Learn how to shape the long term trajectory of your team by mastering the art of early, gentle corrections. In this episode, Lee explores the classic wisdom of Alexander Pope and the modern maritime analogies of David Marquet to explain why leadership is a daily practice of 'bending the twig' rather than a series of rescue missions. We discuss how to move away from reactive firefighting and towards a gardening mindset that focuses on onboarding, culture building, and psychological safety.

CHAPTERS

• 00:00:00: Introduction to the 'Bending the Twig' philosophy.
• 00:01:20: Why subtle formative influences matter in management.
• 00:02:45: The submarine analogy: A little rudder far from the rocks.
• 00:04:10: Onboarding: The critical sapling stage for new hires.
• 00:05:40: Lessons from David Marquet: Autonomy and micro-corrections.
• 00:07:05: Rituals and process design: Shaping team culture.
• 00:08:45: The autopilot mindset: Establishing daily feedback loops.
• 00:10:00: Gardener vs Firefighter: Which leader are you?

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Alexander Pope: 'Moral Essays' (The inspiration for the episode title).

• David Marquet: 'Turn the Ship Around!' (The source of the submarine and rudder analogies).

• LevelUp Leadership Hub: levelupleadership.uk

KEY TAKEAWAYS FOR LEADERS

• Act early: Small, mindful actions today avoid expensive and traumatic corrections tomorrow. A redirect during onboarding is far more efficient than trying to shift an ingrained habit three years later.

• The Rudder Principle: Use 'a little rudder far from the rocks' by making micro-adjustments in meeting cadences, project expectations, and communication styles before problems become entrenched.

• Gardener vs Firefighter: Transition from a leader who only appears during a crisis to one who provides patient, observant, and invested daily care.

KEY TAKEAWAYS FOR COACHES

• Address the roots: When working with dysfunctional teams, help the leader identify the 'old bends' and haphazard formative influences that created current bottlenecks.

• Autopilot feedback: Guide coachees to embed feedback into the daily rhythm of their teams. This creates an environment where small veers are corrected invisibly and continuously.

• Psychological safety for growth: Support leaders in building a culture where team members feel safe enough to voice concerns when they are minor, ensuring the 'sapling' grows straight.

Thank you for watching/ listening.

Follow LevelUp!

https://www.levelupleadership.uk/

Music, jingles, and images - attribution.

Podcast Background Track: https://pixabay.com/users/poorartistt-45918667/

Guitar Jingle: https://pixabay.com/music/introoutro-guitar-intro-ident-151972/

Swoosh Sound Effect: https://pixabay.com/users/universfield-28281460/

Images: https://gemini.google/overview/image-generation/ & https://www.perplexity.ai/

© 2025 LevelUp.

This episode is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International.

To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

Learn how to cut through management cliches and lead with genuine authority by mastering five practical skills. This episode explores the habits that drive high performance: radical ownership, earned trust, rapid adaptation, flexible prioritisation, and storytelling. Lee explains how these core principles help you build stable leadership frameworks and navigate unpredictable environments with clarity.

CHAPTERS

00:00:00: Introduction: Why modern leadership advice often misses the mark.00:00:36: Skill 1: Ownership and taking responsibility for outcomes.00:01:14: Skill 2: Earning trust through accountability and example.00:01:58: Skill 3: Admitting uncertainty and adapting at pace.00:02:40: Skill 4: Balancing clear priorities with necessary flexibility.00:03:06: Skill 5: The impact of storytelling on human connection.00:04:36: Building frameworks: Creating an authentic leadership culture.00:05:58: Reflection: Aligning leadership advice with your reality.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• LevelUp Leadership Hub: levelupleadership.uk

• Solo Episode: 'Act Like You Own It'. Available in the archives.

• Upcoming Book: 'Enhanced Leadership' by Lee Whitmore. Releasing February 2026.

  
  

KEY TAKEAWAYS FOR LEADERS

• Own the result: When projects stall, effective leaders step forward to own the outcome. This transparency builds credibility and shifts the focus from excuses to solutions.

• Stability in change: Use leadership frameworks like a centreboard on a sailboat. They provide the balance needed to stay on course even when external pressures push you toward reactive firefighting.

• Agile priorities: Set clear goals but maintain the judgment to shift them when the situation demands it. Rigidity in a changing world often costs momentum.

KEY TAKEAWAYS FOR COACHES

• Humanise the role: Encourage coachees to use personal stories of failure and success. These moments build stronger connections than lists of facts or data.

• Contextual frameworks: Help organisations build leadership models based on the specific habits that drive growth in their unique culture, rather than using off the shelf templates.

• Structured reflection: Use the five core habits: ownership, accountability, adaptation, clarity, and connection: as a checklist for client self-assessment and growth.

Thank you for watching/ listening.

Follow LevelUp!

https://www.levelupleadership.uk/

Music, jingles, and images - attribution.

Podcast Background Track: https://pixabay.com/users/poorartistt-45918667/

Guitar Jingle: https://pixabay.com/music/introoutro-guitar-intro-ident-151972/

Swoosh Sound Effect: https://pixabay.com/users/universfield-28281460/

Images: https://gemini.google/overview/image-generation/ & https://www.perplexity.ai/

Background: https://pixabay.com/users/tommyvideo-3092371/

© 2025 LevelUp.

This episode is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International.

To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/