actions *Hurting* Your Team?
Aug 22, 2022
#181: How to Decide Whether It's Worth Taking That Hard Leadership Action
Aug 16, 2022
#180: Team Member Made a Mistake? Try This.
Aug 08, 2022
#179: Leading Former Colleagues? It's Tricky... Try These Ideas
Aug 02, 2022
#178: So You Have an Open Door Policy… But Is It Working?
Jul 26, 2022
#176: Common Phrases to Avoid When Leading People
Jul 11, 2022
#175: Avoiding Conflict? Here's What You're Really Doing
Jul 05, 2022
#174: Procrastinating at Work? Try These Tips
Jun 27, 2022
#173: Is "All or Nothing" Thinking Holding You Back?
Jun 20, 2022
#172: Team Member Lacking Confidence? Here's How to Lead Them
Jun 13, 2022
#171: 3 Ways to Show People You're a Good Leader
Jun 05, 2022
#170: Shift Your Mindset to Improve Your Productivity
May 29, 2022
#169: Why Leaders Need to Prioritise Their Mental Health
May 24, 2022
#168: A Short Story - 3 Steps to Employee Engagement
May 17, 2022
#167: Are Your People Feeling Unfulfilled at Work? Try These Ideas
May 10, 2022
#166: The Importance of Mindset With Mark Altman
May 03, 2022
#165: Don't Stagnate! How to Provide Development Opportunities For Your Team
Apr 25, 2022
#164: Don't Let Blind Spots Derail Your Leadership
Apr 18, 2022
#163: Team Members Relying On You Too Much? Try This
Apr 12, 2022
#162: Don't Have a Team Operating Model? Here's Why You Need One.
Apr 03, 2022
#161: Simple Ways to Improve Accountability In Your Team
Mar 27, 2022
#160: Are People Testing Your Leadership? Try This
Mar 20, 2022
#159: How to Switch From a Reactive to a Proactive Team
Mar 13, 2022
#158: Let's Build a Better Leadership Mindset
Mar 07, 2022
#157: Getting Unstuck with Coach Robbie Swale
Feb 27, 2022
#156: Let's Dismantle the Cult of Busyness
Feb 20, 2022
#155: How Are You Holding Yourself Back? Let's Fix It
Feb 13, 2022
#154: Common Sense Principles to Help Your Leadership
Feb 07, 2022
#153: Why Knowing Yourself Equals Better Leadership
Feb 01, 2022
#152: How to Feel More At Peace With Your Leadership Situation
Jan 25, 2022
#151: Low on Confidence? Let's Tackle the Root Cause, not the Symptoms
Jan 16, 2022
#150: The Thoughtful Leader Backstory, with Akua Asare
Jan 11, 2022
#149: Simple Steps to Break Negative Behaviour Patterns
Dec 07, 2021
#148: Here's Why You're Taking On Too Much (and What to Do)
Dec 01, 2021
#147: Tailoring Your Leadership to Your Team
Nov 22, 2021
#146: Want to Lead Better? Do Less!
Nov 16, 2021
#145: Causes of Bad Leadership and What Thoughtful Leaders Can Do
Nov 09, 2021
#144: Is It Time to Start Putting Yourself First?
Nov 02, 2021
#143: How to Stop Overthinking Things
Oct 26, 2021
#142: How Leaders Can Support Wellbeing at Work
Oct 19, 2021
#141: Leadership Insights from Professional Sport with Ben Alexander
Oct 12, 2021
#140: Are You Being Too Optimistic?
Oct 05, 2021
#139: Supporting Emerging Leaders With Justin Peters
Sep 27, 2021
#138: How to Tackle Passive Aggressive Behaviour
Sep 21, 2021
#137: Falling Into Bad Leadership Behaviour? Do This!
Sep 14, 2021
#136: Simple Tips to Help You Coach Your People
Sep 07, 2021
#135: Why People Won't Follow Your Process (and What to Do About It)
Aug 31, 2021
#134: Improve Your Leadership With Daily Commitments
Aug 24, 2021
#133: How to Improve Engagement & Make Work More Interesting
Aug 18, 2021
#132: Would You Rather Be Liked or Respected?
Aug 10, 2021
#131: People Not Doing What You Want? Ask These Questions
Aug 03, 2021
#130: How to Make Your 1 to 1 Meetings Better
Jul 26, 2021
#129: Are Your People Resistant to Change? Try These Tips!
Jul 20, 2021
#128: Is a Lack of Confidence Showing In Your Leadership?
Jul 13, 2021
#127: Resilience: Bouncing Back From Toxic Workplaces
Jul 06, 2021
#126: Are You Protecting Your Team Too Much?
