Podcast
The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley
Hosted by Ben Brearley · EN
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.
31episodes
Episodes
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#337: The potential pitfalls of having formal authority.
2w ago00:13:04Tap to summarizeLeadership roles come with formal authority. You can make decisions, approve work, manage performance and influence the direction of your team. But formal authority has a hidden downside. The more authority you have, the less likely people may be to challenge your ideas, raise concerns or give you honest feedback. Even approachable leaders can unknowingly create barriers that stop valuable conversations from happening. In this episode, I explore some of the unintended consequences of formal authority and share practical ways to encourage greater participation and more open discussion. In this episode, you'll learn: Why formal authority can discourage people from speaking up How leaders can become trapped in an echo chamber Why your feedback carries more weight than you might realise How to encourage more honest discussion and better ideas Why external perspectives, peers and coaches can provide valuable feedback Practical ways to reduce the barriers created by your leadership position Related resources Podcast: #178: So You Have an Open Door Policy… But Is It Working? Leadership coaching: Work with Ben. What do you think? Have you ever noticed your leadership position changing how people interact with you?
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#336: Is a work team really similar to a professional sporting team?
3w ago00:15:04Tap to summarizeProfessional sport is one of leadership's favourite sources of inspiration. Books about championship teams, legendary coaches and elite athletes are everywhere. But how much of that advice actually applies to your workplace? In this episode, I explore why professional sporting teams and work teams are fundamentally different. While there are useful lessons about culture and teamwork, many leadership approaches taken from elite sport overlook the realities of leading people in organisations. Understanding these differences can help you become a more effective and realistic leader. In this episode, you'll learn: Why professional athletes operate in a very different environment from most employees How motivation differs between elite sport and the workplace Why measuring performance at work is much more difficult Why empathy matters more than high-performance sporting analogies suggest How leadership needs to adapt when your team has different priorities, abilities and motivations What useful lessons we can still borrow from elite sport, and which ones are best left on the field. Resources mentioned Work with Ben: Leadership Coaching. What do you think? Do you think professional sporting teams provide useful leadership lessons for the workplace, or are the differences too great?
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#335: Don't bring an "Engineering mindset" to your team.
4w ago00:10:00Tap to summarizeMany leaders approach people problems as if there must be a perfect technical solution. In this episode, Ben explains why leadership is rarely that simple and why a scientist's mindset of testing, learning and adapting is often more effective than trying to engineer the perfect answer. Key Takeaways People problems don't have perfect equations or technical solutions. Leadership requires experimentation, observation and learning. Creating better conditions for people is more useful than trying to fix them. Quote "We don't need to fix people, we need to create conditions where they're likely to do better work for us." Resources Work with Ben: Leadership coaching.
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#334: "Don't bring me problems, bring me solutions."
Jul 500:09:03Tap to summarizeThe phrase "don't bring me problems, bring me solutions" is common leadership advice. In this episode, Ben explains why this slogan can create barriers between leaders and their teams, reduce coaching opportunities and discourage people from raising important issues. Key Takeaways People may stop raising issues if they don't already have a solution. Leaders miss opportunities to coach and develop capability. Team members often lack the broader context needed to create the best solution. Quote "Working with your people to develop the solutions is actually a way better way to improve capability and confidence in your team." Resources Coaching approach episode – Why You Should Be Asking More, and Telling Less Ben's personal website – https://benbrearley.com/
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#333: That wouldn't work in my team - or would it?
Jun 2800:11:14Tap to summarizeMany leaders quickly dismiss leadership ideas by saying they won't work in their team or industry. In this episode, Ben explores why this reaction happens, what may be sitting underneath it, and how leaders can become more intentional about evaluating new approaches. Key Takeaways Dismissing ideas quickly may be a way of avoiding discomfort. Deeply held beliefs can prevent leaders from adopting useful approaches. Leadership models often need adaptation rather than outright rejection. Quote "Maybe the real answer is I'm not comfortable or confident in trying to do that in my team." Resources Ben's personal website – https://benbrearley.com/
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#332: 5 things you'll need to deal with that difficult person.
