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.
Confidence 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 Intro 00:49 Meet Linda Bad Manager 01:42 Why Leaders Doubt 03:41 Skills Gap vs Imposter 05:09 Healthy Nerves Reframe 06:18 Confidence Is Uncertainty 06:42 Practical Confidence Tools 09:06 Boundaries and Impact 09:55 Vulnerability Builds Trust 10:41 Daily Confidence Habits 11:51 Speak Up With Authority 12:53 Key Takeaways Summary 13:46 Get Support and Closing Useful links: The Digital Academy Online Course Free Resources and more information on Kate's coaching programmes Buy the "How to Lead" book Connect with Kate on LinkedIn Follow Kate on TikTok Contact Kate https://www.waterfallhill.co.uk/links
Kicking 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 Highlights 00:00 Summer Season Intro 00:30 Delegation Episode Setup 01:01 Linda Bad Manager Skit 02:00 Delegation Dilemma 02:17 Two Delegator Types 03:02 Delegation Checklist 03:56 Set Clear Expectations 04:11 Enable Understanding 04:42 Support System Check Ins 05:11 Real World Examples 05:46 Practical Next Steps 06:13 Common Pitfalls 06:42 Summary And Wrap Up 07:29 Outro And Call To Action Useful links: The Digital Academy Online Course Free Resources and more information on Kate's coaching programmes Buy the "How to Lead" book Connect with Kate on LinkedIn Follow Kate on TikTok Contact Kate https://www.waterfallhill.co.uk/links
In 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 Highlights 00:00 Back to Back Meetings 00:54 Meetings Skit 01:28 Busy vs Effective 03:09 Leader Value Shift 04:24 Comfort Blanket Trap 06:51 Diary Is Leadership 07:27 Audit Recurring Meetings 07:57 Protect Thinking Time 08:29 Say No Ruthlessly 08:45 Over Reliance Warning 09:40 Wrap Up and Next Steps 10:02 Subscribe and Closing Useful links: The Digital Academy Online Course Free Resources and more information on Kate's coaching programmes Buy the "How to Lead" book Connect with Kate on LinkedIn Follow Kate on TikTok Contact Kate https://www.waterfallhill.co.uk/links
In 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 Setup 00:26 Meet Your Host 00:55 The Three Diagnoses 02:41 Clarity Gap Fixes 04:27 Capability Gap Coaching 06:27 Identity Versus Scale 07:25 Consequence Gap Systems 08:32 Five Step Reset Plan 10:16 Coaching And Accelerator 11:12 Final Takeaway And Outro Useful links: The Digital Academy Online Course Free Resources and more information on Kate's coaching programmes Buy the "How to Lead" book Connect with Kate on LinkedIn Follow Kate on TikTok Contact Kate https://www.waterfallhill.co.uk/links
In 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 Wait 00:39 Welcome and Setup 01:17 The Linda Problem 01:39 Waiting Is Learned 02:37 What Waiting Looks Like 03:51 How Leaders Teach Waiting 06:08 The Quality Control Dilemma 06:58 Shift One Boundaries 08:13 Shift Two Coaching 09:19 Shift Three Debrief 10:36 Staying Consistent Under Pressure 11:48 Two Diagnostic Tests 12:42 Three Actions Next Week 14:02 Wrap Up and Next Steps 14:34 Outro and Subscribe Useful links: The Digital Academy Online Course Free Resources and more information on Kate's coaching programmes Buy the "How to Lead" book Connect with Kate on LinkedIn Follow Kate on TikTok Contact Kate https://www.waterfallhill.co.uk/links
Why 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 Back 00:19 Meet Your Host 01:26 The Linda Scenario 01:52 The Control Trap 02:53 Standards In Your Head 04:04 Identity And Tradeoffs 04:43 Different Versus Worse 05:54 Four Shifts This Week 06:33 What Happens If You Dont 07:02 Wrap Up And Next Steps Useful links: The Digital Academy Online Course Free Resources and more information on Kate's coaching programmes Buy the "How to Lead" book Connect with Kate on LinkedIn Follow Kate on TikTok Contact Kate https://www.waterfallhill.co.uk/links
How 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 Damage 00:51 Linda Gets It Wrong 01:37 Why Disagreement Turns Personal 02:28 Separate Ego From Ideas 03:40 Steady Phrases That Work 04:13 The Hidden Cost of Avoidance 05:36 Tone Drives the Room 06:54 Language That Holds Authority 07:36 Five Practices to Try 08:58 Get Support and Practice 09:47 Final Takeaways and Outro Useful links: The Digital Academy Online Course Free Resources and more information on Kate's coaching programmes Buy the "How to Lead" book Connect with Kate on LinkedIn Follow Kate on TikTok Contact Kate https://www.waterfallhill.co.uk/links
