The Leader's Kitbag

In part two of our conversation, we shift gears from nutrition to the leadership journey behind Huel’s explosive growth — and the personal toll that comes with building something big. 

As someone who coaches leaders through the challenges of scale, I’ve long believed that mental fitness is as critical as strategy. 

James’ openness about his own struggles, recovery, and mindset shifts is a powerful reminder that leadership isn’t just about driving performance… it’s also about sustaining yourself. 

In this episode, we explore: 

• How Huel scaled with pace, purpose and resilience 
• James’ personal mental health journey — and how he supports others at Huel 
• The fine balance between stoicism and vulnerability in leadership 
• Practical ways to protect your team’s well-being during intense growth 
• What authentic, modern leadership really looks like — beyond the buzzwords 

This one goes beneath the surface. 

It’s a raw, reflective conversation for any leader who’s ever felt the emotional weight of the role — and wondered how to carry it well. 

Key Takeaways for Leaders: 

• Scaling a business demands more than commercial strategy — it requires emotional stamina 
• Great leadership teams aren’t just skilled — they’re self-aware, values-led and resilient 
• Sharing personal struggles, when done thoughtfully, builds psychological safety in teams 
• Mental health support shouldn’t be a nice-to-have — it’s a cultural foundation for high performance 
• True leadership is balancing vulnerability with strength, and honesty with hope 

Free Resource for Listeners 

Scaling a business takes more than ambition — it takes leadership. 

But how strong is your leadership team, really? 

Take the free Leadership Capability Scorecard to discover how your leaders perform across nine key areas — and where the hidden risks lie. 

Complete your scorecard now and gain instant clarity.

About the Book – Well Fed 

James is also the author of Well Fed: How modern diets are failing us (and what we can do about it) — a must-read for anyone looking to understand the complex relationship between food, health, mental performance, the environment, and animal welfare. 

It’s not a preachy nutrition guide — it’s a smart, balanced, science-backed exploration of what really drives our food choices, and how we can do better… individually and collectively. 

Buy it on Amazon. 

Whether your boss is brilliant or a bit of a nightmare, there will always be times when pressure from above feels unrealistic. 

In this episode of The Leaders Kitbag, I’m sharing three actionable tips for managing up, especially when you need to push back on unachievable demands without damaging relationships or trust. 

In this episode, you'll learn:  

• Why challenging upwards early and respectfully helps maintain credibility 
• How to clarify ambiguous requests with sharp, specific questions 
• How to explain trade-offs and get clarity around priorities 

This episode is all about being proactive, courageous, and clear, even when you’re feeling squeezed. 

Managing up isn’t about defiance; it’s about ensuring your team can do their best work without burnout or confusion. 

If you’ve ever had to “speak truth to power” or felt stuck between a rock and a hard place, this one’s for you. 

The Leaders Kitbag Email 

If this episode resonated with you, then you’ll love the kind of tips, tools and insights I share every week in The Leaders Kitbag newsletter.

It’s short, sharp and practical - just like the podcast - and designed to help you lead with greater clarity, confidence, and impact. 

Sign up here.

#LeadOn 

In the first of this two-part series, I’m joined by James Collier, Registered Nutritionist and Co-Founder of Huel, to challenge some long-held assumptions about nutrition and performance. 

As someone who works closely with CEOs and scale-up leaders, I’ve seen first-hand how often nutrition is overlooked — even by those obsessed with productivity hacks and peak performance. 

So in this episode, James and I explore what really fuels consistent leadership energy… and what drains it. 

Together, we cover: 

• Why fibre and protein might be your secret weapons for focus and decision-making 
• The real cost of poor food choices for leaders in high-pressure role 
• Why food cravings = mental distractions 
• How under-fuelling leads to underperforming — and what to do about it 
• The growing danger of “dietology” — and how to cut through nutrition misinformation 

This episode is essential listening for anyone leading through high stakes, high pressure and long days. Because the way you fuel your body shapes the way you show up as a leader. 

Key Takeaways for Leaders: 

• You can’t out-hack a poor diet — get the fundamentals right first 
• Fibre and protein are your allies for focus, energy and decision-making 
• “Food noise” is real — and it’s a major distraction for high-stakes leaders 
• Forget diet fads — a structured, plant-rich diet helps build long-term mental performance 
• Your midday meal can make or break your 3 pm boardroom brainpower 

Free Resource for Listeners 

Scaling a business takes more than ambition — it takes leadership. 

But how strong is your leadership team, really? 

