The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley

Leadership can be stressful. Sometimes we feel like we want to have all the answers, when the reality is that our workplaces can be full of ambiguity and uncertainty. In an effort to gain control of their team and guide them in the right direction, some leaders will try to grip on tighter. They feel like if they don't, they'll lose control and everything will go wrong. Well... what if I told you that the opposite is true? That you should in fact force yourself to let go, stand back and let your team take on more of the accountability? In this episode I cover the importance of understanding what you can control and what you can't, as well as the key reasons why letting go will help you actually feel more in control of what is happening in your team. The Sphere of Control You can see the Sphere of Control shown below - use it to understand what to focus on... and what you're wasting time worrying about! Do you feel like you're overwhelmed and lacking the confidence to lead your team? Take the Leadership Confidence Online Course and lead your team the way you know you can! This self-paced course will help you build a more confident mindset to tackle your leadership challenges! Enrol now. Links: Article: How Letting Go Will Help You Take Control. Article: How to Get Comfortable Without Controlling Leadership. Podcast: Episode 21: Micromanagement and How to Stop It. Podcast: Episode 22: Self-Fulfilling Prophecy & Leadership. Online Course: The Leadership Confidence Online Course.

Most of us have been conditioned to believe that hard work is a good thing. Working long hours, being exhausted every day - it's all part of the general grind of work. While hard work was certainly needed in the "olden days", our working lives have changed. Instead of going down a mine or lifting heavy things, many of us spend a lot of time doing "knowledge work" which involves writing documents or analysing information. With this type of work, many of the benefits aren't so obvious. Many workers spend time in countless meetings and writing documents that nobody really needs. This means there is a tremendous opportunity to be working more effectively, instead of just putting in more and more hours. In this episode, I discuss how your intense work ethic could actually be hurting you, rather than helping you... and talk about some steps you can take to improve the situation. Online Course: Would you like to build a mindset that focused on doing good work, rather than just more work? Learn to focus on what matters and start to get rid of the rest with the Time Management for Leaders Online Course. It will have you leading more effectively, instead of just wasting your time. Click here to learn more and enrol today. Got something to say? Click here to head over to the Thoughtful Leader forum and share your experience with all the other Thoughtful Leaders out there! Links: Article: Is Being a Hard Worker Helping or Hurting You? Podcast: Why You Need to Work at 80%. Online Course: The Time Management for Leaders Online Course. Shownotes: https://www.thoughtfulleader.com/podcast/77/

I've worked in many organisations where leaders are still running on the hamster wheel of work. These leaders treat themselves poorly, without taking breaks or doing anything else to support their wellbeing at work. There are a few problems here - perception is one of them. Some leaders think that if they are perceived as hard-working or never taking a break, people will think they are better leaders... wrong! When I see someone who can't take a break and keeps putting themselves second all the time, I see someone who has their priorities wrong and needs a wake-up call. Your health and wellbeing is important if you're going to lead other people, because you can't help anyone when you're stressed, run-down and not thinking straight. In this episode, I cover some of my top, very simple strategies to improve your workplace wellbeing so you can be there to support your team. Online Course: If you need to reduce stress and improve your effectiveness, enrol in the Time Management for Leaders Online Course, containing short video lessons with actionable strategies to improve your productivity. Don't just be busy... be effective! Links: Article: Essential Daily Habits to Maintain Your Workplace Wellbeing. Article: Why Good Mental Health is a Leader's Best Friend. Article: Psychology Today - How Work Breaks Help Your Brain. Article: How Work Breaks Improve Productivity. Online Course: Time Management for Leaders.

Many organisations spend an enormous amount of time focusing on small, trivial issues and working around problems instead of tackling them head on. Focusing on the small issues is a great way to procrastinate and make yourself feel like you're doing something. In this episode I talk about why this happens, how you can tell if it's happening to you and then, of course, some ways to help you change your mindset and give you the courage to address that elephant in the room. If you like this episode, make sure you take a few minutes to leave a review on Apple Podcasts here. It really helps other leaders find the podcast so we can help create better workplaces around the world. Thank you in advance! And don't forget to join the Thoughtful Leader Community forum at www.thoughtfulleader.com/community/ to have your say on this episode, share your experience or post a question which I could answer on an upcoming episode! Links: Article: Consumed by Trivial Issues? Let's Focus on the Real Problem. Article: Parkinson's Law of Triviality. Podcast: Thoughtful Leader Podcast Episode 31: Short Term Thinking = Bad Leadership.