Jun 27, 2021
#125: How to Build Trust In Your Team
Jun 21, 2021
#124: How to Stay Calm In Tricky, Stressful and Uncertain Situations
Jun 15, 2021
#123: Common Leadership Fears and How to Challenge Them
Jun 07, 2021
#122: Suffering From a Communication Breakdown? Let's Fix It.
Jun 01, 2021
#121: Difficult Colleague? Let's Improve the Relationship
May 24, 2021
#120: Are You Being a Weak Leader? Spot the Signs
May 17, 2021
#119: Too Collaborative? Let's Avoid This Leadership Trap
May 10, 2021
#118: What is Purpose for Profit and How Can You Bring It Into Your Leadership?
May 03, 2021
#117: Have You Stopped to Appreciate These Under-rated Team Members?
Apr 26, 2021
#116: How Leaders Can Build a More Resilient Team
Apr 18, 2021
#115: Workplace Issues? Take These Powerful Leadership Actions
Apr 11, 2021
How Being More Strategic Improves Your Leadership
Apr 05, 2021
Do You Have a Victim Leadership Mindset?
Mar 28, 2021
Why Smart Leaders Seek Continuous Improvement
Mar 21, 2021
3 Handy Perspectives to Solve Your Next Leadership Challenge
Mar 14, 2021
Managing Your Boss vs. Managing Your Team
Mar 07, 2021
Stakeholder Management Tips to Make Your Leadership Life Easier
Feb 28, 2021
Are You Being Too Kind to Your Team?
Feb 21, 2021
Leadership vs Management - What's the Difference (and who cares)?
Feb 14, 2021
Not Seeing Enough Teamwork? Try This!
Feb 08, 2021
Downsides of Delegation
Jan 31, 2021
Why Leaders Must Set Boundaries at Work
Jan 25, 2021
Want MORE Out of Your Leadership?
Jan 18, 2021
Leadership Qualities You Need to Succeed
Jan 11, 2021
Is Your Team Feeling Safe ... or Scared?
Jan 02, 2021
Leaders: Are You Looking After Yourselves?
Dec 28, 2020
Balancing the 4 Key Leadership Components
Dec 13, 2020
Are These Job-Satisfaction Killers a Problem In Your Team?
Dec 06, 2020
Is Insecurity Damaging Your Leadership? Watch For These Signs
Nov 29, 2020
Why Team Members Aren't Meeting Your Expectations
Nov 21, 2020
How to Lead People Who Resist Your Leadership
Nov 15, 2020
How Open and Honest Should You Be With Your Team?
Nov 09, 2020
People-Pleasing Leadership & How You Can Stop It
Nov 02, 2020
Struggling to Say No? Try These 5 Ways!
Oct 26, 2020
Think You Know What Your Team Wants? Think Again!
Oct 19, 2020
Beating Leadership Imposter Syndrome
Oct 12, 2020
Common Ways You Might Be Reducing Accountability In Your Team
Oct 05, 2020
Avoiding a Negative Team Culture
Sep 28, 2020
How to Fix Behaviour Issues In Your Team
Sep 21, 2020
Want to Improve Team Performance? Set Good Deadlines.
Sep 14, 2020
Signs That You're Not Really Solving Your Team Issues
Sep 07, 2020
How to Give Your Team More Meaningful Work
Aug 31, 2020
Handling Emotions in Leadership
Aug 24, 2020
Thoughtful Leader's 5 Cs of Performance Management
Aug 17, 2020
The Power of Setting a Direction for Your Team (and how to do it)
Aug 10, 2020
What to Do When You Have Too Many Priorities
Aug 03, 2020
Are You Showing the Signs of a Self Serving Leader?
Jul 27, 2020
Want to Feel More In Control of Your Team? Try Letting Go.
Jul 20, 2020
Is All Your Hard Work Helping or Hurting?
Jul 13, 2020
Don't Wait for a Crisis - Why Leaders Should Focus On Workplace Wellbeing
Jul 06, 2020
How to Ignore the Trivial Issues and Tackle that Elephant in the Room
Jun 29, 2020
Want a More Proactive Team? Try These Things.
Jun 22, 2020
Why We Need More Mindfulness In Leadership
Jun 15, 2020
How You Can Be a More Thoughtful Leader Today
Jun 08, 2020
A Simple Model for Team Motivation
Jun 01, 2020
How Team Alignment Will Help You Get On (and Stay On) the Right Track
May 24, 2020
Leading Change In Your Team
May 17, 2020
Q&A: Micromanaging Bosses & Failing to Delegate
May 10, 2020
3 Pillars of Effective Leadership
May 03, 2020
How to Feel In Control Without Being a Controlling Boss
Apr 26, 2020
How to Deal With Uncertainty - Working "In the Grey"
Apr 19, 2020
Overwhelmed? Let's Work at 80%
Apr 13, 2020
"I Don't Have Time" - Taking Back Control of Your Leadership
Apr 05, 2020
Why Formal Authority Won't Solve Your Leadership Problems
Mar 29, 2020
Tips for Leading Remote Workers
Mar 23, 2020
High Performers? Or Just Acting Like It?
