The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley
Ben Brearley
Show overview
The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley has been publishing since 2019, and across the 7 years since has built a catalogue of 342 episodes. That works out to roughly 75 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a weekly cadence.
Episodes typically run ten to twenty minutes — most land between 11 min and 15 min — and the run-time is fairly consistent across the catalogue. It is catalogued as a EN-language Business show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 4 days ago, with 33 episodes already out so far this year. Published by Ben Brearley.
From the publisher
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.
Latest Episodes
View all 342 episodes#341: 4 questions to understand your values better.
#340: How self-interested are you?
#339: Ideas for leading more experienced people.
#338: How cultural backgrounds could be impacting your team.
#337: The potential pitfalls of having formal authority.
#336: Is a work team really similar to a professional sporting team?
#335: Don't bring an "Engineering mindset" to your team.
#334: "Don't bring me problems, bring me solutions."
#333: That wouldn't work in my team - or would it?
#332: 5 things you'll need to deal with that difficult person.
#331: Are you walking on eggshells in your team?
#330: Maintaining personality and values balance in a team.
#329: Q - How much empathy should you have? A - 37%
#328: I took an Emotional Intelligence assessment and got a shock!
#327: Recreating the conditions for confidence.
#326: Secret leadership - are you doing it?
#325: Should you address the issue directly?
#324: Why you should look back to lead better.
#323: Struggling with career direction? Try setting some principles.
Ep 322#322: Here's why you're not making progress.
In this episode, Ben explores a common frustration for leaders: teams or individuals who seem stuck and unable to make progress. He explains that "spinning your wheels" often comes down to a combination of factors rather than a single cause. Key issues include a lack of time and capacity, unclear direction or priorities, fear of accountability, and missing skills or knowledge needed to complete the work. When leaders fail to clearly state priorities, teams often default to business‑as‑usual tasks instead of tackling new initiatives. Ben also highlights how some team members wait for explicit permission to step up and take responsibility. By clearly defining priorities, granting permission, and providing the necessary support and skills, leaders can help teams move from stalled discussions to real progress. Resources mentioned in this episode: Work with Ben - Get in touch here.