Traps for Supportive Leaders
The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley
Release Date: 10/13/2019
#319: How to be “authentic” in your leadership role.
The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley
In this episode, Ben unpacks the concept of authentic leadership and simplifies it into practical action. Rather than trying to “bring your whole self to work,” he suggests selectively bringing the most useful parts of yourself in a professional context. He introduces the leadership shield exercise, where leaders define four “being” qualities they want to embody at work. Ben also emphasises understanding personal values, developing self-awareness through feedback, and using 360 feedback processes to identify blind spots. Authentic leadership, he argues, builds trust and reduces stress...
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#318: Tips to survive (and hopefully do well) in a difficult workplace.
The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley
Ben discusses how thoughtful leaders can survive and succeed in difficult workplace environments. Drawing on his own experience, he explains why some strong leaders may opt out of senior roles due to toxic cultures, and why that’s a loss for organisations. Key strategies include knowing what you are getting from your current role, clarifying your personal values, connecting to a sense of purpose, and building a trusted support network. Ben also shares the example of rugby referee Hollie Davidson and reflects on how difficult environments can filter out capable people. Resources mentioned in...
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#317: Focus on these factors to motivate your people.
The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley
In this episode, Ben explores Herzberg’s Motivator Hygiene Theory and explains how leaders can use it to better understand team motivation. This is an older theory, but recently it has been re-examined with further research studies which tend to confirm it is still quite a valid way to think about motivation. Hygiene factors such as salary, a safe workplace, policies and procedures create a baseline for motivation, but do not generate high engagement on their own. Motivators such as interesting work, recognition, appreciation, development opportunities and purpose drive higher levels of...
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#316: How to motivate yourself to do hard things
The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley
Ben shares four ways to convince yourself to do hard things when leadership demands it. He explains how considering consequences, reflecting on identity, treating challenges as learning experiences, and asking what a good leader would do can increase motivation. The episode connects these techniques to motivation theory, including towards and away-from motivation, and encourages leaders to act even when discomfort is present. Resources mentioned in this episode:
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#315: How do you balance ambition with burnout?
The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley
In this episode, Ben addresses the tension between ambition and burnout for thoughtful leaders. He explains why ambition matters and why sustainable habits are essential for long-term success. Drawing on his own routines, he covers healthy habits such as meditation, exercise, sleep, and nutrition, as well as the concept of restorative niches from Brian Little’s work. Ben also challenges rigid ideas of work-life balance, suggesting flexibility and long-term thinking instead. Resources mentioned in this episode:
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#314: Resisting something? You should probably do it
The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley
Ben explores the idea that resistance is often a sign you should lean in rather than avoid. He explains how the brain’s threat response drives avoidance and how social threats can feel as real as physical ones. Using a personal story about working with a difficult colleague, Ben shows how pushing through discomfort can build capability, even if the outcome isn’t perfect. He also discusses research on the anterior mid-cingulate cortex and how doing hard things strengthens your ability to do more hard things in the future. Resources mentioned in this episode:
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#313: The best things I did for my career (that you can apply to yours)
The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley
In this episode, Ben reflects on four of the most important things he did for his career and what thoughtful leaders can learn from them. He explains how mindfulness helped him manage frustration and build emotional regulation over time, why joining Toastmasters reduced his fear of public speaking, and how listening to informal mentors shaped key career decisions. Ben also shares how studying for an MBA while working full time built discipline, healthy habits, and ultimately created the space to start Thoughtful Leader. The episode encourages leaders to work on themselves so they are better...
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#312: Got a Ghostworking Problem? Here’s What to Do
The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley
In this episode, Ben breaks down the concept of ghostworking (which is really modern-day presenteeism) and explains why it’s usually a commitment issue rather than laziness. He draws on motivation theory, including hygiene factors and intrinsic motivation, and shares practical ways to rebuild commitment through connection, purpose, responsibility, and fairness. The focus of this episode is on addressing root causes rather than defaulting to control or punishment. Resources mentioned in this episode:
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#311: My Values Aren’t Helping My Leadership. Can I Change Them?
The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley
In this episode, Ben explores whether personal values can be changed and what to do when they seem to hold you back. He explains that while values are relatively stable, we can adapt our behaviour regardless of what our values are. Through examples of conflicting values like ease versus growth, he shows how leaders can consciously choose which values to prioritise in different situations. This episode offers reflection questions to help identify your own values and use them more intentionally. Resources mentioned in this episode:
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#310: How Long Should You Wait Before Enforcing Consequences?
The Thoughtful Leader Podcast with Ben Brearley
This episode tackles a common leadership dilemma: how long to wait before enforcing consequences for poor performance or behaviour. Ben walks through a practical decision-making process, starting with curiosity and feedback, then moving to support, clarity, and finally consequences if behaviour doesn’t change. He discusses the importance of stakeholder alignment, realistic follow-through, and why avoiding consequences can undermine trust and motivation across the team. Resources mentioned in this episode:
info_outlineSupportive leaders are great - but problems can occur when leaders step over the line from being supportive leaders to protective leaders.
In this episode, Ben talks about some of the traps that supportive leaders can fall into and some ways to avoid them in your team.
Links:
- Online Course: Time Management For Leaders Online Course.
- Article: 3 Traps Supportive Leaders Must Avoid.
- Article: 10 Simple & Effective Tips For Giving Feedback.