The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode, Ben discusses why induction (or onboarding) is more important than many leaders realise. While it can seem like a dry administrative task, it creates the first impression a new employee has of the team or organisation, and that impression can influence how connected and motivated they feel.

Ben shares a personal story about a poor onboarding experience where nobody seemed prepared for his arrival, leaving a lasting negative impression.

From there, he outlines several ways leaders can improve induction. These include creating a structured and repeatable process, helping new starters build connections with colleagues, introducing familiarity with the workplace and its people, and providing the right balance of early work so the new person feels useful without being overwhelmed.

He also emphasises the importance of managers personally investing time in the induction process to help new employees feel welcomed and valued.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• SCARF model of motivation.
• Work with Ben 1:1.

In this episode, Ben argues that while there is rarely a true "silver bullet" in leadership, respect comes close when dealing with difficult team members.

Respect involves fairness, listening to the other person's perspective, and involving them in decision-making about solutions.

He explains that respect must go both ways, and that leaders must also ensure they are respected.

When respect is absent, issues often escalate into formal performance management. Ben also encourages leaders to focus on what they can control in emotionally charged situations.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Article: Taking a Coaching Approach with Less Telling and More Asking
• Work with Ben 1 on 1: Leadership coaching.

In this episode, Ben explores whether personal values can be changed and what to do when they seem to hold you back.

He explains that while values are relatively stable, we can adapt our behaviour regardless of what our values are.

Through examples of conflicting values like ease versus growth, he shows how leaders can consciously choose which values to prioritise in different situations.

This episode offers reflection questions to help identify your own values and use them more intentionally.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Lead With Confidence by Understanding and Using Your Values course
• Thoughtful Leader Coaching – work with Ben.

Motivating team members is an ongoing challenge for leaders. 

Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all motivation solution because everyone is different.

In this episode, I cover three factors that you can use to try to motivate your people.

Hopefully you can use these as a guide to develop more specific strategies to help your people feel more engaged with the work that they do.

I invite you to a complimentary Discovery Coaching Session, where we will:

• Get clear on your most important goals and what is most important to you
• Identify blockers and limiting beliefs that are holding you back; and
• Develop key actions you can take to move forward and make progress.

You will leave the Discovery Coaching Session with a sense of clarity, purpose and practical steps to move you forward.

There is no obligation to pursue further coaching after this session - but many people do!

 >>> Click here to apply for your complimentary coaching session. 

If you like this episode or the show in general, please take a few minutes to leave a review by clicking one of the links below.

Your review really helps me to reach a wider audience of thoughtful leaders, so we can improve workplaces around the world. I appreciate you taking the time! 🙏

>>> Click here to leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

>>> Click here to leave a rating on Spotify.

Show Links: 

• Article: Motivate Your People Using These 3 Levers.
• Podcast: Thoughtful Leader Podcast #71: A Simple Model for Team Motivation.
• Article: Job Characteristics model.
• Book: "Drive", by Dan Pink.
• Article: 4 Ways to Provide Autonomy For Your People.
• Article: Risk & Reward: How to Provide Development Opportunities For Your Team.

Saying "No" is a superpower in leadership (and in life), in my opinion.

Many thoughtful leaders feel stressed at the prospect of pushing back or saying no, especially to someone like their own boss. 

This episode is a little encouragement for you to start saying "No" a little more often, so you can create space for the most important work and set a positive example for the people around you.

If you like this episode or the show in general, please take a few minutes to leave a review by clicking one of the links below.

Your review really helps me to reach a wider audience of thoughtful leaders, so we can improve workplaces around the world. I appreciate you taking the time! 🙏

>>> Click here to leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

>>> Click here to leave a rating on Spotify.

I invite you to a complimentary Discovery Coaching Session, where we will:

• Get clear on your most important goals and what is most important to you
• Identify blockers and limiting beliefs that are holding you back; and
• Develop key actions you can take to move forward and make progress.

You will leave the Discovery Coaching Session with a sense of clarity, purpose and practical steps to move you forward.

There is no obligation to pursue further coaching after this session - but many people do!

 >>> Click here to apply for your complimentary coaching session. 

