The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley

The 4-day work week is becoming more popular these days, following several trials in various countries. 

There are a few characteristics of the 4-day work week which I find contribute to its success.

In this episode, I look at these characteristics and how we can apply them to any workplace, even if you aren’t lucky enough to have a 4-day work week!

If you like this episode or the show in general, please take a few minutes to leave a review by clicking one of the links below.

Your review really helps me to reach a wider audience of thoughtful leaders, so we can improve workplaces around the world. I appreciate you taking the time! 🙏

>>> Click here to leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

>>> Click here to leave a rating on Spotify.

If you're interested in potentially working with me, I invite you to apply for a complimentary coaching call.

This can help you to: 

• Understand more about how I coach
• Make progress on some of your key challenges; and
• Decide whether we're a good fit to work together.

I can't coach everyone who applies, but if you don't try, we'll never know!

 >>> Click here to apply for your complimentary coaching session. 

Show Links: 

• ABC: 4-day work week study.
• How the working week originated.
• Too Many Priorities: What to Do When You’re Asked to Do It All.
• How to Set Clear Priorities For Your Team.
• Thoughtful Leader Podcast #156: Let’s Dismantle the Cult of Busyness.
• Thoughtful Leader Podcast #92: Struggling to Say No? Try These 5 Ways!
• 3 Major Work Time Wasters That Create an Unhappy Team.

Regular reflection is generally regarded as a great thing to be doing, but I’ve found that the majority of leaders (that I speak to anyway) don’t do it!

That’s why I created The Useful Thinking Journal, which is a journal aiming to help you reflect in a structured way, and turn those reflections into real action so you can improve, or keep achieving success.

In this episode I talk about some of the benefits of reflection, the challenges that many leaders face when it comes to reflection, and how The Useful Thinking Journal can help.

You can order your copy of the journal here: https://www.thoughtfulleader.com/the-useful-thinking-journal/.

Many thoughtful leaders find themselves feeling guilty at work. 

Not because they’ve necessarily done anything wrong – more that they are heaping pressure on themselves and suffering under the weight of expectation. 

In this episode, I look at the common sources of guilt and introduce a simple process you can follow to unravel these feelings and feel better about taking action. 

If you like this episode or the show in general, please take a few minutes to leave a review by clicking one of the links below.

Your review really helps me to reach a wider audience of thoughtful leaders, so we can improve workplaces around the world. I appreciate you taking the time! 🙏

>>> Click here to leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

>>> Click here to leave a rating on Spotify.

If you're interested in potentially working with me, I invite you to apply for a complimentary coaching call.

This can help you to: 

• Understand more about how I coach
• Make progress on some of your key challenges; and
• Decide whether we're a good fit to work together.

I can't coach everyone who applies, but if you don't try, we'll never know!

 >>> Click here to apply for your complimentary coaching session. 

Show Links: 

• 3 Ways to Reduce Unhelpful Thinking.
• Worrying About Work? Tips For Thoughtful Leaders.
• Thoughtful Leader Podcast #83: Handling Emotions in Leadership.
• 4 Phrases Overheard In An Unproductive Workplace.

You might think of unproductive workplaces as ones where people aren’t doing much. 

I’ve found it’s quite the opposite – often people are running around madly… being busy.

In this episode, I take a look at the cost of an unproductive workplace (other than just the money) and some of the common signs that we might hear that make it a bad place to be!

If you like this episode or the show in general, please take a few minutes to leave a review by clicking one of the links below.

Your review really helps me to reach a wider audience of thoughtful leaders, so we can improve workplaces around the world. I appreciate you taking the time! 🙏

>>> Click here to leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

>>> Click here to leave a rating on Spotify.

If you're interested in potentially working with me, I invite you to apply for a complimentary coaching call.

This can help you to: 

• Understand more about how I coach
• Make progress on some of your key challenges; and
• Decide whether we're a good fit to work together.

I can't coach everyone who applies, but if you don't try, we'll never know!

 >>> Click here to apply for your complimentary coaching session. 

Show Links: 

• How to Help Your Team Feel a Sense of Purpose.
• Definition: Unwritten ground rules.
• Thoughtful Leader Podcast #156: Let’s Dismantle the Cult of Busyness.
• Too Busy at Work? Try These 5 Things.
• Why taking breaks is good for productivity.
• Productivity research from Microsoft.
• Essential Daily Habits to Maintain Your Workplace Wellbeing.

