Podcast
How to Lead with Kate Waterfall Hill
Hosted by Kate Waterfall Hill · EN
How to Lead is the go-to podcast for CEOs, founders, business owners, and leaders who want to strike the perfect balance between authority and empathy.
I’m Kate Waterfall Hill - leadership coach, author, and creator of Linda, the bad manager, my alter ego who shows us how not to lead. With over 30 years’ experience working with and coaching CEOs and founders (and being one myself), I’ve helped hundreds of leaders elevate their skills and confidence.
In each episode, I’ll share simple, actionable tips and habits to take the stress out of people management. Every episode starts with Linda’s “what not to do” moment, followed by practical insights on how to handle leadership challenges with finesse.
You’ll find How to Lead on all major podcast platforms, plus video episodes on YouTube. My best-selling book, How to Lead, is also a great companion to the show.
Subscribe or follow so you don’t miss an episode, and if you enjoy it, please rate, review, and share with fellow leaders.
For coaching programmes or my self-paced Digital Academy, visit www.waterfallhill.co.uk.
Got a topic suggestion? Email me at hello@waterfallhill.co.uk.
Follow me on all major social platforms - just search Kate Waterfall Hill or Linda, the bad manager, and join a community of over 300,000 leaders.
38episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Confidence in Leadership
1w ago00:15:55Tap to summarizeConfidence is something almost every leader wrestles with at some point, whether you're stepping into your first leadership role, growing a business, or simply wondering if you're really ready. In this second episode of our summer season best loved revisits, Kate explores why confidence isn't the same as competence, why feeling uncertain doesn't mean you're not capable, and how to stop waiting until you feel "ready" before taking action. Kate shares practical strategies to help you build genuine leadership confidence through experience, small wins and intentional action. You'll learn how to reframe self-doubt, recognise the difference between imposter syndrome and a skills gap, and develop the mindset needed to lead with both empathy and authority.Episode Highlights:00:00 Summer Season Intro00:49 Meet Linda Bad Manager01:42 Why Leaders Doubt03:41 Skills Gap vs Imposter05:09 Healthy Nerves Reframe06:18 Confidence Is Uncertainty06:42 Practical Confidence Tools09:06 Boundaries and Impact09:55 Vulnerability Builds Trust10:41 Daily Confidence Habits11:51 Speak Up With Authority12:53 Key Takeaways Summary13:46 Get Support and ClosingUseful links:The Digital Academy Online CourseFree Resources and more information on Kate's coaching programmesBuy the "How to Lead" bookConnect with Kate on LinkedInFollow Kate on TikTokContact Katehttps://www.waterfallhill.co.uk/links
Transcribe →Delegation
3w ago00:09:02Tap to summarizeKicking off the summers season with a revisit to one of the best-loved 'How to Lead' episodes to date - delegation. In this episode Kate talks about common delegation resistance, and introduces a delegation checklist to decide what to delegate, to whom, and what leadership work is being neglected. Delegation can be a tool for team growth and personal leadership development if done correctly.Episode Highlights00:00 Summer Season Intro00:30 Delegation Episode Setup01:01 Linda Bad Manager Skit02:00 Delegation Dilemma02:17 Two Delegator Types03:02 Delegation Checklist03:56 Set Clear Expectations04:11 Enable Understanding04:42 Support System Check Ins05:11 Real World Examples05:46 Practical Next Steps06:13 Common Pitfalls06:42 Summary And Wrap Up07:29 Outro And Call To ActionUseful links:The Digital Academy Online CourseFree Resources and more information on Kate's coaching programmesBuy the "How to Lead" bookConnect with Kate on LinkedInFollow Kate on TikTokContact Katehttps://www.waterfallhill.co.uk/links
Transcribe →The Danger of Back-to-Back Meetings