Show Links:

• Article: 4 Great Things That Happen When You Start Saying No.
• Podcast: Thoughtful Leader Podcast #92: Struggling to Say No? Try These 5 Ways!
• Article: Too Many Priorities: What to Do When You're Asked to Do It All.
• Article: Do You Have a Victim Leadership Mentality?

Staff turnover is a natural part of life, even for excellent leaders.

Even so, it can have a big impact on the functioning of a team if we aren't careful. 

In this episode, I take a look at some ideas to help reduce the impact of turnover in your team, so that the wheels don't fall off when someone says goodbye.

If you like this episode or the show in general, please take a few minutes to leave a review by clicking one of the links below.

Your review really helps me to reach a wider audience of thoughtful leaders, so we can improve workplaces around the world. I appreciate you taking the time! 🙏

>>> Click here to leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

>>> Click here to leave a rating on Spotify.

I invite you to a complimentary Discovery Coaching Session, where we will:

• Get clear on your most important goals and what is most important to you
• Identify blockers and limiting beliefs that are holding you back; and
• Develop key actions you can take to move forward and make progress.

You will leave the Discovery Coaching Session with a sense of clarity, purpose and practical steps to move you forward.

There is no obligation to pursue further coaching after this session - but many people do!

 >>> Click here to apply for your complimentary coaching session. 

Show Links: 

• Article: 4 Ways to Reduce the Impact of Staff Turnover.
• Podcast: Thoughtful Leader Podcast #33: Employee Turnover: Why It's Good and When You Should Worry.
• Article: Process Mapping – Lucidchart.
• Article: Roles and Responsibilities Unclear? Do This.
• Article: How Leaders Can Improve Team Performance Through Cross Training.
• Podcast: Thoughtful Leader Podcast #64: Overwhelmed? Start Working at 80%.

In many respects, it's good to be a nice leader. 

But what happens if you're one of those leaders who is perceived as "too nice"?

In this episode, I take a look at some tips for nice leaders, to help to counter some of the common perceptions that can hold them back in the workplace. 

If you like this episode or the show in general, please take a few minutes to leave a review by clicking one of the links below.

Your review really helps me to reach a wider audience of thoughtful leaders, so we can improve workplaces around the world. I appreciate you taking the time! 🙏

>>> Click here to leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

>>> Click here to leave a rating on Spotify.

I invite you to a complimentary Discovery Coaching Session, where we will:

• Get clear on your most important goals and what is most important to you
• Identify blockers and limiting beliefs that are holding you back; and
• Develop key actions you can take to move forward and make progress.

You will leave the Discovery Coaching Session with a sense of clarity, purpose and practical steps to move you forward.

There is no obligation to pursue further coaching after this session - but many people do!

 >>> Click here to apply for your complimentary coaching session. 

Show Links: 

• Article: 4 Critical Considerations for "Nice" Leaders.
• Article: Struggling as a Kind Leader? Ask Yourself These 3 Questions.
• Article: Hiring People? Here Are 5 Essential Personality Traits to Watch Out For.
• Article: CNBC Interview With David Kawasaki.
• Article: Jacinda Ardern.
• Podcast: Thoughtful Leader Podcast #83: Handling Emotions in Leadership.
• Article: How to Manage Your Emotions For Better Leadership.

Feeling confident in your leadership role always makes leading a whole lot easier. 

So in this episode, I take a look at the four steps I believe are necessary to grow in confidence.

I share a few personal examples from my own journey in confidence-building, and hopefully you can view some of your challenges in a different light, and use these four steps to build your own confidence. 

If you like this episode or the show in general, please take a few minutes to leave a review by clicking one of the links below.

Your review really helps me to reach a wider audience of thoughtful leaders, so we can improve workplaces around the world. I appreciate you taking the time! 🙏

>>> Click here to leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

>>> Click here to leave a rating on Spotify.

I invite you to a complimentary Discovery Coaching Session, where we will:

• Get clear on your most important goals and what is most important to you
• Identify blockers and limiting beliefs that are holding you back; and
• Develop key actions you can take to move forward and make progress.