Bashing the boss is a favourite pastime for many employees.

We don’t want to be a boss that’s worthy of this sort of treatment, so in this episode I take a look at some of the common reasons why people generally complain about their boss.

Then we can do things differently and give them fewer things to complain about!

If you like this episode or the show in general, please take a few minutes to leave a review by clicking one of the links below.

Your review really helps me to reach a wider audience of thoughtful leaders, so we can improve workplaces around the world. I appreciate you taking the time! 🙏

>>> Click here to leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

>>> Click here to leave a rating on Spotify.

If you're interested in potentially working with me, I invite you to apply for a complimentary coaching call.

This can help you to: 

• Understand more about how I coach
• Make progress on some of your key challenges; and
• Decide whether we're a good fit to work together.

I can't coach everyone who applies, but if you don't try, we'll never know!

 >>> Click here to apply for your complimentary coaching session. 

Show Links: 

• What is Knowledge work?
• Directive Leadership: 4 Situations When You Should Be Using It.
• How Much Technical Expertise Should You Have to Lead Your Team?.
• Team Improvement: 5 Reasons Smart Leaders Love It.
• Thoughtful Leader Podcast #186: Could Doing the Opposite Be Good For Your Leadership?
• Kouzes and Posner research.
• Sam Harris website.
• Honest Leadership: How to Bring It More Often (and Why It Matters).
• Valuable Leadership: Are You Hurting or Helping Your Team?.
• The Cult of Busyness: How Leaders Can Kill It.
• How to Manage Your Emotions For Better Leadership.
• Too Busy at Work? Try These 5 Things.
• Why Leaders Should Have a Reflective Practice.
• Thoughtful Leader Podcast #144: Is It Time to Start Putting Yourself First?

Talk to many employees, and they’ll tell you that their boss is one of their biggest time management challenges.

So is this the case when it comes to your leadership?

In this episode, I take a look at whether you might be time management problem for your team, and what to do about it. 

If you're interested in potentially working with me, I invite you to apply for a complimentary coaching call.

This can help you to: 

• Understand more about how I coach
• Make progress on some of your key challenges; and
• Decide whether we're a good fit to work together.

I can't coach everyone who applies, but if you don't try, we'll never know!

 >>> Click here to apply for your complimentary coaching session. 

If you like this episode or the show in general, please take a few minutes to leave a review by clicking one of the links below.

Your review really helps me to reach a wider audience of thoughtful leaders, so we can improve workplaces around the world. I appreciate you taking the time! 🙏

>>> Click here to leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

>>> Click here to leave a rating on Spotify.

Show Links: 

• Thoughtful Leader Podcast #156: Let’s Dismantle the Cult of Busyness
• Forget the Tools, Master These Top 3 Time Management Skills
• Self Assessment Tools: How to Get the Most Out of Them
• 4 Subtle Signs That Your Team is Overworked
• Thoughtful Leader Podcast #80: What to Do When You Have Too Many Priorities
• Why Leaders Must Push Back and Say “No”.

Reflection has significant benefits for leaders, but I find that many leaders don’t engage in reflection very often.

In this episode, I’ll take a look at the benefits of reflection and some of the issues that people encounter with it.

Then, I’ll outline some practical steps to implement a reflective practice for yourself (and keep it up!)

If you like this episode or the show in general, please take a few minutes to leave a review by clicking one of the links below.

Your review really helps me to reach a wider audience of thoughtful leaders, so we can improve workplaces around the world. I appreciate you taking the time! 🙏

>>> Click here to leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

>>> Click here to leave a rating on Spotify.

If you're interested in potentially working with me, I invite you to apply for a complimentary coaching call.

This can help you to: 

• Understand more about how I coach
• Make progress on some of your key challenges; and
• Decide whether we're a good fit to work together.

I can't coach everyone who applies, but if you don't try, we'll never know!

 >>> Click here to apply for your complimentary coaching session. 

Show Links: 

• Gratitude journalling overview.
• 3 Ways to Reduce Unhelpful Thinking.
• Want to Show Confidence? Start by Noticing.
• Learning from successes and failures: Ellis et al, 2006.
• How Reflection Aids Performance: Di Stefano et al, 2014.
• Positive Work Reflection: Sonnentag et al 2021.
• People Not Doing What You Want? Ask This Leadership Question.
• Thoughtful Leader Podcast #204: Create Better Leadership Habits With These 3 Key Ingredients.
• Charles Duhigg: How habits work.
• Why does writing by hand promote better and faster learning?

