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Published by Ben Brearley
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.
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It is possible to be talented at your work without enjoying it. Over time, this can create stress and leave you feeling stuck, especially when you have invested years in a profession or industry. In this episode, Ben shares questions that can help you think more openly about your career direction. He invites you to imagine your ideal job, notice the activities that put you into a state of flow, consider the lifestyle you want around your work, identify the parts of your role that create the most stress, and recognise the work you enjoy most. The aim is not necessarily to abandon your career, but to find ways to adjust your direction so it fits you better. Key points Being good at a type of work does not necessarily mean you enjoy it. Imagine your ideal role five years from now without limiting yourself to your current position. Notice which activities absorb you so completely that you lose track of time. Consider your whole life when thinking about career direction, including hours, flexibility, remote work and in-person work. Identify the tasks that create the most stress and consider what they reveal about your values and motivation. Think about which parts of your current or previous roles you enjoy most. A better career direction may involve adjusting your current work rather than starting again completely. Key takeaway Your future career direction should reflect not only what you are good at, but also what you enjoy, what gives you energy and the kind of life you want your work to support. Resources mentioned Article: Flow by Psychology Today . Book: Flow . Work with Ben: Leadership coaching. Leave a comment! Which parts of your work put you into a state of flow, and what might they reveal about your future career direction?
Starting a new leadership role often comes with pressure to make an impact. That pressure can tempt leaders to change things too quickly, rely too heavily on what worked in a previous role, or accept other people's assumptions about the team. In this episode, Ben explores four common mistakes leaders make when entering a new role. He explains why it is important to understand the context behind current ways of working, listen to the experience already in the team, balance the needs of senior leaders with those of team members, and gather evidence before making changes. Key points Avoid changing things simply to prove that you are making an impact. Do not assume that methods from a previous role will work in a different team, organisation or industry. Form your own view of the team instead of treating other people's opinions as fact. Learn the context behind existing practices before deciding they are ineffective. Avoid aligning so closely with your boss or senior leadership that you ignore your team's experience and input. Gather information, get to know the team and use evidence to support any changes you make. Key takeaway Before putting your stamp on a new leadership role, take time to understand the team and its context. Thoughtful, evidence-based changes are more useful than changes made simply to create an impression. Resources mentioned Work with Ben: Leadership coaching. Leave a comment! What mistakes have you made when starting a new leadership role, and what
Empowering your team. Delegating effectively. Asking people for their input. Taking time to think. Staying quiet so others can contribute. These can all be signs of good leadership. But what happens when the people around you perceive them differently? Sometimes thoughtful leadership behaviours can be perceived as weakness, indecisiveness, lack of visibility or a failure to take charge. In this episode, I explore why this happens and what thoughtful leaders can do to manage perceptions without abandoning the way they want to lead. In this episode, you'll learn: Why empowering someone else can be interpreted as taking a back seat. How effective delegation can sometimes be mistaken for avoiding work. Why staying quiet in meetings can hurt perceptions of your visibility. How taking time to think may be mistaken for indecisiveness. Why asking for input can sometimes be interpreted as not knowing what to do. Why more direct and authoritative leaders may judge thoughtful leadership differently. How your position as a leader can make visibility more important than you realise. Why relationships influence how people interpret your leadership. How to distinguish intentional thoughtful leadership from simply avoiding stepping forward. Why being transparent about your leadership style can help manage perceptions. Resources Podcast episode: #319: How to be authentic in your leadership role. Work with Ben: Leadership coaching . What do you think? Have you ever been criticised for a leadership behaviour that you believed was actually good leadership? Or have you seen thoughtful leadership interpreted as weakness? Leave a comment on the show notes page or on Spotify.
Many leadership courses include a values exercise. Usually, you're given a long list of values and asked to choose the ones that seem most important to you. That can be a useful starting point, but it doesn't always tell you much about what those values mean or how they influence your life and leadership. Your strongest values are often revealed through your experiences, emotional reactions and the people you admire. In this episode, I share four questions that can help you uncover and understand your values more deeply. In this episode, you'll learn: Why simply choosing words from a values list may not go far enough. How a proud moment can reveal a value that was being fulfilled. Why anger or frustration may signal that an important value was compromised. How periods when life was going well can reveal the conditions you value. What the people you admire can teach you about your own values. Why it can be useful to identify five to seven important values. How ongoing reflection helps you refine your understanding over time. Why values awareness can help you lead and live more confidently. Resources The Useful Values Journal : A free digital journal that guides you through identifying, reflecting on and refining your personal values. Understand Your Values online course : A guided online course for exploring your values in greater depth (use the coupon code TLVALUES for a discount). Values list: A list of values can help you identify possible words after reflecting on your experiences. Related essay from Ben's other website: Who do you think you are? What do you think? Which of these four questions gives you the strongest response? Are there any other questions you use to understand your values? Leave a comment on the show notes page below or join the discussion on Spotify .