Take the free Leadership Capability Scorecard to discover how your leaders perform across nine key areas — and where the hidden risks lie. 

Complete your scorecard now and gain instant clarity.  

About the Book – Well Fed 

James is also the author of Well Fed: How modern diets are failing us (and what we can do about it) — a must-read for anyone looking to understand the complex relationship between food, health, mental performance, the environment, and animal welfare. 

It’s not a preachy nutrition guide — it’s a smart, balanced, science-backed exploration of what really drives our food choices, and how we can do better… individually and collectively. 

Buy it on Amazon.   

Let’s face it, not every leader we work for is brilliant. 

But even if your boss isn’t the best, you still have the power to lead your team well. 

In this episode of The Leaders Kitbag, I’m sharing three practical ways you can manage up when the person above you isn’t leading effectively. 

In this episode, you’ll learn: 

• How to clarify the bigger picture to help your boss prioritise 
• Ways to proactively seek feedback, even in a feedback vacuum 
• Why sharing wins and team success makes your boss (and you) look good 

Managing up isn’t about manipulation. 

It’s about leading with intent, creating clarity for your team, and making life easier for everyone, including yourself. 

The Leaders Kitbag Email 

If you found this episode helpful, don’t miss out on future insights and tools. 

Sign up for The Leaders Kitbag Email via the link below for more tips, insights, and tools like this delivered directly to your inbox so you never miss a thing. 

https://mailchi.mp/ab0a5c279d78/bml 

#LeadOn 

What’s really going on in venture capital? 

In these ‘SHORTS’ episodes of my podcast, I select my favourite moments from previous episodes. This one comes from episode 178, with Tessa Clarke, co-founder of OLIO, as she shares how the funding landscape is shifting – and where it still needs to go. 

With five successful funding rounds under her belt, Tessa shares her hard-won insights into the realities of raising capital as a female founder. She talks candidly about the progress we are seeing – from more women entering VC firms – but also shines a light on the next big step: getting decision-making power into more diverse hands. 

Once you’ve listened to the ‘SHORT’, why not click the link below and tune in to the full episode?  

Enjoyed The Short?  

Listen to the full episode here.  

In this episode of The Leaders Kit Bag, I explore a common but often overlooked leadership pitfall: the one-way nature of feedback in many teams. 

While it's often easy for leaders to give feedback, getting honest input in return can be much more difficult. 

But if we don’t hear what our team really thinks, we’re not leading with the whole picture. Our leadership decisions are based on assumptions and inferences, instead of real insights. 

Through a recent example from one of my leadership courses, I explore why feedback rarely flows naturally and, more importantly, what we can do about it. 

In this episode, you’ll learn: 

• Why your team may be hesitant to share honest feedback 
• The safest (but not always the best) route employees take 
• Three psychologically safe questions to encourage honest conversations 
• The only proper response when someone shares their truth with you 

If you want to lead with clarity and create an environment where people feel genuinely safe to speak up, this one’s for you. 

Want Honest Feedback? Start with Ben AI 

Getting honest feedback from your team isn’t easy. 

People worry about overstepping the mark, sounding negative, or saying the wrong thing. 

But here’s the good news: Ben AI is here to help. 

Provided you talk openly to my AI Clone, he’ll give honest, candid advice and feedback. 

And it’s completely free, because I believe high-quality leadership support should be available to everyone who cares about the people they lead. 

Try Ben AI for yourself today. 

There’s no sign-up and no charge. 

Start your conversation with Ben AI here: https://www.delphi.ai/benmortonleadership 

In this episode of The Leaders Kit Bag, we’re tackling one of the biggest challenges even the most self-aware leaders face: uncovering blind spots. 

Using a personal story from the development of Ben AI, I share a real-life example of how a name that seemed perfectly logical on paper almost became a serious misstep, simply because the people around me didn’t feel comfortable enough to challenge it early on. 

We explore the real reason why valuable insights often go unspoken: a lack of psychological safety. 

This episode unpacks what psychological safety really means, why it’s so crucial to your team's effectiveness, and the key things we can do to accelerate it in new working relationships. 

You’ll learn: 

• Why even confident teams may hesitate to speak up 
• The two root causes of low psychological safety 
• How to reinforce open communication by praising the right behaviour 
• A simple strategy to accelerate trust-building in your team 

…all in just six minutes! 

Ben AI – Free Leadership Support, 24/7 

Leadership can be tough. But getting high-quality support shouldn’t be. 