Jul 200:11:36Tap to summarizeIn this latest episode, Kate explains how nonstop meetings crowd out strategic thinking, leaving leaders reactive, exhausted, and “behind” despite being fully booked. A leader’s job is to spot patterns, join dots, see risks early, and make considered commercial and cultural decisions - all requiring real mental space. Never having time to think means teams drift and leaders stay permanently reactive.Episode Highlights00:00 Back to Back Meetings00:54 Meetings Skit01:28 Busy vs Effective03:09 Leader Value Shift04:24 Comfort Blanket Trap06:51 Diary Is Leadership07:27 Audit Recurring Meetings07:57 Protect Thinking Time08:29 Say No Ruthlessly08:45 Over Reliance Warning09:40 Wrap Up and Next Steps10:02 Subscribe and ClosingUseful links:The Digital Academy Online CourseFree Resources and more information on Kate's coaching programmesBuy the "How to Lead" bookConnect with Kate on LinkedInFollow Kate on TikTokContact Katehttps://www.waterfallhill.co.uk/links
Transcribe →If You’ve Said It Three Times and It’s Still Not Happening
Jun 1800:12:59Tap to summarizeIn the final episode of this three-part mini series, on why it still all comes back to you, Kate explores how to fix situations where you’ve repeated expectations multiple times and nothing changes. She argues the issue is usually not just communication, and offers a diagnostic lens: is it a clarity problem, a capability gap, or a consequence problem. With a practical weekly reset.Episode Highlights:00:00 Series Finale Setup00:26 Meet Your Host00:55 The Three Diagnoses02:41 Clarity Gap Fixes04:27 Capability Gap Coaching06:27 Identity Versus Scale07:25 Consequence Gap Systems08:32 Five Step Reset Plan10:16 Coaching And Accelerator11:12 Final Takeaway And OutroUseful links:The Digital Academy Online CourseFree Resources and more information on Kate's coaching programmesBuy the "How to Lead" bookConnect with Kate on LinkedInFollow Kate on TikTokContact Katehttps://www.waterfallhill.co.uk/links
Transcribe →Why Your Team is Waiting to be Told What to do
Jun 400:16:07Tap to summarizeIn part two of a three-part miniseries on why it still all comes back to you, Kate explores why teams often wait to be told what to do, and how leaders are inadvertently reinforcing the pattern. She outlines the cost of centralised judgment - leaders becoming the organisation’s bottleneck - and offers three shifts to build ownership while protecting quality.Episode Highlights:00:00 Why Teams Wait00:39 Welcome and Setup01:17 The Linda Problem01:39 Waiting Is Learned02:37 What Waiting Looks Like03:51 How Leaders Teach Waiting06:08 The Quality Control Dilemma06:58 Shift One Boundaries08:13 Shift Two Coaching09:19 Shift Three Debrief10:36 Staying Consistent Under Pressure11:48 Two Diagnostic Tests12:42 Three Actions Next Week14:02 Wrap Up and Next Steps14:34 Outro and SubscribeUseful links:The Digital Academy Online CourseFree Resources and more information on Kate's coaching programmesBuy the "How to Lead" bookConnect with Kate on LinkedInFollow Kate on TikTokContact Katehttps://www.waterfallhill.co.uk/links
Transcribe →Why You’re Still Doing Everything Yourself
May 2100:08:48Tap to summarizeWhy leaders with capable teams still end up doing everything themselves, the first episode in a three-part How to Lead mini-series. This episode, Kate explores a common pattern: leaders delegate but keep stepping back in to tweak work that’s “not quite right”. Each time you quietly redo work, you stay busy, your team improves more slowly, and ownership never leaves you, which teaches the team to hesitate and check in more. Episode Highlights:00:00 Why It All Comes Back00:19 Meet Your Host01:26 The Linda Scenario01:52 The Control Trap02:53 Standards In Your Head04:04 Identity And Tradeoffs04:43 Different Versus Worse05:54 Four Shifts This Week06:33 What Happens If You Dont07:02 Wrap Up And Next StepsUseful links:The Digital Academy Online CourseFree Resources and more information on Kate's coaching programmesBuy the "How to Lead" bookConnect with Kate on LinkedInFollow Kate on TikTokContact Katehttps://www.waterfallhill.co.uk/links
Transcribe →How to Disagree Without Damaging the Relationship