Most leaders probably don't think of themselves as particularly self-interested. However, self-interest doesn't only appear through obvious behaviours such as political manoeuvring, blaming others or trying to climb the career ladder at someone else's expense. It can also appear in small, everyday moments. Checking a message while someone is talking. Repeatedly cancelling one-on-one meetings. Being consistently unavailable. Failing to take an interest in someone's career development. These actions may not come from bad intentions, but they can still make people feel unimportant. In this episode, I explore small, medium and large examples of self-interest and consider how they affect trust, morale and leadership credibility. In this episode, you'll learn: Why self-interest can derail otherwise capable leaders. How distraction and a lack of attention can make people feel unimportant. Why repeatedly cancelling one-on-ones damages relationships. How constant busyness can begin to look like self-interest. Why supporting career development is an important leadership responsibility. How blaming, avoiding accountability and political manoeuvring destroy trust. Why the perception of self-interest matters, even when it isn't your intention. How focusing on others can ultimately improve your own leadership results. Resources Leadership coaching: Work with Ben. What do you think? What examples of self-interest have you seen from leaders? Do you sometimes notice any of these behaviours in yourself? Leave a comment on the show notes page below or join the discussion on Spotify .
At some point in your leadership career, you may find yourself leading someone who has significantly more experience than you. They may be older than you, have spent decades in your industry or possess technical knowledge that you don't have. This can feel intimidating, especially when you believe that being the leader means you should have all the answers. However, leadership isn't necessarily about being the most experienced person in the room. In this episode, I share practical ideas for leading experienced people, benefiting from their expertise and maintaining your own leadership authority. In this episode, you'll learn: Why leading more experienced people is becoming increasingly common. How asking for people's opinions can build trust and motivation. Why experienced people may react badly when their expertise is ignored. How experienced team members can help develop others. Why you shouldn't defer to experienced employees on every decision. How to clarify your decision-making process. Why leadership skills can be valuable even when you have less technical experience. How your access to senior leaders gives you organisational context that your team may not have. Resources Coaching: Work with Ben. What do you think? Have you led someone who had significantly more experience than you? What helped you build trust and lead them effectively? Leave a comment on the show notes page or join the discussion on Spotify .
Leading people from different cultural backgrounds can be incredibly rewarding, but it also brings unique challenges. People's expectations about leadership, communication, teamwork and decision making are often influenced by the cultures they've grown up in. In this episode, I explore Geert Hofstede's well-known cultural dimensions framework and discuss how leaders can use it as a guide to better understand their teams, while avoiding the trap of stereotyping individuals. In this episode, you'll learn: Why culture can influence how people behave at work The six cultural dimensions identified by Geert Hofstede How power distance can affect communication with leaders Why individualistic and collectivist cultures approach teamwork differently How different cultures respond to uncertainty, achievement and long-term thinking Why cultural frameworks should be used as a guide, not a label Resources mentioned Hofstede's Culture Factor Country Comparison Tool: https://www.theculturefactor.com/country-comparison-tool Leadership Coaching: Work with Ben. What do you think? Have you noticed the cultural differences in your team impacting the way you work together?
Leadership 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?
Professional 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?
Many 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.
The 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/
Many 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/
Difficult 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
Do 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 .
Is 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.
In 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 .
In 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.
In this episode, Ben explores how confidence is often linked to the conditions surrounding our work rather than being a fixed personal trait. When people lose confidence, it can feel as though something internal has changed. However, Ben suggests that confidence is frequently influenced by external factors such as preparation, clarity, experience and support. One practical approach is to reflect on situations where you previously felt confident and performed well. By identifying the conditions that were present in those situations, you can begin to recreate them and give yourself a better foundation for confidence again. This perspective helps leaders focus on shaping the environment and conditions that support confidence rather than trying to force confidence through willpower alone. Resources mentioned in this episode: Work with Ben.
In this episode, Ben introduces the idea of secret leadership . This is when leaders try to implement leadership techniques with their team without explaining what they are doing or why. This often happens after leaders attend training, read a leadership book, or learn a new approach they want to try. Instead of openly discussing it with their team, they quietly introduce changes. Ben suggests this can happen because leaders feel a sense of embarrassment or vulnerability about admitting they are trying something new or changing their leadership approach. However, implementing leadership ideas "by stealth" can backfire. Team members may notice the changes anyway and react sceptically or roll their eyes because they don't understand the purpose behind them. Ben argues that a better approach is to be open about what you're trying to do. By explaining what you've noticed, what you've learned and what you're hoping to improve, you involve your team in the process rather than quietly applying techniques without explanation Resources mentioned in this episode: Brené Brown – work on vulnerability and trust Work with Ben.
In this episode, Ben explores the common leadership advice that if you have a problem with someone, you should speak to that person directly. While this idea is widely recommended, many leaders still hesitate to have these conversations because they feel uncomfortable or worry about how the other person might react. Ben discusses why avoiding the conversation can allow issues to linger and sometimes make the situation worse. Instead of hoping the problem will disappear, leaders often benefit from addressing the issue with the person involved so it can be clarified and resolved. At the same time, the episode highlights the importance of approaching these conversations thoughtfully. The goal is not confrontation for its own sake, but resolving misunderstandings and improving the working relationship. Resources mentioned in this episode: Work with Ben.
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Observed September 16, 2026. Cached outside the daily freshness window; the positions keep the date they were taken on.
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