How 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 Attitudes 00:46 Linda’s Team Dilemma 01:42 Stop Avoiding the Talk 02:32 Lead With Curiosity 03:19 Behavior vs Capability 04:25 Say It Early Cleanly 05:12 Ask Listen Understand 06:01 Look in the Mirror 06:44 Set Clear Expectations 07:32 From Curiosity to Accountability 08:11 Weekly Practice Checklist 09:00 Wrap Up and Next Steps Useful links: The Digital Academy Online Course Free Resources and more information on Kate's coaching programmes Buy the "How to Lead" book Connect with Kate on LinkedIn Follow Kate on TikTok Contact Kate https://www.waterfallhill.co.uk/links
How 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 Shifts 00:21 Meet Kate and Resources 01:01 Linda’s Pivot Chaos 01:50 Why Teams Feel Unsteady 02:39 Orientation Over Certainty 03:58 Re Anchor Before Redirect 04:35 Three Part Change Message 05:42 Name Volatility Calmly 06:10 Adaptability Builds Trust 07:13 Decision Fatigue Signals 08:07 Create Cadence and Rhythm 08:53 Handle Frustration Moments 09:42 Stay Steady as Leader 10:20 Three Actions for Next Week 11:10 Why This Wins Markets 11:52 Final Takeaways and Outro Useful links: The Digital Academy Online Course Free Resources and more information on Kate's coaching programmes Buy the "How to Lead" book Connect with Kate on LinkedIn Follow Kate on TikTok Contact Kate
In 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 Leadership 01:01 Linda's Leadership Example 01:50 The Shift from Engine Room to Strategy Room 03:21 Recognizing Engine Room Leadership 04:16 Reasons Leaders Get Stuck in the Engine Room 05:35 Signals It's Time to Move to the Strategy Room 06:22 Concrete Changes for Strategic Leadership 09:12 Practical Steps to Shift to Strategic Leadership 10:16 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Useful links: The Digital Academy Online Course Free Resources and more information on Kate's coaching programmes Buy the "How to Lead" book Connect with Kate on LinkedIn Follow Kate on TikTok Contact Kate
In this episode of 'How to Lead,' discover how when everything feels urgent in organisations it can affect team performance and morale. Kate explains how urgency is often a result of poor prioritisation and offers practical strategies to distinguish real urgency from noise. Learn about the DISC profiling tool to understand how different personality types handle urgency, and get concrete tips to reset pace without sacrificing momentum. Episode Highlights: 00:00 Introduction: Why Everything Feels Urgent 00:20 Meet Your Host: Kate Waterfall Hill 00:48 Today's Topic: The Illusion of Urgency 00:56 Linda's Team Meeting: A Case Study 01:29 Understanding the Real Problem 01:50 The Impact of Urgency on Teams 02:06 The Role of Leadership in Creating Urgency 04:48 How Different Personalities Handle Urgency 06:10 The Risks of a Permanent Urgent Culture 06:57 Distinguishing Real Urgency from Noise 07:59 A Practical Model for Prioritization 09:50 Rebalancing Fast Pace with Quality 10:30 Practical Checklist for Leaders 11:27 Final Thoughts and Next Steps 12:02 Conclusion: Lead with Clarity, Care, and Curiosity Useful links: The Digital Academy Online Course Free Resources and more information on Kate's coaching programmes Buy the "How to Lead" book Connect with Kate on LinkedIn Follow Kate on TikTok Contact Kate
In this episode of the 'How to Lead' podcast, Kate provides practical tools and strategies for building trust as a new leader in a team. She emphasises the importance of vulnerability, consistency, clear communication, and understanding team dynamics. Key tips include observing before acting, being explicit about work expectations, maintaining reliability, and fostering a collaborative environment. Episode Highlights 00:00 Introduction to Building Trust as a New Leader 01:13 Common Misconceptions About Leadership 02:10 Practical Steps to Build Trust 05:34 Five Key Actions to Build Trust 07:19 Engaging with Your Team 09:11 Common Mistakes New Leaders Make 09:53 Leadership Development and Support 11:05 Addressing Team Dynamics 12:02 Final Thoughts on Building Trust 12:30 Conclusion and Call to Action Useful links: The Digital Academy Online Course Free Resources and more information on Kate's coaching programmes Buy the "How to Lead" book Connect with Kate on LinkedIn Follow Kate on TikTok Contact Kate
Kate discusses why teams often fail to take ownership and provides actionable strategies to fix this issue. She emphasises creating conditions for genuine ownership by stepping back, granting real decision-making power, setting clear outcomes, and integrating ownership into regular work rhythms. Leaders are encouraged to foster a culture of belief and trust within their teams, which in turn can lead to sustainable and effective leadership. Episode Highlights 00:00 Introduction: Why Your Team Doesn't Take Ownership 00:21 Meet Kate Waterfall Hill: Your Leadership Coach 01:09 The Hidden Burden of Low Ownership 02:30 Linda's Story: A Case Study in Ownership 03:33 Leadership Design Problems 04:07 Four Habits That Undermine Ownership 06:43 Four Ways to Foster Ownership 08:40 Closing Reflections: Shifting Leadership Habits 09:17 Conclusion: Lead with Clarity, Care, and Curiosity Useful links: The Digital Academy Online Course Free Resources and more information on Kate's coaching programmes Buy the "How to Lead" book Connect with Kate on LinkedIn Follow Kate on TikTok Contact Kate