Are you a leader who would love your team to be more proactive? I'm sure you're not alone! Having proactive team members is great because it reduces the "fire-fighting" reactive mentality that often builds up in our teams and workplaces. In this episode, I share some of my tips for cultivating a more proactive team, that you can try for yourself. They aren't rocket science, but you do need to be consistent to get results. Try them out and let me know what happens! If you like this episode, I'd be ever so grateful if you could please leave a review on Apple Podcasts here. It really helps other leaders find the podcast so we can help create better workplaces around the world. Thank you in advance! Don't forget to join the Thoughtful Leader Community forum at www.thoughtfulleader.com/community/ to have your say on this episode, share your experience or post a question which I might answer on an upcoming episode! Links: Article: 5 Ways to Encourage Team Members to Be More Proactive. Article: Everyone is stupid, except for my team! Audiobook: Check out the Motivating Your Team Audiobook. Show Notes Page: https://www.thoughtfulleader.com/podcast/74/

Stress is a common part of every workplace, and leaders experience it more than most. In one particularly stressful part of my leadership career, I started to notice myself getting more frustrated and upset at situations in my workplace. I decided that I wanted to make sure I was calm and composed and able to take on stressful work environments without flying off the handle. After receiving some advice from a senior colleague, I decided to give mindfulness exercises a try. Mindfulness takes a little practice, but it isn't difficult. It really helps you to become more aware of your thoughts and feelings and how you are responding to situations in your life. In this episode I share some tips on mindfulness that can help you remain calm and composed in your leadership role. After all, people are looking at us to provide a good example... we are role models, even if we don't really feel like it! If you like this episode, I'd be ever so grateful if you could please leave a review on Apple Podcasts here. It really helps other leaders find the podcast so we can help create better workplaces around the world. Thank you in advance! Don't forget to join the Thoughtful Leader Community forum at www.thoughtfulleader.com/community/ to have your say on this episode, share your experience or post a question which I could answer on an upcoming episode! Links: Article: Why We Need More Mindfulness in Leadership Today. Resource: Zen Habits.

Thoughtful leaders show empathy, are introspective, perceptive but they also push back when they need to. Contrary to popular belief, being a thoughtful leader is not all about being soft and fluffy when leading your team. Being a thoughtful leader doesn't mean you're a pushover or you don't stand up for yourself. Thoughtful leadership is all about intention. Thoughtful leaders (like you) think about how you are leading and the impact your leadership is having on the people around you. Listen to this episode for more ideas on how you can be a more thoughtful leader today - your team will thank you for it! If you like this episode, I'd be ever so grateful if you could please leave a review on Apple Podcasts here. It really helps other leaders find the podcast so we can help create better workplaces around the world. Thank you in advance! Don't forget to join the Thoughtful Leader Community forum at www.thoughtfulleader.com/community/ to have your say on this episode, share your experience or post a question which I could answer on an upcoming episode! Links: Article: 5 Ways to Be a More Thoughtful Leader Today. Show notes: https://www.thoughtfulleader.com/podcast/72/‎

Team Motivation is an ongoing challenge for many leaders, because work isn't the only thing many team members want to be doing. Some team members are very motivated and career-focused, but I've found this isn't necessarily the norm. That doesn't mean we give up on the other team members. Leaders have a responsibility to try to bring out the best in their teams, and we can do this by working with our people and understanding their goals and aspirations. You can see the simple Team Motivation Model below, with the five components Aspirations, Purpose, the Pathway, Hygiene Factors (or Environmental Conditions) and Team Harmony. See if you can use the model to prompt you with ways to improve the motivation in your team. Your team members will thank you for it! If you like this episode, I'd be ever so grateful if you could please leave a review on Apple Podcasts here. It really helps other leaders find the podcast so we can help create better workplaces around the world. Thank you in advance! Don't forget to join the Thoughtful Leader Community forum at www.thoughtfulleader.com/community/ to have your say on this episode, share your experience or post a question which I could answer on an upcoming episode! Links: Article: A Simple Model for Team Motivation. Audio Book: Motivating Your Team for Improved Performance. Shownotes: https://www.thoughtfulleader.com/podcast/71/