Jun 2100:13:00Tap to summarizeDifficult people are a reality of leadership. Whether it's a resistant team member, a challenging stakeholder or someone with a strong personality, there is rarely a simple solution. In this episode, Ben shares five essential ingredients leaders need to navigate these situations more effectively. Key Takeaways Patience is required because difficult behaviours often develop over time. Commitment helps you stay consistent when progress feels like it isn't happening. Empathy allows you to understand concerns, stay composed and respond more effectively. Quote "Empathy just means making an effort to think from that person's perspective." Resources Coaching with Ben – Leadership Coaching
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#331: Are you walking on eggshells in your team?
Jun 1400:15:11Tap to summarizeDo you feel like you're walking on eggshells with members of your team? In this episode, Ben explores why thoughtful leaders can become overly cautious in their leadership: avoiding difficult conversations, hesitating to hold people accountable and worrying about upsetting team members. Ben explains how this behaviour can slowly damage team culture, create inconsistency and place additional pressure on high-performing employees. This episode also looks at why leaders become vulnerable to this pattern, including fear of losing key employees, difficult workplace processes and organisational pressure. Key Takeaways Walking on eggshells can reduce leadership effectiveness and authenticity. Avoiding accountability often creates frustration for high-performing team members. Fear of losing staff can make leaders hesitant to address issues. Difficult performance management processes can encourage avoidance. Leaders need confidence and clarity to address problems constructively. Memorable Quote "By trying not to upset people you may be setting a precedent in your team that people can get away without being held accountable." Resources Mentioned Work with Ben. Article: Performance Management: Do It Well With the 5 "C"s.
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#330: Maintaining personality and values balance in a team.
Jun 700:12:49Tap to summarizeIs there a "perfect" balance of personalities and values in a team? In this episode, Ben explores the idea of diversity through the lens of personality and personal values. Inspired by a question raised during an authentic leadership workshop in Perth, he discusses why teams benefit from differing perspectives, but also why too much misalignment can create friction and dysfunction. Ben also explains the role organisational values can play in shaping culture and helping leaders create stronger alignment within their teams. Key Takeaways Diverse perspectives can improve problem solving and team discussions. There is no perfect formula for balancing values within a team. Organisational values can help attract people who align with your culture. Leaders should avoid trying to engineer the "perfect" team dynamic. Values discussions can improve authenticity and alignment at work. Memorable Quote "There's no engineering solution that's going to give you the perfect specification on the values balance in a team." Resources Mentioned Download the free Useful Values Journal. Why No One Cares About Your Company Values (and How to Fix It) Work with Ben.
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#329: Q - How much empathy should you have? A - 37%
May 3100:11:17Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Ben explores an important distinction between empathy and accountability. Inspired by a question raised during a training workshop, he explains why empathy should always be present in leadership, but why that doesn't mean avoiding difficult conversations or lowering standards. This episode looks at how leaders can understand the challenges their people are facing while still making appropriate decisions about performance, behaviour and consequences. Key Takeaways Empathy is about understanding another person's perspective, not necessarily agreeing with their behaviour. Leaders should separate empathy from accountability. The level of accountability required often depends on what is at stake. Compassionate leadership does not mean avoiding consequences. Understanding context helps leaders respond more thoughtfully and fairly. Memorable Quote "You can have empathy 100% of the time, but just because you have empathy does not mean you can't take action." Resources Mentioned Work with Ben.
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#328: I took an Emotional Intelligence assessment and got a shock!
May 2400:15:55Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Ben shares his experience of taking an emotional intelligence assessment and the surprising results that came back. The assessment highlighted strengths as well as areas where his emotional intelligence was lower than expected. Rather than viewing this as negative feedback, Ben reflects on how insights like this can improve self‑awareness and leadership development. The episode explores how assessments and feedback can help leaders better understand how they show up at work and how their behaviour affects others. By approaching the results with curiosity rather than defensiveness, leaders can identify opportunities to grow and improve their effectiveness. Resources mentioned in this episode: Work with Ben.
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