In this episode of 'How to Lead,' leadership coach Kate shares the top five leadership techniques essential for managers and leaders. She emphasises the importance of outcome-based delegation, consistent one-to-ones, clarity first principles, high-quality feedback, and balancing direction, support, and accountability. Featuring practical examples and frameworks, Kate provides actionable strategies to help leaders create thriving teams and achieve positive results. Episode Highlights 00:00 Introduction to Leadership Techniques 01:03 Linda's Satirical Leadership Tips 01:42 The Importance of Practical Leadership Techniques 02:30 Technique 1: Outcome-Based Delegation 04:38 Technique 2: Consistent One-to-Ones 06:17 Technique 3: Clarity First Principle 07:35 The Role of Self-Awareness in Leadership 09:31 Technique 4: High-Quality Feedback 11:15 Technique 5: The Leadership Triangle 12:51 Recap and Final Thoughts 14:08 Conclusion and Call to Action Useful links: The Digital Academy Online Course Free Resources and more information on Kate's coaching programmes Buy the "How to Lead" book Connect with Kate on LinkedIn Follow Kate on TikTok Contact Kate
In this episode of 'How to Lead,' leadership coach Kate dives into managing underperformance, a challenge that affects all leaders. Kate shares practical tools and strategies to address underperformance in a structured, calm, and human way. Learn how to handle different types of employee responses and the importance of consistency in follow-up. The episode concludes with self-reflection questions to help leaders improve their approach to managing underperformance. Episode Highlights: 00:00 Introduction to Managing Under Performance 02:05 Common Mistakes in Handling Under Performance 03:20 Understanding the Root Causes of Under Performance 05:26 Effective Conversations for Managing Under Performance 07:09 The LECA Framework for Performance Conversations 08:53 Handling Different Types of Responses 10:26 When to Escalate: Reset Conversations and Formal Processes 12:10 Consistency and Self-Reflection in Leadership 13:37 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Useful links: The Digital Academy Online Course Free Resources and more information on Kate's coaching programmes Buy the "How to Lead" book Connect with Kate on LinkedIn Follow Kate on TikTok Contact Kate
Kate kicks off the new year with a strategic reflection and planning process for 2026. The episode includes actionable steps and a workbook (link below) to help leaders enhance their effectiveness, with practical tools for weekly touch points, team discussions, personal leadership plans, and creating a shock-absorbent leadership approach. The episode aims to help leaders cultivate clarity, care, and curiosity, and ultimately, a more impactful and adaptable leadership style in 2026. Episode Highlights: 00:00 Reflecting and Planning for 2026 00:55 Introduction and Setting Up for Success 01:01 Linda the Bad Manager: A Lesson in Self-Awareness 02:24 The Reality of January for Leaders 03:21 A Fresh Strategic Model for 2026 Planning 06:26 The Three Rooms Model 07:56 Setting Intentions, Not Resolutions 09:24 Planning Through the Lens of Energy 10:44 Designing Your Year with Leadership Touch Points 11:43 Planning with Your Team 12:59 Creating a One Page Personal Leadership Plan 13:53 Planning for the Unexpected 14:48 Day One, Week One Action List 15:38 Closing Reflections and Final Thoughts Useful links: The Reflect & Plan Workbook The Digital Academy Online Course Free Resources and more information on Kate's coaching programmes Buy the "How to Lead" book Connect with Kate on LinkedIn Follow Kate on TikTok Contact Kate