If you feel like your team isn't operating as well as it could be, it might be that you aren't all pulling in the same direction. Confusion, frustration and conflict are often symptoms that people aren't on the same page. In other words, you need to get your team aligned so you're all speaking the same language. In this episode, I talk about some simple ways to make sure you and your team members are "singing from the same hymn sheet". In simple terms, we can do this by choosing a direction, setting clear expectations and then monitoring and correcting as we go. Listen to the episode to find out more! If you like this episode, I'd be ever so grateful if you could please leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It really helps other leaders find the podcast so we can help create better workplaces around the world. Thank you in advance! Don't forget to join the Thoughtful Leader Community forum at www.thoughtfulleader.com/community/ to have your say on this episode, share your experience or post a question which I could answer on an upcoming episode! Links: Article: Meaningful Work, the #1 Motivator. Podcast Episode: Why Leaders Should Be Doing More Planning. Article: Conflict? Confusion? How Team Alignment Will Help You. eBooks: The Hold Your Team Accountable eBook.

When you're trying to implement a change in your team, it can be tempting to just push it through. After all, you're the boss, right? Unfortunately this is the attitude taken by many organisations who fail to plan changes adequately and consider the different aspects of change. However, taking a "It's my way or the highway" approach can lead to long-term damage to your team and organisation as resentment grows for the leadership team. In this episode I cover some of the questions to consider when trying to implement a change in your team, as well as introduce a simple framework that can help you structure your change efforts. Yes, change is constant and you will never please everyone, but leaders can and should be doing a lot better when it comes to leading change initiatives. If you like this episode, I'd be ever so grateful if you could please leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It really helps other leaders find the podcast so we can help create better workplaces around the world. Thank you in advance! Don't forget to join the Thoughtful Leader Community forum at www.thoughtfulleader.com/community/ to comment on this episode or share your experience or post a question which could be answered on an upcoming episode! Links: Article: https://www.thoughtfulleader.com/change-leadership-my-way-or-the-highway/ ADKAR Framework: https://www.prosci.com/adkar/adkar-model Book: "Start With Why" by Simon Sinek - (Note: This is an affiliate link and I receive a small commission for any purchases through it).

In this episode, I answer some reader and listener questions that recently came through regarding how to manage a micromanaging boss and what happens when you fail to delegate. I'm sure these are applicable to many of you leaders out there so I thought this would be a good opportunity to give my guidance on these often trick situations! If you'd like to have the chance to have a question addressed in a future episode, simply sign up (for free) and post your query in the Thoughtful Leader forum! If you like this episode, I'd be ever so grateful if you could please leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It really helps other leaders find the podcast so we can help create better workplaces around the world. Thank you in advance! Links: Post your question on the Thoughtful Leader Forum: https://www.thoughtfulleader.com/community/ Related Episode: #46 - Bad Bosses and the Scientist Mindset. Shownotes: https://www.thoughtfulleader.com/podcast/68/‎

Effective leadership is all about getting your important work done while being able to support and improve your team at the same time. I have seen so many examples of wasted effort in my career and I feel that a focus on greater effectiveness is the solution. It's not all about money - when people are working on things that don't matter or doing boring manual work that could be done more easily, it is demotivating and soul-destroying. We don't want that in our teams, so in this episode we focus on 3 pillars of effective leadership. See if you can apply them in your team! Online Course: If you want to be more effective, take the Thoughtful Leader Time Management for Leaders Online Course. It's open now so enrol today! And if you like this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts - it really helps others find the podcast so we can help more leaders around the world! Thank you in advance! Don't forget to join the Thoughtful Leader Community forum at www.thoughtfulleader.com/community/ to comment on this episode or share your experiences, challenges and successes! Links: Article: https://www.thoughtfulleader.com/leadership-principles-effective-leaders/ Online Course: The Time Management for Leaders Online Course. Show notes page: https://www.thoughtfulleader.com/podcast/67/

Leadership can be uncomfortable, especially when you're worried that your team might not be able to deliver what you need. Unfortunately, some leaders start to resort to controlling leadership, where they get deep into the detail of every aspect and start to want to know everything that's happening, all of the time. Leaders in this situation might not delegate, instead trying to keep hold of the key aspects of the work for themselves. This controlling approach doesn't lead to a very good outcome for our teams. So in this episode, I provide some steps to try help you feel more comfortable that you're in control, while also allowing your teams the space and autonomy to get their work done and stay motivated. If you're struggling with feelings of a lack of control, listen to this episode and hopefully it can help you! Don't forget to join the Thoughtful Leader Community forum at www.thoughtfulleader.com/community/ and share your experiences, troubles and successes! Links: Article: How to Get Comfortable Without Controlling Leadership. Podcast Episode: Thoughtful Leader Podcast Episode 53: Why Trusting Your People Is Your Best Strategy Podcast Episode: Episode 58: Why Leaders Should Do More Planning (and Why They Don't) Resource: The Motivating Your Team Audiobook. Resource: Hold Your Team Accountable eBook. Shownotes page: https://www.thoughtfulleader.com/podcast/66/

