Asking the hard questions of leadership...
There is no rule book.
Leaders are pulled in all directions. In the podcast, Ian and co-host, Ben Wales, explore a tension or paradox of leadership and ask how founders, entrepreneurs and scale-up CEOs decide which way to turn.
49: The Power of the Ownership Effect” in business – a conversation with Ifty Nasir, CEO of Vestd Equity Management platform
Ifty Nasir is the founder and CEO of Vestd, the UK’s original share scheme and equity management platform. The company now has over 70 people working remotely with plans for
48: Lessons in leadership from Brendan Hall, Round the World Yacht Race Winning Skipper
Brendan Hall is an expert in building empowered teams and navigating treacherous waters. As the skipper of the winning yacht in the Clipper Round-the-World Yacht Race, he led a team
47: Building a global business for the mind. The art and science of Goal Mapping with founder Brian Mayne
Brian Mayne is a goal mapping expert with a powerful purpose: to reach 7 million people and share the transformative practice of goal mapping. Brian is a global speaker, author,
46: Fear, Grit, Purpose and Pearls: A conversation with Penina Shepherd, founder and CEO of Acumen Business Law & Acumen People
Penina Shepherd is the author of the visionary book ‘The Freedom Revolution’, a multi-award winning entrepreneur, an inspiring keynote speaker, a business lawyer and the founder of ACUMEN BUSINESS LAW,
45: In conversation with Hannah Miller, founder of sidekick: Revealing the strengths of unique, brave and exceptional leaders
Ever wondered how understanding your strengths can help you navigate through significant career transitions? Meet Hannah Miller, a business graduate who ventured from advertising to charity work, ultimately landing in
44: Beyond Start-Up: The 10 Pre-Requisites for Scaling Up
In this episode we delve into the world of scaling up businesses and the importance of maintaining culture during the process. We’ll be exploring the challenges that come with scaling
43: Creating your dreams in Virtual Reality, an interview with nDreams founder and CEO Patrick O’Luanaigh
Patrick O’Luanaigh is the founder and CEO of nDreams, a fast-growing independent games developer and publisher focused on Virtual Reality games and experiences. He founded nDreams in late 2006, and
42: Essential Principles – the Power of Non-Negotiables for a Scale-Up Company Leader
In this week’s episode, Ian and Ben are discussing non-negotiables. From the industry defining values of Elon Musk and Steve Jobs, to the actionable priorities that scale-ups companies can employ.
41: Building Strong Foundations – The Art of Knowing Your Scaleup Team
In this episode your co-hosts Ben and Ian sit down for a conversation which covers the vital area of knowing your people. We cover the key areas of building trust
40: Founding and Scaling an international professional services business with culture and people at its heart, with Ben Bradford CEO of BB7
In this episode Ben Bradford, CEO of BB7, a fire and facade advisory firm, reveals how he founded and developed his now million pound business from a bootstrap startup. Today
39: Scaling a Leisure Business with Dom Gaynor
In this episode Dom Gaynor, CEO of TeamSport, shares how he helped grow a small go-karting business from three small UK sites to an international business focusing on leisure and
Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast, Gen Z and The Big Yak with business turnaround leader Emma Simpson
In this episode Emma Simpson shares her experience of becoming an ‘accidental leader’. At the age of 30, Emma was given the opportunity to salvage a problematic business. Through smart
Shorts: Being a Facilitator of Learning
In these ‘Shorts’ episodes of the Gritty Leaders Podcast, we select our standout moments from previous episodes. This one comes from episode 37 where we discuss Ben’s key insights from
37: Ask strategically. How important are questions?
Ben shares some key insights from his Henley Business School Master’s research on the psychology of coaching and behaviour change. What stood out was the power of asking good questions
Shorts: Hiring For Strengths
In these ‘Shorts’ episodes of the Gritty Leaders Club Podcast, we select our standout moments from previous episodes. This one comes from episode 31 where we sat down to talk
36: Ian’s Ironman 70.3: Rising to the mental and physical challenges of an 8 hour endurance race
In this week’s episode, Ian opens up about his battle with prostate cancer, which ultimately led to taking part in a gruelling half Iron Man. During training Ian quickly discovered
Shorts: Master Your 1-to-1 Meetings
In these ‘Shorts’ episodes of the Gritty Leaders Club Podcast, we select our standout moments from previous episodes. This one comes from episode 25 where we reviewed the art of
35: Here’s To The Crazy Ones
“The ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do” – this comes from Steve Jobs’ iconic Think Different Apple campaign.
Shorts: Say ‘No’ To Bad Meetings
In these ‘Shorts’ episodes of the Gritty Leaders Club Podcast, we select our standout moments from previous episodes. This one comes from episode 22 where we delved into the good,
Shorts: The Power of Acting ‘As If’
In these ‘Shorts’ episodes of the Gritty Leaders Club Podcast, we select our standout moments from previous episodes. This one comes from episode 21 where we sat down to talk
Shorts: Failing Before Winning
In these ‘Shorts’ episodes of the Gritty Leaders Club Podcast, we select our standout moments from previous episodes. This one comes from episode 16 Jim Kirkwood, CEO of TTC. Tune
Shorts: Your ‘Stop-Doing’ List
In these ‘Shorts’ episodes of the Gritty Leaders Club Podcast, we select our standout moments from previous episodes. This one comes from episode 15 where we delve into how effective
Shorts: Working with Multiple Strategies
In these ‘Shorts’ episodes of the Gritty Leaders Club Podcast, we select our standout moments from previous episodes. This one comes from episode 14 where we discuss how certain elements
Shorts: Your Hidden Strategies
In these ‘Shorts’ episodes of the Gritty Leaders Club Podcast, we select our standout moments from previous episodes. This one comes from episode 12 where we both explored what ultimately