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PODCAST

The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with 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.

business management

All Episodes

14:53

#286: You Have the Power to Choose Your Response

The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley ·

2025/07/13

Ever reacted emotionally and regretted it? You’re not the only one! In this episode, I talk about the powerful concept of “the gap” – the space between your emotions and the response you choose to take. It’s a concept that helps you lead more calmly and effectively, even under pressure. You’ll learn: How Viktor Frankl’s experience inspired this simple but powerful leadership skill Practical ways to pause and choose your response in the moment; and How to avoid reacting emotionally in challenging

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14:28

#285: Common Misconceptions About Kind Leadership

The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley ·

2025/07/06

Kind leadership isn’t about being nice all the time. It’s about leading with respect and care, without falling into the trap of people-pleasing. In this episode, I unpack some of the common misconceptions about kind leadership. Thoughtful leaders often gravitate towards kindness, but it can backfire if we confuse kindness with always saying yes or avoiding difficult conversations. You’ll hear: Why kindness doesn’t mean weakness The difference between being nice and being kind How to set boundaries

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14:14

#284: How to lead an ambitious employee

The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley ·

2025/06/29

Ambitious team members can be exciting to lead, but they can also be tricky to manage. So how do you support them without burning out yourself? In this episode, I explore what to do when you’re leading someone with big goals, a strong drive, and a desire to move quickly. These employees often have great potential but without the right leadership, they can become frustrated, disengaged or even disruptive to your team. If you’ve got a team member who’s eager for more, this episode will help you

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12:09

#283: Why Thoughtful Leaders stay in jobs for too...

The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley ·

2025/06/22

Are you staying in a job that no longer supports you, just because you feel loyal to your team or unsure of your next step? It’s a common challenge for thoughtful leaders. In this episode, I explore why we sometimes stay too long in roles that aren’t working, and how to start thinking clearly about whether it’s time to move on. What You’ll Learn: Why staying to “protect” your team might actually hold everyone back How toxic leadership can damage your self-esteem and confidence Why trying

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12:08

#282: Feel confident without being the loudest

The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley ·

2025/06/15

Can you be a confident leader without being the loudest in the room? Absolutely. This is a common challenge for thoughtful, introspective leaders. We often feel pressure to be more outgoing or “on show” to be seen as confident. In this episode, I explore how to build genuine leadership confidence without changing who you are. What You’ll Learn: Why the “shoulds” are holding you back How to reframe what effective leadership really looks like Why it’s OK to be quieter – and how it can

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12:46

#281: Q&A - How do I speak up more in meetings?

The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley ·

2025/06/08

Feeling stuck in silence during meetings, even when you have something valuable to say? You’re not alone. In this episode, I respond to a listener question about how to speak up more in meetings – a common challenge for many thoughtful, quieter leaders. If you're someone who finds it hard to contribute when others are dominating the conversation, or you feel like everything worth saying has already been said, this one is for you. What You’ll Learn Why this is only a problem if someone sees

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13:36

#280: Do you know when to collaborate?

The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley ·

2025/05/27

Episode Summary Collaboration is often seen as the default approach in leadership, but it's not always the most effective choice. In this episode, Ben Brearley explores a practical model to help leaders decide when to collaborate and when another strategy might be more appropriate. By understanding the dynamics of goals and relationships, leaders can make more intentional decisions that benefit both their objectives and their teams. In This Episode, You'll Learn The importance of assessing both

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12:53

#279: Simple steps for a more effective week

The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley ·

2025/05/13

Episode Summary In this episode, Ben Brearley shares three straightforward strategies to help leaders feel more in control, reduce stress, and make better use of their time each week. These practical steps are designed to enhance your effectiveness without adding complexity to your schedule. In This Episode, You'll Learn The distinction between being effective and feeling effective How to create a simple weekly plan using time blocks Techniques for breaking down tasks to fit into your schedule

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13:01

#278: How to help your overwhelmed team

The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley ·

2025/04/29

Episode Summary Feeling overwhelmed is a common challenge in today's workplaces. In this episode, Ben Brearley delves into practical strategies to support team members grappling with stress and burnout. Ben offers actionable advice to help leaders navigate this pervasive issue. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Identifying Overwhelm: Recognize signs of stress and burnout in your team. Clarifying Workload: Assist team members in assessing the feasibility of their tasks. Categorizing Tasks: Help

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14:24

#277: Are you enabling bad behaviour in your team?