Working "In the Grey" is a term used to describe a situation where we don't have all the answers. We might be embarking on a project that we've never tried before or trying to solve a problem we're just not that familiar with. This is a fairly common situation as the business landscape is changing rapidly, with technology advances giving rise to new forms of competition and disruption. The recent pandemic is another good example of working in the grey as many organisations suddenly needed to find out how they were going to remain productive while working with a completely remote team. In my consulting career I had to do this often. When I started a new consulting project, if I'd never worked for the client before, I was unfamiliar with the organisation and their problem. But I couldn't take a long time to figure it out... I had to get cracking straight away! In this episode I cover lots of useful tips for working in the grey and succeeding. And once you've succeeded working with uncertainty a few times, you'll feel much more confident to lead your team through it again! Join the new Thoughtful Leader Community: I've recently created a new leadership forum for you (and other leaders like you) to engaged in discussions that will improve the way we lead our teams. Simply visit thoughtfulleader.com/community and sign up for your free account to start a conversation! Links: Article: How Leaders Can Survive and Thrive Working In the Grey. Community: Access the Thoughtful Leader Forum and start some discussion! Podcast Episode: Why Leaders Should Do More Planning. Article: The Adaptability Quotient. Shownotes page: https://www.thoughtfulleader.com/podcast/65/

It's easy for leaders and their teams to become consumed with the day to day work, never finding the time to take a breath. There also seems to be a desire to fill up our entire schedule with work, leaving no room for downtime or working on other activities that will help our teams improve. However, when our teams are working flat out for 100% of the day, they are more likely to experience burnout, have less variety in their work and find no time to spend developing their own skills and careers. That's why we need to work at 80% capacity. The rest of the time can be spent doing value adding work that will help our people and our teams improve! Online Course: For great ways to improve your effectiveness and productivity at work, take the Time Management for Leaders Online Course today! Invest the time now and you'll see big rewards later as you start to work more effectively. Enrol now! Links: Article: Is Your Team Overwhelmed at Work? Here's Why You Need to Work at 80%. Shownotes page: https://www.thoughtfulleader.com/podcast/64/

We are all busy and have constraints on our time, but that doesn't mean that we need to be a victim of our circumstances. I hear it often - "I don't have time". What we're really saying is "That's not important right now". I'm asking all the leaders out there to change the narrative. We need to start taking back control and being intentional about where our focus lies, instead of hiding behind the "lack of time". We will always make time for the important things, so let's find out what they are, and do them. No more excuses - let's just be open and honest about where our priorities are! Once we start to do this, we'll realise that some of the choices we make aren't great. After all, when we say "No", what are we saying "Yes" to instead? Links: Show Notes page: https://www.thoughtfulleader.com/podcast/63/ Article: "I Don't Have Time" - Taking Back Control of Your Leadership. Article: Multi-tasking: Switching Costs - American Psychological Association (APA) - https://www.apa.org/research/action/multitask Article: Women and Men Are Equally Bad at Multitasking - Harvard Business Review - https://hbr.org/2018/09/research-women-and-men-are-equally-bad-at-multitasking Article: How Multitasking Affects Productivity & Brain Health - VeryWellMind - https://www.verywellmind.com/multitasking-2795003.

Often we dream of being "the boss" and having the authority to make any changes we like. The reality of our workplaces is much different. So much of leadership is about influencing and building rapport with your team and other managers, and formal authority really only gets you part of the way. Being the boss gets your team to listen to you, but they won't willingly follow your lead unless you build rapport, respect and credibility as well. In this episode I talk about formal authority and some of the problems it doesn't solve, and then give some ideas on how you can improve your leadership without relying on formal authority so much. Links: Article: https://www.thoughtfulleader.com/formal-authority-leadership/. Article: https://www.thoughtfulleader.com/how-to-influence-people/. Shownotes page: https://www.thoughtfulleader.com/podcast/62/

The working world has been changing over recent years, with more flexible working arrangements and the ability to work remotely. Some online software businesses already operate with an entirely remote workforce and without a head office! With the rise of the Coronavirus pandemic this year, we're now seeing a shift to remote working at a rapid rate. So in this episode, I talk about some of my tips and factors to consider when leading remote teams, so that you can stay productive and keep people involved. Links: Article: https://www.thoughtfulleader.com/leading-remote-staff/ Show notes page: https://www.thoughtfulleader.com/podcast/61/.

