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.

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

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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!

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

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Learn how to prevent the 'organisational immune system' from snuffing out the fresh energy and innovation brought by new starters and newly trained staff. This episode explores your critical role as a leader in acting as a shield for positive disruption, creating psychological safety, and using reflective coaching to turn new insights into tangible, actionable pilots that drive real progress.In this episode of Level Up Leadership, Lee tackles a common frustration: watching the energy of a new starter or a newly trained team member disappear. We often see brilliant ideas 'battered into submission' by the prevailing culture. Lee explains how to spot this pattern and why it is a leadership failure to let it continue.

We discuss the 'organisational immune system' and provide a four-step framework to help you become a sponsor for innovation. Learn how to move away from mindless conformity and towards a culture where fresh perspectives are protected and tested.

Inside this episode:

• The Power of Fresh Eyes: Why new starters see what you no longer can.

• Reflective Coaching: The 30-minute investment that saves your training budget.

• The Sandbox Method: How to test ideas without them being picked apart by cynics.

• The Shield Role: Managing upwards and outwards to give your team the cover they need.

Chapters:

• (00:00) The problem: Why new energy fades

• (01:14) Identifying your change agents

• (02:22) Why the culture attacks new ideas

• (03:26) Setting the standard for innovation

• (04:02) Psychological safety in practice

• (04:52) Coaching questions for returning staff

• (06:04) Creating a pilot program sandbox

• (06:36) Taking the heat as a leader

• (07:33) Excellence vs. Perfection

• (07:58) Final challenge for the week

Thank you for watching/ listening.

Follow LevelUp!

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

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

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Learn how to move beyond 'either-or' trade-offs to create genuinely superior solutions for your most complex leadership challenges. In this episode, strategy and innovation expert Jennifer Riel shares the powerful framework of integrative thinking, exploring how to leverage the tension between opposing ideas and use human-centred design to navigate volatile times with clarity and purpose.Are you stuck between a rock and a hard place?

As leaders, we often feel forced into binary choices: Cut costs OR invest in innovation? Focus on short-term results OR long-term strategy?

Most people settle for a compromise - or what today’s guest calls "The Smush."

But what if you didn't have to choose?

In this episode, Lee sits down with Jennifer Riel, the former Global COO of IDEO and current Adjunct Professor at the Rotman School of Management.

,Jennifer is the co-author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller Creating Great Choices, and she joins us to break down the framework of Integrative Thinking.

In this episode, you will learn:The "Either/Or" Trap: Why binary thinking kills innovation and how to spot it.

The Danger of "The Smush": Why compromising to keep everyone happy often leads to mediocre results (and what to do instead).

The P&G Case Study: How A.G. Lafley used integrative thinking to solve an impossible innovation crisis at Procter & Gamble.

"Stealth Mode" Influence: How to introduce new decision-making tools to your team without resistance.

How to "Fall in Love" with Opposing Ideas: A counter-intuitive method for resolving conflict in the boardroom.

Whether you are a CEO, a team lead, or an entrepreneur, this episode will give you the tools to move beyond trade-offs and start creating genuinely new solutions.

(00:00) Introduction: The Trap of "Either/Or" Trade-offs

(02:40) Jennifer’s Journey: From English Lit to IDEO COO(05:30) What is Integrative Thinking?

(08:45) Beware "The Smush": Why Compromise Kills Innovation

(12:45) How to Argue Better: Suspending Judgment & Loving the Opposition

(17:15) Case Study: How P&G Solved the Innovation Paradox

(22:45) Applying Strategy to Personal Life (The Arranged Marriage Example)

(25:00) "Stealth Mode": How to Introduce New Thinking to Your Team

(28:30) Design Thinking vs. Integrative Thinking: What’s the Difference?

(33:00) Leadership Spotlight: Ken Chenault & American Express

(35:45) Lee’s Key Takeaways & Conclusion

Mentioned in this episode:Book: Creating Great Choices: A Leader's Guide to Integrative ThinkingConcept: Design Thinking vs. Integrative Thinking

Thank you for watching/ listening.

Follow LevelUp!https://www.levelupleadership.uk/

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Disclaimer.LevelUp and the podcast host do not endorse, verify, or take responsibility for any products, services, views, or claims presented by guests during podcast episodes. Any opinions or statements made by podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of LevelUp or its representatives

.© 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 master public speaking and high-stakes presentations with award-winning broadcaster and commentator Ian Stringer. This episode explores the power of the 'word economy', why knowing your subject is more important than a perfect script, and how to shift your mindset to overcome nerves and deliver with genuine authority.Public speaking is a core leadership skill, but it's one that makes many newly promoted leaders feel incredibly nervous.

According to award-winning broadcaster and sports journalist Ian Stringer, mastering this isn't just about technical skill; it's about mindset.

Ian has called over 600 live games, including Leicester City's historic Premier League win - a masterclass in high-pressure communication. He explains why he's "never been nervous" and how leaders can learn to handle the pressure of unscripted, high-stakes moments.

In this insightful conversation, Ian shares the exact techniques he's used to command a room for over 20 years, from the commentary box to the corporate awards stage. He explains the critical difference between a prepared script (a "crutch") and truly knowing your subject, providing practical tips like the "power of the pause" and "word economy" to deliver your message with clarity and impact.

This episode provides a powerful framework for "unwiring" old fears to "rewire" a more confident, engaging, and authentic leadership presence.

In this episode, you will learn:

(04:04) The Duck Paddling Under the Water?: Ian reveals whether he really feels nervous before a high-pressure broadcast.

(06:33) Handling the FA Cup Final: The simple, powerful advice Ian’s coach gave him to stay focused during a high-stakes moment.

(08:15) What's the Point?: Why focusing on your core message is the key to letting go of nerves about your hair or the flip chart.

(12:20) 101 Advice for New Leaders: Don't aim for a 10/10. Start by asking yourself one simple question: "What does success look like?".

(14:26) The Power of the Pause: A brilliant, practical tip to immediately regain the room when you feel you're losing your audience.

(19:10) Scripted vs. On-the-Fly: How to prepare for the unscripted moments that leaders often fear the most (but are usually best at).

(24:15) Word Economy: A lesson from football commentary on how to deliver your most important messages with maximum impact.

(27:40) Ditch the Crutch: Why over-relying on a script is a danger, and a great coaching trick to practice without it.

(31:30) The Leader Ian Admires: Why Gareth Southgate's "considered leadership" and ability to listen is so powerful.

Resources Mentioned:

Connect with Ian Stringer:

LinkedIn: Ian Stringer

X (Twitter): @StringerSport

Instagram: @StringerSport

Leader Mentioned:

Gareth Southgate (Former England Manager)

Claudio Ranieri (Former Leicester City Manager)

Richard Brooks Harley (Former Leader/Mentor)

Thank you for watching/ listening.

Follow LevelUp!

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Disclaimer.

LevelUp and the podcast host do not endorse, verify, or take responsibility for any products, services, views, or claims presented by guests during podcast episodes. Any opinions or statements made by podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of LevelUp or its representatives.

© 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/