Mar 15, 2020
The Middle-Management Conundrum - When You Disagree With Senior Management Direction
Mar 08, 2020
Why Leaders Should Do More Planning (and Why They Don't)
Mar 01, 2020
Employee Wellbeing: Is it Important Or Are We Just Ticking a Box?
Feb 25, 2020
Why Thoughtful Leaders Need the Most Confidence
Feb 17, 2020
The Importance of Consequences for an Effective Workplace
Feb 09, 2020
Are You a Valuable Leader? The Fine Line Between Hurting and Helping Your Team.
Feb 02, 2020
Why Trusting Your People Is Your Best Strategy
Jan 27, 2020
Is a Productivity Problem Hurting Your Leadership?
Jan 20, 2020
Leadership Lessons for 2020
Jan 11, 2020
Are You Avoiding a Difficult Conversation?
Jan 07, 2020
Employee Retention: More Than Stopping People Quitting
Dec 15, 2019
The Perils of Passive Leadership
Dec 08, 2019
Why Building Your Team's Confidence Should Be a Priority
Dec 03, 2019
Insecure Bosses and the Scientist Mindset
Nov 24, 2019
Good Ways to Support Your Team
Nov 16, 2019
Directive Leadership... What It Is and When You Should Use It
Nov 10, 2019
Is Your Fear of Leaving Your Job Making You a Worse Leader?
Nov 04, 2019
Moving Your People Along the Motivation Spectrum
Oct 27, 2019
Limiting Beliefs That Ruin Your Effectiveness
Oct 19, 2019
Traps for Supportive Leaders
Oct 13, 2019
Work Time-Wasters That Create Unhappy Teams
Oct 06, 2019
Leadership Assumptions That Ruin Motivation
Sep 29, 2019
Communication Mistakes That Will Damage Your Leadership
Sep 22, 2019
How Confident Leadership Will Help Your Team Thrive
Sep 15, 2019
How to Create Open Communication in Your Team
Sep 09, 2019
How Toxic Workplaces Happen (and what you can do about it)
Sep 02, 2019
Employee Turnover - Why It's Good and When You Should Worry
Aug 27, 2019
Why You Can't Hold Your Team Accountable
Aug 18, 2019
Short Term Thinking = Bad Leadership
Aug 11, 2019
Using Work Pressure to Improve Team Performance
Aug 04, 2019
5 Questions to Ask an Unmotivated Team Member
Jul 29, 2019
Why Softly Spoken Leaders Make a Big Impact
Jul 22, 2019
Why Your Team Won't Speak Up (and Why You Need Them to)
Jul 16, 2019
How Better Time Management Will Help Your Team
Jul 07, 2019
Everyone Is Stupid...Except for MY Team
Jun 30, 2019
Why You Need to Speak Up At Work
Jun 23, 2019
Building Self-Confidence
Jun 17, 2019
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy and Leadership
Jun 09, 2019
Micromanagement...and How You Can Stop It
Jun 04, 2019
How Perfectionism Kills Leadership
May 27, 2019
The Best Way to Create Happy Employees
May 20, 2019
How to Delegate to Improve Your Team
May 13, 2019
10 Tips for Giving Effective Feedback
May 05, 2019
5 Personality Traits to Look For When Hiring
Apr 29, 2019
The Power of Pushing Back
Apr 22, 2019
The 70-20-10 Model for Learning
Apr 14, 2019
Too Busy to Lead Effectively
Apr 07, 2019
Why Leadership Matters
Mar 30, 2019
Reducing Key Person Risk in Your Team
Mar 25, 2019
Being Resilient in the Workplace
Mar 18, 2019
Leadership Weaknesses
Mar 03, 2019
Struggling at Work? Improve Your Working Relationship With Your Boss
Feb 25, 2019
A Leader's Greatest Tool - The Confidence to Challenge
Feb 25, 2019
Managing Experienced People
Feb 20, 2019
Getting Team Members to Contribute Ideas
Feb 13, 2019
Staying Motivated, Even When You Don't Feel Like It
Feb 12, 2019
Meetings: Good or Bad?
Feb 10, 2019
Conflict Avoidance
Feb 10, 2019
Improving Collaboration
Feb 10, 2019