As leaders we need to be reinforcing the right behaviours in our teams. We do this by praising or rewarding people for good behaviour and making sure there are consequences for bad behaviours. Likewise, we need to be doing this for performance, too. This means it is really important for us to be aware of what good performance is, and what it isn't. Too often people are rewarded for showing superficial high performance. So in this episode, I cover some of the signs that might show that your people are just trying to appear like they are strong performers... rather than actually demonstrating it through their work. Show Links: Shownotes page: https://www.thoughtfulleader.com/podcast/60/ Article: Are Your Team Members Faking High Performance? Watch for These 10 Signs.

Middle Managers sometimes have a pretty tough role. They need to ensure their teams are performing well, while also pleasing their senior management and carrying out their direction. This can be really hard if you disagree with the direction coming from the top, because you need to balance "following orders" with maintaining respect and credibility in front of your team. In this episode, I discuss this tricky situation and talk about some potential options for how to move forward and get a positive outcome... or make a change for the better! Go to the show notes page to sign up for regular updates here: www.thoughtfulleader.com/podcast/59/ Show Links: Article: Following Orders When You Don't Believe In the Direction. Article: What Is Cognitive Dissonance?

Planning is an often underrated skill. The reason many people don't care about planning is because when you spend time planning, you don't feel like you're doing anything. When you've got a big project to do, it feels like you should be getting on and delivering things, rather than wasting time planning. However, there is a reason why people say "Measure twice, cut once" and "Failing to plan is planning to fail". In this episode, we cover the key benefits of planning, and why leaders should be doing more of it! Show Links: Article: The Importance of Planning and Why Leaders Can't Ignore It. Article: 3 Simple Reasons Your Team is Missing Deadlines and How to Fix It. eBook: The Hold Your Team Accountable eBook.

It's clear that there has been an increase in employee wellbeing programs in our workplaces in recent years. This is a positive step, because a focus on mental health is definitely required, especially where we spend much of our time - at work! However, I've also noticed that these programs will be introduced without the necessarily changes in behaviour that need to go with them. Everything else stays the same - the stress, deadlines and micromanagement. In this episode I discuss what is required to actually make a difference in employee wellbeing, so that we make this more than just a "tick the box" exercise. Show Links: Article: Employee Wellbeing: A Hollow Promise or Do We Really Mean It? Research: Study from the Black Dog Institute. Research: Statistics from Mental Health First Aid.

I believe that Thoughtful Leaders (the ones who lead intentionally and think about the impact of their behaviour on their people) actually need to focus more on building confidence than other leaders. Why? Because Thoughtful Leaders like you have greater empathy for and awareness of the people around them, so they tend to notice the signs if things aren't quite right. And when your team is going through a tough time, highly empathic leaders can feel like turning back, when really they need to keep going. In this episode, I unpack this concept a bit more and give you some tips on how to build your confidence so you can be thoughtful and effective at the same time. Coaching Program: Improve your leadership confidence with my 6-week Leadership Confidence Coaching Program. The program is a combination of online material and individual coaching sessions which will help you tackle your individual challenges and be a better leader for your team. Learn more and enrol here! Show Links: Article: Why Building Confidence is Critical for Thoughtful Leaders. Coaching Program: Leadership Confidence Coaching Program.

In this episode, I talk about the importance of consequences in the workplace. Sounds scary? It isn't really. Consequences don't have to be all bad, and it's not always about firing people or yelling at them. Sometimes all you need is to show the people in your team that you care, and you're watching. Listen to find out more about how positive and negative consequences can push and pull your people to higher levels of performance. Audiobook: If you would like some help improving the performance of your team, be sure to check out my Motivating Your Team for Improved Performance Audiobook. It has plenty of tools, techniques and ideas to help you get the best out of your team. Try it today! Show Links: Resource: The Motivating Your Team Audiobook. Article: Why Leaders Must Drive Consequences in the Workplace.

In this episode, I look at some situations where leaders are actually hurting their teams... when they might actually think they are helping. Sometimes it can be a fine line between being a valuable leader who helps your team achieve better levels of performance, and just being overhead, actually causing greater problems for your team than you solve. Don't let this happen to you! Come and listen to some of the situations where I've seen leadership go bad, even with the best of intentions. Show Links: Article: Valuable Leadership: Are You Hurting or Helping Your Team? Article: Is Your Team Overwhelmed at Work? Here's Why You Need to Work at 80%.