May 700:11:52Tap to summarizeHow leaders can disagree without harming relationships. In today's episode, Kate discusses how disagreement doesn’t damage trust by itself; trust erodes when leaders defend their identity and authority instead of examining the idea. Strong leaders separate the person, position, and problem, use steady phrases to keep focus on thinking, and avoid both dominance and conflict avoidance that leads to silence. Episode Highlights:00:00 Disagree Without Damage00:51 Linda Gets It Wrong01:37 Why Disagreement Turns Personal02:28 Separate Ego From Ideas03:40 Steady Phrases That Work04:13 The Hidden Cost of Avoidance05:36 Tone Drives the Room06:54 Language That Holds Authority07:36 Five Practices to Try08:58 Get Support and Practice09:47 Final Takeaways and OutroUseful links:The Digital Academy Online CourseFree Resources and more information on Kate's coaching programmesBuy the "How to Lead" bookConnect with Kate on LinkedInFollow Kate on TikTokContact Katehttps://www.waterfallhill.co.uk/links
Transcribe →How to Handle Attitude Issues
Apr 2300:10:53Tap to summarizeHow leaders should handle a team member’s “bad attitude,” is the subject of this episode of 'How to Lead' with Kate Waterfall Hill. Kate discusses how attitude is usually a sign, not the root issue, and recommends separating capability from behaviour, addressing issues early, asking what’s going on and listening. Leaders should also examine their own clarity, the space they create for honesty, and the broader culture.Episode Highlights:00:00 Handling Bad Attitudes00:46 Linda’s Team Dilemma01:42 Stop Avoiding the Talk02:32 Lead With Curiosity03:19 Behavior vs Capability04:25 Say It Early Cleanly05:12 Ask Listen Understand06:01 Look in the Mirror06:44 Set Clear Expectations07:32 From Curiosity to Accountability08:11 Weekly Practice Checklist09:00 Wrap Up and Next StepsUseful links:The Digital Academy Online CourseFree Resources and more information on Kate's coaching programmesBuy the "How to Lead" bookConnect with Kate on LinkedInFollow Kate on TikTokContact Katehttps://www.waterfallhill.co.uk/links
Transcribe →How to Lead When the Goalposts Keep Moving
Apr 900:14:00Tap to summarizeHow leaders can steady teams when priorities and direction keep shifting. In this episode of 'How to Lead', Kate discusses how teams don’t need certainty as much as orientation, and how instability comes from how change is handled. She recommends establishing a predictable cadence for reviews to reduce shock, acknowledging fatigue when people express frustration, and maintaining a measured tone because teams calibrate off leadership presence. Practical actions include auditing recent priority shifts, introducing defined checkpoints, and slowing down delivery to signal stability and enable execution under uncertainty.Episode Highlights:00:00 Leading Through Shifts00:21 Meet Kate and Resources01:01 Linda’s Pivot Chaos01:50 Why Teams Feel Unsteady02:39 Orientation Over Certainty03:58 Re Anchor Before Redirect04:35 Three Part Change Message05:42 Name Volatility Calmly06:10 Adaptability Builds Trust07:13 Decision Fatigue Signals08:07 Create Cadence and Rhythm08:53 Handle Frustration Moments09:42 Stay Steady as Leader10:20 Three Actions for Next Week11:10 Why This Wins Markets11:52 Final Takeaways and OutroUseful links:The Digital Academy Online CourseFree Resources and more information on Kate's coaching programmesBuy the "How to Lead" bookConnect with Kate on LinkedInFollow Kate on TikTokContact Kate
Transcribe →Moving from the Engine Room to the Strategy Room
Mar 2600:13:18Tap to summarizeIn this episode of How to Lead, leadership coach Kate Waterfall Hill discusses the vital shift for leaders from focusing on details (the 'engine room') to adopting a more strategic perspective (the 'strategy room'). She highlights the common reasons leaders get stuck in the engine room, and offers practical advice to make this transition, including redesigning ownership, protecting thinking time, and changing daily behaviours. Episode Highlights:00:00 Introduction to Strategic Leadership01:01 Linda's Leadership Example01:50 The Shift from Engine Room to Strategy Room03:21 Recognizing Engine Room Leadership04:16 Reasons Leaders Get Stuck in the Engine Room05:35 Signals It's Time to Move to the Strategy Room06:22 Concrete Changes for Strategic Leadership09:12 Practical Steps to Shift to Strategic Leadership10:16 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsUseful links:The Digital Academy Online CourseFree Resources and more information on Kate's coaching programmesBuy the "How to Lead" bookConnect with Kate on LinkedInFollow Kate on TikTokContact Kate
Transcribe →