That’s why I’ve made Ben AI—my personal AI-powered leadership coach—completely free for everyone to use. 

Whether you're facing a tricky conversation, trying to motivate your team, or simply need a confidence boost before a big presentation, Ben AI is here to help—any time, day or night. 

This isn’t just tech for tech’s sake. 

It’s part of my mission to create a world where everyone can go to work feeling inspired to give their best, and return home feeling recognised and appreciated. 

Try Ben AI for yourself – no sign-up, no charge 

Access Ben AI here. https://www.delphi.ai/benmortonleadership  

Because better leadership should be available to everyone, not just those with big budgets or corporate sponsors. 

#LeadOn 

In this powerful and refreshingly candid conversation, Ben Morton welcomes back Tessa Clarke, co-founder of Olio, to reflect on the scale-up phase of building one of the UK’s leading sharing economy apps. 

From their $43 million Series B raise to restructuring through a turbulent 2023, Tessa takes us inside the mindset shifts, leadership lessons, and cultural priorities that have defined Olio 3.0. 

For leaders navigating the messy middle between startup energy and operational maturity, this episode is a masterclass in clarity, courage, and culture-first decision-making. 

Why this episode matters: 

Scaling a business often comes with the risk of losing what made it special in the first place. Tessa shares how Olio kept its startup spirit alive, even while hiring a C-suite and overhauling internal systems, without letting bureaucracy creep in or values drift. 

What You’ll Learn: 

• How to evolve from "scrappy startup" to a mature organisation without killing agility. 
• The importance of ‘mission obsession’ in hiring, onboarding, and performance. 
• The surprising downside of hiring too many “brilliant” people too quickly. 
• Why founders shouldn’t always let go of product ownership, and how to decide. 
• How gender bias affects female founders during fundraising, and how Tessa navigated it. 

Ben’s Standout Moments: 

• Tessa’s “Uniquely Me” document—a weekly discipline to focus on what only she could do as CEO. 
• Her approach to maintaining trust and culture in a growing team. 
• The candid admission of being “too idealistic for too long”—and what changed her thinking. 

Want to Assess Your Own Leadership Readiness? 

Discover how your organisation scores across nine core capabilities with Ben’s Leadership Capability Scorecard. https://ben-darwj4ma.scoreapp.com  

It’s a practical, free tool designed to help you lead with confidence through growth and change. 

Resources & Mentions: 

• Dana Kanze TED Talk – The Real Reason Female Entrepreneurs Get Less Funding 
• The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
• Olio App 

You might have an open-door policy, but if a metaphorical grizzly bear is sitting behind it, your team still won’t walk through. 

In this episode of The Leaders Kit Bag, I dig into a leadership truth that’s hard to hear but vital to address: just because you’ve got an “open door policy” doesn’t mean people feel safe enough to share everything you need to know. 

I explore why feedback often goes unspoken and why well-meaning leaders may be making decisions based on partial truths and assumptions, without even realising it. 

In this episode, you’ll learn: 

• Why teams hold back the feedback you most need to hear 
• Three common reasons people don’t speak up 
• The truth about your leadership brand, and how to improve it 
• A powerful, practical formula to help build genuine trust and psychological safety 

This one is all about creating a culture where people feel safe enough to tell you what you need to hear, not just what you want to hear. 

Ben AI – Your Free Leadership Coach, Anytime You Need It 

As you’ve now realised, you might have an open-door policy, but if there’s a metaphorical grizzly bear sitting behind it, your team still won’t walk through. 

The truth is, people won’t share honest feedback if they don’t feel safe. That’s where Ben AI comes in. 

Ben AI is your personal, AI-powered leadership coach, designed to help you create psychological safety, lead with impact, and get the unfiltered insights you need to grow. 

And the best bit? It’s completely free. 

Because access to great leadership support shouldn’t depend on budget, it should be there for everyone, whenever they need it. 

• Ben Ai is built on years of real coaching experience 
• It’s available 24/7, ask anything, anytime 
• It’s totally free, no login, no sales funnel 

Try Ben AI today and take the bear out of the room! 

Access Ben AI here. https://www.delphi.ai/benmortonleadership  

In these ‘SHORTS’ episodes of my podcast, I select my favourite moments from previous episodes. This one comes from episode 177, with innovation strategist Frank Mattes, where he addresses how to identify and build the kind of teams that don’t just execute, but innovate.

Once you’ve listened to the ‘SHORT’, why not click the link below and tune in to the full episode? 

Enjoyed The Short? 

Listen to the full episode here.