Trust is a huge factor in improving engagement and motivation in your teams. Imagine, your team members feeling like you believe in them ... wouldn't that be nice? In this episode, I talk about why trusting your people is not only a nice thing to do, it also gets better results and builds better relationships with your team members. In other words, you can't afford not to be doing it! And below is the 2 x 2 trust matrix which shows the possible outcomes of choosing to trust and believe in your team... or not: Links: Article: Why Showing Trust In Your People Is the Best Strategy (and Why It Works). Simon Sinek Video: https://simonsinek.com/discover/how-do-you-build-trust/

I'm a big believer that effective time management and productivity is one of the foundations of good leadership. Leaders who manage their time poorly have less time for their teams and are not able to focus effectively, resorting to constant fire-fighting. A lot of good productivity comes down to mindset and what you will accept. In this episode, I look at 4 common symptoms which may indicate you have a productivity problem which is hurting your team. Online Course: If you feel as if you could benefit from managing your time more effectively, enrol in the Time Management for Leaders Online Course today. I've also added a coaching option which will help tackle your individual challenges too. Enrol here! Links: Online Course: Time Management For Leaders Online Course. eBook: Managing Upwards eBook. Atlassian Article: https://www.atlassian.com/time-wasting-at-work-infographic Article: 4 Signs That a Productivity Problem Might Be Hurting Your Leadership.

In this episode, I share 5 leadership lessons from my career, with the hope that you can use some of them to help you in 2020 (or any year really...). But the new year is always a good time to take stock, give ourselves a kick and do things differently! Leave a comment below about the lessons, or simply comment on my new podcast graphic or the new intro music! Links: eBook: Difficult Conversations eBook. Online Course: Time Management For Leaders Online Course. Article: 5 Leadership Lessons You Can Apply In Your Team.

Difficult conversations are unavoidable in leadership if you want to be effective. These conversations could be about performance, behaviour or many other subjects. Without being able to have these conversations, you'll be stuck with conflicts and unmanaged expectations. In this episode, I introduce 3 questions that can help you to spur yourself into action to tackle that hard conversation. Let's face it, you probably already know you should be having the conversation... you just need some help to get started with it! Links: Resource: Difficult Conversations eBook. Article: Avoiding a Difficult Conversation? Ask Yourself These 3 Questions.

When it comes to retaining people, all you need to do is to stop them from leaving, right? No, not really. If all you do is try to keep people from leaving, it's not that hard. But then you run the risk of leading a team of people who are unhappy and unmotivated... but not unhappy enough to leave. I call this the motivation dead zone - you can see the zones pictured below. In this episode, we look at how to get people out of the Quitting Zone, through the Motivation Dead Zone and into the Satisfaction Zone, through the use of Hygiene Factors and Positive Motivators. It's the last episode for the year too - I hope you have some time off to spend with loved ones and take a break! Resource: If you need some more ideas to motivate your team, Thoughtful Leader can help. Check out the Motivating Your Team Audiobook, for tools and techniques to get the best out of your team members. Links: Article: Employee Retention: More Than Just Stopping People Quitting. Resource: Motivating Your Team Audiobook.

Passive leadership happens when leaders fail to take action, and it can be a huge problem for teams and workplaces. In this episode, I look at some key examples of passive leadership as well as ways that you can start taking action to avoid them. Passive leaders will make their teams feel like their situation is hopeless, so don't let this happen in your team! Resource: If you feel like you could benefit from greater leadership confidence to start taking the action you know you should be, sign up for the Leadership Confidence Coaching Program from Thoughtful Leader. Links: Article: Is Passive Leadership Destroying Your Team's Motivation? Resource: Leadership Confidence Coaching Program.

Leading a confident team has several important benefits. In this episode, I talk about these benefits and some of the simple things you can do to help grow the confidence of your team members and put your team in a better place. If you feel like you could benefit from greater leadership confidence or you are leading other managers who could use a boost, be sure to sign up for the Leadership Confidence Coaching Program from Thoughtful Leader. Links: Article: Why Building Team Confidence Should Be a Leadership Priority. Resource: Leadership Confidence Coaching Program.

