How To Be A Leader

In the last episode, we introduced the Leadership Equaliser – an idea that helps us visualise how much time we spend doing, managing, and leading, and why so many leaders unintentionally let the “leading” dial drop to zero.

If you missed it, you can find it here.

In today’s episode, we’re staying with the basics of how to be a leader in the truest sense of the word – not just someone who gets things done, but someone who leads with purpose, presence, and intention.

Because here’s the truth: doing and managing will always fill your day. If you’re not deliberate, leadership becomes something you do only when time allows.

And there’s never time left over.

This episode of The Leader’s Kitbag is your practical guide to how to be a leader who makes a real impact – on your team, your culture, and your results.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The shift from being an individual contributor to a people-focused leader
• How to recognise the ripple effect you have on your team—and their families
• A powerful mindset and daily question that refocuses your leadership efforts
• Why understanding the responsibility and privilege of leadership changes everything

If you’ve ever wondered how to be a leader when your diary is packed, your inbox is full, and you’re constantly firefighting – this episode is for you.

Ben’s Key Takeaway

Knowing how to be a leader starts with a simple truth: it’s no longer about what you deliver.

It’s about how you support, develop, and care for your people, so they can deliver what matters most.

Want to learn more about how to be a leader?

The waitlist is now open for the cohort of my ‘Leader in Me’ programme.

If you’re ready to:

• Build confidence and capability as a leader
• Break free from firefighting and become more proactive
• Learn how to inspire your team and deliver results…

Join the waitlist here for early access and updates on the next open programme.

Prefer bite-sized learning?

Check out the 10-4-10 Leadership Programme, my free online course that delivers powerful, practical leadership tools in just 10 minutes a week.

You’ll get:

• Weekly lessons on topics like delegation, motivation and prioritisation
• A short video, podcast, and book recommendation each week
• Simple tactics you can use straight away

It’s practical, no-nonsense leadership training that fits into your busy schedule.

Learn more about the 10-4-10 programme here.

As always, look after yourself and those you’ve got the privilege and responsibility to lead.

Until next time…

#LeadOn

 

Podcast Transcript

How To Be A Leader  

If you caught the last episode of The Leader’s Kitbag, we explored the Leadership Equaliser: the idea that most leaders have the dials for “doing” and “managing” cranked way up—while the dial for “leading” barely gets touched. 

Today, we’re continuing that conversation by digging into how we become more intentional about leadership. 

Because the reality is this: there will always be things to do. There will always be things to manage. So if we’re not deliberate, leading can slip into something we do in the margins—if we have time left over. 

But here’s the problem: there’s never time left over. 

After nearly 15 years of coaching leaders, delivering training, and speaking on stages around the world, I’ve seen one thing that makes the biggest difference in helping leaders shift from reactive to intentional. 

And it’s not another tool, model, or framework. 

It’s understanding—at a deep level—what the job of a leader really is. 

For me, it starts with accepting a truth that’s easy to overlook: 

Leadership is a privilege. 

And it comes with immense responsibility. 

Because every person you lead is more than an employee. They’re someone’s partner, parent, sibling, best friend. They’re the most important person in the world to someone else. 

And what you say and do—on your good days and your bad days—doesn’t just affect them at work. It affects them when they go home. And it affects everyone they interact with. 

I’m seeing this firsthand right now, in my own home. My wife is being impacted by her current boss—and as a result, the mood in our house can be… let’s just say, suboptimal. 

So this stuff really matters. 

Once we grasp the weight of that privilege and responsibility, the next shift is understanding what our job is, as a leader. 

And this represents a big change from how most of us started our careers. 

When we’re individual contributors, we’re rewarded for what we deliver. 

But as a leader, it’s no longer about our own output. 

It’s about how well we support, develop, and look after the people we lead—so that they can deliver the results we are accountable for. 

That’s the job. 

And when we remind ourselves of that, we can lead far more intentionally. 

So let me leave you with one simple question—a question that can reset your focus each morning: 

What does my team need from me today, in order to deliver brilliant results? 

That’s it. 

Start your day with that question, and you’ll shift from being busy to being intentional. 

You’ll lead by design, not by default. 

That’s it for this episode. As always, look after yourself, and look after those you have the privilege and responsibility to lead. 

Until next time, lead on.