The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley ·

2025/04/15

Episode Summary Sometimes, despite our best intentions, we can accidentally enable bad behaviour within our teams. In this episode, Ben explores three subtle but powerful ways leaders might unintentionally allow bad behaviour to grow and how to address it before it causes bigger issues. In This Episode, You'll Learn: How being unavailable to your team can create opportunities for bad behaviour to go unnoticed. Why addressing only the symptoms (not the real issue) can allow bad behaviour to

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12:56

#276: How to stop taking things personally

The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley ·

2025/04/01

Welcome to Episode 276 of the Thoughtful Leader Podcast! In this episode, we explore why thoughtful leaders tend to take things personally and how to break free from this habit. If you find yourself internalising feedback, criticism, or workplace challenges, this episode is for you. In This Episode, You’ll Learn: Why thoughtful leaders are prone to taking things personally. The impact of personalizing feedback and criticism on leadership effectiveness. Practical strategies to create separation

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11:34

#275: Not-so-obvious reasons for a “bad” employee

The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley ·

2025/03/18

Welcome to Episode 275 of the Thoughtful Leader Podcast! In this episode, we explore why an employee might appear “bad” and uncover some hidden reasons behind poor performance and behaviour. Before jumping to conclusions, it’s essential to dig deeper and find out what’s really going on. In This Episode, You’ll Learn: Why an employee might be struggling – skill gaps, motivation issues, or personal challenges. How leadership style and team dynamics play a role in shaping employee behavior. Actionable

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12:50

#274: Should you be yourself, or adapt to your...

The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley ·

2025/03/04

Welcome to Episode 274 of the Thoughtful Leader Podcast! In this episode, we explore the balance between authenticity and adaptability in leadership. Should you stay true to your natural style, or adjust to meet the preferences of those around you? Let’s dive in. In This Episode, You’ll Learn: The Benefits of Being Authentic: How staying true to yourself can build trust and make leadership more effortless. The Drawbacks of Rigidity: Why sticking strictly to your natural style might not always serve

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25:32

#273: Q&A Episode - How do you motivate other leaders...

The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley ·

2025/02/18

In this Q&A episode, we dive into an important topic: How to Keep Supervisors Motivated in Leadership Roles. Supervisors are the middle layer between senior management and the front line. In many ways, they set the scene and role model the behaviours that you want the front line employees to be following. So what happens when your supervisors aren’t motivated? Well… not good stuff. In This Episode, You’ll Learn: ✅ Why demotivated supervisors can impact team performance ✅ How leaders can create

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14:39

#272: Feel like you need to micromanage your team?...

The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley ·

2025/02/03

Micromanagement is not a good thing, but I think it’s natural to feel like doing it sometimes. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to reduce the habit! In this episode I take a look at the problems with micromanagement, and how you can reduce the feeling that you need to do it with your team. Interested in working with me? Book your free 30-minute consultation, where we'll discuss your goals and challenges and how my coaching may be able to help. Then we can decide whether we're a good fit to

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12:40

#271: Got a favourite employee? Watch out for these...

The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley ·

2025/01/20

If you have a favourite employee at work, you aren’t the only one! Good employees are like gold – they help you out, make your job less stressful and lighten the load. But… there’s always a but… what is happening in the team when you have a favourite employee? Let’s find out in this episode. Interested in working with me? Book your free 30-minute consultation, where we'll discuss your goals and challenges and how my coaching may be able to help. Then we can decide whether we're a good fit to

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12:13

#270: Why the blame game is not helping you (or your...

The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley ·

2025/01/06

Blaming others is a common past time in many workplaces. And it’s so easy to slip into the habit of blaming, because we want to protect ourselves and let everyone know it wasn’t our fault! In this episode I look at some of the reasons why we blame, and what to try doing instead. After all, it’s not helping you or your team! Interested in working with me? Book your free 30-minute consultation, where we'll discuss your goals and challenges and how my coaching may be able to help. Then we can

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18:25

#269: How to accept feedback in a useful way

The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley ·

2024/12/10

The phrase “feedback is a gift” is pretty common in many workplaces. While feedback can be a great way to know how you’re doing and to improve, it can also be a bad thing. Many people are terrible at giving feedback, so accepting it all would be a mistake. In this episode I take a look at how to decide whether to accept or reject feedback, and how to use feedback to keep improving. >>> Struggling to accept that feedback you received? Reflect on it using The Useful Thinking Journal. It will help

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11:28

#268: Why being low in confidence can be a good thing.

The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley ·

2024/11/27

Everyone wants to feel more confident, because we worry less and feel as if we’ve got everything under control. The problem is, we all have those self-doubting thoughts from time to time. And the more you push yourself and improve, you’ll be putting yourself in new situations which will stretch you even more, and potentially make you feel even less confident! But, what if your lack of confidence could actually be a good thing? I reckon it is, and that’s what I’ll talk about in this episode. >>>

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11:29

#267: Leadership beliefs that will help your team.

The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley ·

2024/11/13

Our beliefs shape the actions we take, which makes a big difference in how we lead. In this episode, I’m going to look at some key beliefs which can make a positive difference on your team. But what if you don’t have these beliefs? Well, I’ll discuss that too. >>> Stop overthinking, make sense of your emotions and start taking action: The Useful Thinking Journal. Interested in working with me? If you're ready to improve your leadership situation, click the link to apply for your complimentary

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306 results

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