In this episode I talk about a question I received from someone asking advice about having an insecure boss. Many of us have bad bosses at one time or another, so it's an important question for both leaders and team members alike! I give my thoughts on what to do in this situation and how you can try to make a shift in your manager's behaviour by putting on your "scientist hat" and experimenting with different approaches. The original question was: "My manager is extremely insecure, and he has good reason to be. He is supervising people who are smarter than him and better than him at everything that falls within the scope of work we are performing. He compensates for his lack of legitimate leadership capabilities by exercising arbitrary authority over us regularly to remind us that he is in charge. What can unlucky subordinates do to improve their situation when they find themselves under the thumb of a hopelessly incompetent leader?" Links: Article: Are You an Insecure Leader? Watch for These 10 Signs. Resource: Leadership Confidence Coaching Program.

When I have been the most stressed in my career, it was because I felt like I wasn't supported by my manager. We want to avoid this happening in your team, so in this episode, I cover 6 good ways that you can support your team to stop them from feeling exposed. Listen now and see whether you can do more to support your team, or whether you're on the right track. And leave a comment below with the things you do to support your team! Links: Article: 6 Great Ways to Support Your Team. Resource: Leadership eBook Series.

Directive leadership is not as common as it used to be. In many work environments, you don't get very far if you run your team as a dictatorship. However, this leadership style still has a purpose and can be very effective when used in the right situation. In this episode, Ben talks about what Directive Leadership is and when you might need to use it to get the best results. Links: Article: Directive Leadership: 4 Situations When You Should Be Using It. Resource: Adaptive Leadership eBook.

Fear does bad things to people in our workplaces. Fearful leaders might stay silent when they would normally speak out. They may fail to make a decision when normally they would act. There are many reasons why leaders feel uncomfortable and afraid to leave their jobs - are any of these reasons holding you back? The point is not that we should always be thinking about leaving our jobs. It's that when we feel like we have options, we will act more confidently and freely. In this episode, Ben looks at some ways to grow your confidence and give yourself options to free yourself from fear. Links: Article: Why Your Fear of Leaving Your Job Is Making You a Worse Leader. Article: Corporate Stockholm Syndrome from Psychology Today Resource: Managing Upwards eBook.

Motivation at work is tough - most of us need to work, and we spend more time with the people at work than we often do with our friends and families! Everyone is motivated by different things, and we have a whole range of people from those who love their jobs, to those who'd rather be doing something else that they're passionate about outside of work. Work does play an important part in people's lives, so it's important that as leaders, we try to help our teams feel as motivated as we possibly can. In this episode, Ben talks about the Motivation Spectrum, and how you can move people along the spectrum towards the high motivation end! Links: Audiobook: Motivating Your Team Audiobook. Article: Motivation at Work: Moving Your People Along the Motivation Spectrum. Podcast: Episode 29: 5 Questions to Ask an Unmotivated Team Member.

A challenge for every leader is to overcome limiting beliefs that we have developed over time. Productivity and effectiveness is one area where limiting beliefs can really damage performance as well as the motivation of your team. In this episode, Ben discusses 3 limiting beliefs that might be holding you back and how you can eliminate them. Links: Online Course: Time Management For Leaders Online Course. Article: 3 Limiting Beliefs That Damage Your Productivity. Article: How a Self Fulfilling Prophecy Will Make or Break Your Team.

Supportive leaders are great - but problems can occur when leaders step over the line from being supportive leaders to protective leaders. In this episode, Ben talks about some of the traps that supportive leaders can fall into and some ways to avoid them in your team. Links: Online Course: Time Management For Leaders Online Course. Article: 3 Traps Supportive Leaders Must Avoid. Article: 10 Simple & Effective Tips For Giving Feedback.

Time-wasters at work can really have a big impact on your team's productivity. But that's not all, time-wasters also have the potential to damage team motivation if your people realise that they're not working on tasks that really add value. In this episode, Ben looks at three common time-wasters and how you can avoid introducing them to your team! And don't forget to check out the Time Management for Leaders Online Course, to become a more productive and effective leader for your team. Links: Online Course: Time Management For Leaders Online Course. Article: 3 Major Work Time Wasters That Create an Unhappy Team. Article: Do You Have An Effective Team, or Are You Focused on Busywork?

It's easy for leaders to make assumptions about their teams when things get busy. But there are some assumptions that can really damage motivation in a team. In this episode, Ben talks about these assumptions and how they can damage motivation in your team, as well as how to avoid making them in the first place! Don't forget to check out the new Leadership Confidence Online Course, which is open for pre-sale right now! If you're a leader who wants to build your confidence and feel more secure leading your team, this course could be just what you need - Click here for more details and to enrol now. Links: Article: A Simple & Effective Model For Team Motivation. Article: 4 Leadership Assumptions That Will Decrease Motivation in Your Team. Article: Motivation at Work: Moving Your People Along the Motivation Spectrum.