In this episode of the How to Lead Podcast, Kate provides practical tools, techniques, and strategies for managing Gen X and Baby Boomer employees successfully. Managing experience can be just as tricky as managing inexperience, and in this episode Kate highlights the importance of respect for expertise, clarity over charisma, and the benefits of tech integration without condescension, with actionable tips. Episode Highlights: 00:00 Introduction to Managing Gen X and Boomers 00:54 Understanding the Generational Spectrum 01:43 Alice's Story: A Lesson in Assumptions 02:48 Challenges in Managing Experienced Employees 03:45 Four Key Lessons for Managing Experienced Colleagues 05:53 Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them 07:25 Practical Tips for Immediate Implementation 07:55 Conclusion: Respect, Relevance, and Relationship JOIN MY COMMUNITY: Subscribe HERE if you’d like new podcast episodes delivered right to your inbox along with weekly tips, tools, and musings. Have you subscribed yet? It would mean so much to me if you would SUBSCRIBE, SHARE OR REVIEW the How to Lead podcast wherever you get your podcasts! Useful links: Free Resources and more information on Kate's coaching programmes Buy the "How to Lead" book Connect with Kate on LinkedIn Follow Kate on TikTok Contact Kate
In this episode of 'How to Lead,' Kate delves into the critical challenge of building and sustaining trust in hybrid and remote teams. Drawing from her extensive leadership experience, she outlines practical habits to strengthen trust, address common pitfalls like proximity bias, and promote equity in meetings. Through a mix of strategic insights, Kate emphasises the importance of consistent behaviours, clear communication, and intentional connection to foster a thriving hybrid work environment. Episode Highlights: 00:00 Introduction to Hybrid Leadership 00:57 The Importance of Trust in Hybrid Teams 04:08 Common Pitfalls in Hybrid Work 05:41 Core Principles of Trust 06:38 Practical Strategies for Leading Hybrid Teams 10:01 The Role of Office Policies in Hybrid Work 12:00 Feedback and Iteration in Hybrid Work 12:48 Conclusion and Homework JOIN MY COMMUNITY: Subscribe HERE if you’d like new podcast episodes delivered right to your inbox along with weekly tips, tools, and musings. Have you subscribed yet? It would mean so much to me if you would SUBSCRIBE, SHARE OR REVIEW the How to Lead podcast wherever you get your podcasts! Useful links: Free Resources and more information on Kate's coaching programmes Buy the "How to Lead" book Connect with Kate on LinkedIn Follow Kate on TikTok Contact Kate
In this episode of 'How to Lead,' Kate delves into the critical skill of prioritising tasks and managing to-do lists. She discusses common pitfalls leaders face, such as the confusion between urgency and importance, and ineffective delegation. Kate provides actionable strategies including the Eisenhower Matrix, impact vs. effort grids, the 1-3-5 Rule, and the 'Hell Yes' test to ensure leaders can focus on what truly matters. Episode Highlights: 00:00 Introduction to Prioritising and To-Do Lists 00:58 Common Struggles with To-Do Lists 01:48 Linda's To-Do List Dilemma 02:52 The Importance of Prioritization 04:50 Effective To-Do List Strategies 05:07 Prioritization Frameworks 06:33 Daily Prioritization Techniques 09:09 Communicating and Reviewing Priorities 12:02 Conclusion and Reflective Questions JOIN MY COMMUNITY: Subscribe HERE if you’d like new podcast episodes delivered right to your inbox along with weekly tips, tools, and musings. Have you subscribed yet? It would mean so much to me if you would SUBSCRIBE, SHARE OR REVIEW the How to Lead podcast wherever you get your podcasts! Useful links: Free Resources and more information on Kate's coaching programmes Buy the "How to Lead" book Connect with Kate on LinkedIn Follow Kate on TikTok Contact Kate
Celebrating one year of leadership insights. In this special anniversary episode of the How to Lead podcast, Kate celebrates the podcast's one-year milestone with a guest appearance from Linda the bad manager. Together, they reflect on the top 10 episodes from the past year, discussing key leadership themes such as clarity, delegation, feedback, and the importance of intentional leadership. The episode emphasises the transformative power of clear communication, caring leadership, and curiosity in creating thriving teams, with a reminder from Linda of how easy it is to slip into habits that look like management, but aren't actually real leadership. Episode Highlights 00:00 Introduction and Anniversary Announcement 01:13 Meet Linda: The Bad Manager 02:50 Reflecting on a Year of Leadership Lessons 05:59 Top 10 Most Listened Episodes 08:50 Linda's Leadership Epiphany 10:06 Conclusion and Future Outlook JOIN MY COMMUNITY: Subscribe HERE if you’d like new podcast episodes delivered right to your inbox along with weekly tips, tools, and musings. Have you subscribed yet? It would mean so much to me if you would SUBSCRIBE, SHARE OR REVIEW the How to Lead podcast wherever you get your podcasts! Useful links: Free Resources and more information on Kate's coaching programmes Buy the "How to Lead" book Connect with Kate on LinkedIn Follow Kate on TikTok Contact Kate