Having a sense of purpose is critical according to several motivation theories and models. 

So how do we help our people find it?

In this episode, I take a look at some practical ways that you can assist your team to find their sense of purpose. 

It’s not our responsibility to find it for our team, but we can help to create the right environment. 

If you like this episode or the show in general, please take a few minutes to leave a review by clicking one of the links below.

Your review really helps me to reach a wider audience of thoughtful leaders, so we can improve workplaces around the world. I appreciate you taking the time! 🙏

>>> Click here to leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

>>> Click here to leave a rating on Spotify.

If you're interested in potentially working with me, I invite you to apply for a complimentary coaching call.

This can help you to: 

• Understand more about how I coach
• Make progress on some of your key challenges; and
• Decide whether we're a good fit to work together.

I can't coach everyone who applies, but if you don't try, we'll never know!

 >>> Click here to apply for your complimentary coaching session. 

Show Links: 

• Dan Pink’s “Drive”.
• Job Characteristics model.
• David Rock’s SCARF model.
• Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
• Thoughtful Leader Podcast #84: How to Give Your Team More Meaningful Work.
• Why No One Cares About Your Company Values (and How to Fix It).
• Why You Should Prioritise That Career Conversation.
• Team Improvement: 5 Reasons Smart Leaders Love It.
• Roles and Responsibilities Unclear? Do This.
• Making Difficult Decisions: Essential Steps for Leaders.
• Thoughtful Leader Podcast #156: Let’s Dismantle the Cult of Busyness.

Getting out of your comfort zone is a worthwhile thing to do. 

But being out of your comfort zone all the time is stressful and draining. 

So when it comes to leadership, when should we make the effort to get out of our comfort zone?

I take a look at this topic in this episode. 

If you like this episode or the show in general, please take a few minutes to leave a review by clicking one of the links below.

Your review really helps me to reach a wider audience of thoughtful leaders, so we can improve workplaces around the world. I appreciate you taking the time! 🙏

>>> Click here to leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

>>> Click here to leave a rating on Spotify.

If you're interested in potentially working with me, I invite you to apply for a complimentary coaching call.

This can help you to: 

• Understand more about how I coach
• Make progress on some of your key challenges; and
• Decide whether we're a good fit to work together.

I can't coach everyone who applies, but if you don't try, we'll never know!

 >>> Click here to apply for your complimentary coaching session. 

Show links: 

• Waking Up app.
• David Whyte Poem: Just Beyond Yourself.
• 4 Critical Steps to Grow Your Confidence In Leadership.
• Thoughtful Leader Podcast #53: Why Trusting Your People Is Your Best Strategy.
• 5 Ways to Say No Without Getting Fired.
• Thoughtful Leader Podcast #224: Are You a Quiet Leader? Use These Tips to Lead More Effectively.
• How to Influence People to Achieve Your Leadership Goals.

“Quiet quitting” is a relatively recent term that describes people doing the bare minimum at work. 

They aren’t exactly quitting, but they’re no longer going “over and above” for their organisation.

In this episode, I take a look at whether this is a real problem at all… and whether simply leading better could be the solution.

If you like this episode or the show in general, please take a few minutes to leave a review by clicking one of the links below.

Your review really helps me to reach a wider audience of thoughtful leaders, so we can improve workplaces around the world. I appreciate you taking the time! 🙏

>>> Click here to leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

>>> Click here to leave a rating on Spotify.

If you're interested in potentially working with me, I invite you to apply for a complimentary coaching call.

This can help you to: 

• Understand more about how I coach
• Make progress on some of your key challenges; and
• Decide whether we're a good fit to work together.

I can't coach everyone who applies, but if you don't try, we'll never know!

 >>> Click here to apply for your complimentary coaching session. 

Show Links: 

• 5 Questions to Ask An Unmotivated Team Member
• Thoughtful Leader Podcast #231: Tips to Set More Effective Team Goals
• How Leaders Can Avoid Setting Unrealistic Expectations
• Roles and Responsibilities Unclear? Do This
• Taking On Too Much? Here’s Why.