Communication is a critical leadership skill, but it's often a part of leadership that we get wrong. If you're unable to communicate effectively, you run the risk of demotivating and frustrating your team and the people around you. In this episode, Ben looks at some common communication mistakes, and how we can avoid making them in our teams. As mentioned in this episode, don't forget to check out the new Leadership Confidence Online Course, which is open for pre-sale right now! If you're a leader who wants to build your confidence and feel more secure leading your team, this course could be just what you need - Click here for more details and to enrol now. Links: Article: 3 Communication Mistakes That Will Damage Your Leadership. Article: 5 Good Communication Skills Every Leader Should Focus On.

Confident leadership is not only useful for a leader's wellbeing - it's also great for their team too. In this episode, I look at some ways that confident leadership can help to improve motivation and trust within a team. There are also some tips to help you show confident leadership in your team... even if sometimes, you don't feel like it! Also, don't forget to check out the new Leadership Confidence Online Course, which is open for pre-sale right now! If you're a leader who wants to build your confidence and feel more secure leading your team, this course could be just what you need - Click here for more details.

Open communication is something that is valuable to every leader and team. In this episode, I talk about some of the benefits of open communication in a team, as well as simple ways to start encouraging it in your team. Open up those communication channels... because ignorance is not bliss! Links: Article: 5 Powerful Ways to Create Open Communication in Your Team.

Toxic workplaces are horrible places to be, but they don't just happen by accident. In this episode, Ben talks about some of the ways that toxic behaviour can start to cause problems and then looks at how we can try to do something about it before your workplace turns septic. Resource: If you struggle to have the hard conversations in your team, try the Difficult Conversations eBook, with tools and techniques to help you tackle the tough conversations and get results for your team. Links: Article: Toxic Workplaces: How Leaders Can Stop Them. Article: 3 Ways Leaders Can Survive a Toxic Work Environment.

Employee turnover is a topic that can see leaders breaking out in a cold sweat. However, it's not all bad. In this episode, Ben talks about some of the reasons why turnover in your team can be a good thing. However, it's not always good - Ben also covers some of the situations when you actually should worry about turnover in your team. Links: Article: 5 Reasons Why Employee Turnover is Your Friend. Article: 3 Signs Should Worry You When Team Members Are Quitting.

We all want to hold our teams accountable. In almost every workplace I've been, I hear the familiar phrase "There's just no accountability!" This episode deals with that issue. In this episode, I talk about 4 of the most common reasons why I believe leaders can't hold people accountable, and what we need to be doing to make sure that doesn't happen. After listening to this episode, if you would like more information regarding accountability and how to improve it in your team, be sure to check out the Hold Your Team Accountable eBook. Links: Article: 4 Reasons Why You Can't Hold People Accountable. Resource: Hold Your Team Accountable eBook.

One of the primary causes of bad outcomes in our workplaces is short-term thinking on the part of leaders. Taking action or failing to take necessary action often occurs because we don't take the time to think of the long-term outcomes of what we're doing. In this episode, Ben talks about short-term thinking and some of the simple questions to ask yourself to help you shift from a short-term to a long-term mindset. Links: Article: How Short Term Thinking Leads to Bad Leadership. Resource: Time Management For Leaders Online Course.

It's never fun having a stressed and overworked team. But did you know that all stress is not created equal? In this episode, Ben talks about Eustress vs. Distress and how applying the right amount of pressure to your team can improve work performance, without burning everybody out. Learn how applying just the right amount of pressure and stress can be beneficial to your team. Links: Shownotes: https://www.thoughtfulleader.com/podcast/30/ Article: How to Use Work Pressure to Help Your Team Thrive.

Early in my career I remember thinking that people who were unmotivated at work were just "slackers". Now, my perspective has changed a lot, because I believe that one of the biggest factors in motivation is the work environment and how people are treated, rather than it all being up to the individual. In this episode, I talk about some questions you might try asking your unmotivated team members, to try to uncover the root causes of motivation issues, so you can improve the situation. Links: Article: 5 Questions to Ask An Unmotivated Team Member. Article: Improve Motivation In Your Team With This Simple Theory. Article: 4 Job Satisfaction Killers That Are Demotivating Your Team. Audiobook: Motivating Your Team Audiobook. Online Course: Time Management For Leaders Online Course.