You will leave the Discovery Coaching Session with a sense of clarity, purpose and practical steps to move you forward.

There is no obligation to pursue further coaching after this session - but many people do!

 >>> Click here to apply for your complimentary coaching session. 

Show Links: 

• Article: 4 Critical Steps to Grow Your Confidence In Leadership.
• Podcast: Thoughtful Leader Podcast #90: Beating Leadership Imposter Syndrome.
• Article: Working For An Insecure Manager? Here's What to Do.
• Assessment Tools: DISC, PRINT, MBTI, Clifton's Strengths or Hogan.
• Article: Why You Need to Know Your Values In Leadership.
• Article: 5 Questions Confident Leaders Ask.
• Article: Leadership Confidence Problem? Let's Diagnose It.
• Podcast: Thoughtful Leader Podcast #56: Why Thoughtful Leaders Need the Most Confidence.
• Online Course: Leadership Confidence Online Course. (Discount ends June 30th 2023!)

Many people are looking for a quick fix for their time management challenges, in the form of tools and technologies. 

While these can be helpful for working more efficiently, nothing beats having the skills and mindset to actually set clear boundaries and become more effective. 

The only thing is… it's much harder, takes effort… and might even involve a few challenging conversations. 

In this episode, I take a look at the top 3 time management skills I think will *really* help you become more effective.

If you like this episode or the show in general, please take a few minutes to leave a review by clicking one of the links below.

Your review really helps me to reach a wider audience of thoughtful leaders, so we can improve workplaces around the world. I appreciate you taking the time! 🙏

>>> Click here to leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

>>> Click here to leave a rating on Spotify.

I invite you to a complimentary Discovery Coaching Session, where we will:

• Get clear on your most important goals and what is most important to you
• Identify blockers and limiting beliefs that are holding you back; and
• Develop key actions you can take to move forward and make progress.

You will leave the Discovery Coaching Session with a sense of clarity, purpose and practical steps to move you forward.

There is no obligation to pursue further coaching after this session - but many people do!

 >>> Click here to apply for your complimentary coaching session. 

Show Links: 

• Article: Forget the Tools, Master These Top 3 Time Management Skills.
• The Urgent-Important Matrix: How to Be More Productive at Work: A Simple Tool for Leaders.
• Article: How Better Time Management Will Help Your Team (Not just you!)
• Podcast: Thoughtful Leader Podcast #80: What to Do When You Have Too Many Priorities.
• Article: Why Leaders Must Push Back and Say "No".
• Podcast: Thoughtful Leader Podcast #18: How to Delegate to Improve Your Team.
• Podcast: Thoughtful Leader Podcast #105: Downsides of Delegation.

Communication skills are a hot topic in leadership, and are often one of the most sought-after skills for leaders. 

However, we don't usually dig much into what good communication means.

So in this episode, I thought I'd look into what it means (Thoughtful Leader style, that is) and how you bring it more often.

If you like this episode or the show in general, please take a few minutes to leave a review by clicking one of the links below.

Your review really helps me to reach a wider audience of thoughtful leaders, so we can improve workplaces around the world. I appreciate you taking the time! 🙏

>>> Click here to leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

>>> Click here to leave a rating on Spotify.

I invite you to a complimentary Discovery Coaching Session, where we will:

• Get clear on your most important goals and what is most important to you
• Identify blockers and limiting beliefs that are holding you back; and
• Develop key actions you can take to move forward and make progress.

You will leave the Discovery Coaching Session with a sense of clarity, purpose and practical steps to move you forward.

There is no obligation to pursue further coaching after this session - but many people do!

 >>> Click here to apply for your complimentary coaching session. 

Show Links: 

• Article: What Good Communication Means, and How to Do It.
• LinkedIn Learning Blog: Top Skills to Future Proof Your Career.
• Article: 5 Leadership Communication Principles to Help Your Team.
• Statista: Emails Sent Per Day Stats.
• Podcast: Thoughtful Leader Podcast #122: Suffering From a Communication Breakdown? Let's Fix It.
• Article: 5 Communication Skills Every Leader Needs.
• Podcast: Thoughtful Leader Podcast #35: How to Create Open Communication in Your Team.