In this episode, we break down the gap between knowing what great leadership looks like and actually doing it consistently.

We explore why so many founders and managers struggle to apply what they already know, and how a lack of consistency, feedback, and repetition holds teams back.

We also get into the role of energy in leadership, building trust through small behaviours, and how to create a culture that actually reflects your values, not just what you say.

Chapters

00:10 The “Knowing vs Doing” Gap in Leadership

03:10 Does a Leader’s Energy Impact Performance?

08:25 Why Leaders Shouldn’t Always “Save the Day”

09:30 Coaching vs Being the Expert

11:57 Building Better Weekly Leadership Habits

20:21 How Culture Breaks as You Scale

23:32 The Problem with Leadership Development Today

25:10 The Idea Behind Real-Time Leadership Feedback (A Theory)

27:03 Measuring Leadership & Team Engagement

30:41 Is This Just Surveillance?

33:48 Finding a Co-Founder

39:41 Final Takeaways on Leadership & Development

Check out the Founders 500: https://founders500.com

Powered By Atherio, Real-time leadership wisdom for every manager - https://www.getatherio.com

Connect with The host - Ben Stocken: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benstocken

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I break down what it really takes to transition from being an operator to becoming an effective leader.

I share the biggest mistakes I see founders and first-time leaders make, from holding onto the “do everything” mindset to skipping the foundations that actually make teams perform.

We also get into how to build strong team cultures, hire for the right reasons, and give feedback in a way that develops people rather than demotivates them.

Chapters

00:23 Who Is Ben?

01:07 Sahara Marathon Challenge

02:26 Rugby to Career Pivot

05:42 Lockdown Decision Moment

07:04 Building a 7-Figure Business

08:13 Where Leadership Started

12:32 Biggest Leadership Mistakes

15:18 The Delegation Problem

18:15 Leadership at Every Level

20:08 How to Onboard Properly

21:11 Culture Explained Simply

26:57 Why Feedback Is Hard

27:16 The Worst Feedback Ever

30:06 How to Give Better Feedback

33:14 Difficult Conversations

Check out the Founders 500: https://founders500.com

Powered By Atherio, Real-time leadership wisdom for every manager - https://www.getatherio.com

Connect with The host - Ben Stocken: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benstocken

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I sit down with Simon Curtis to explore what it really takes to make AI work inside modern businesses.

We unpack why messy data, fragmented systems, and inconsistent processes are holding companies back and why the real challenge isn’t the tech, but people and behaviour.

Simon shares where AI actually creates value, why most implementations fail, and how to think beyond revenue to the time AI can give back.

If you’re trying to figure out how AI fits into your business and how to balance automation with human input, this one’s right up your street.

Chapters

00:00 Intro: AI, Recruitment & The Human Loop

01:53 The AI Wake-Up Call for Businesses

05:12 The Hidden Behaviour Problem in Teams

06:21 Why Process Matters More Than AI Tools

12:22 The Biggest AI Mistake: Volume Over Quality

13:50 Why People Reject AI Outreach Instantly

15:09 Measuring AI ROI: Time vs Revenue

17:29 How AI Should Reshape Roles

23:34 Selection vs Attraction: What AI Can’t Replace

27:20 When AI Projects Actually Succeed

29:02 Why Most Tech Rollouts Fail

30:16 The $100K Mistake: Tools No One Uses

33:24 Why Humans Still Matter in AI

38:11 Final Thoughts: The Future of Work

Connect with Simon - https://www.linkedin.com/in/simoncurtisrec

Powered By Atherio, Real-time leadership wisdom for every manager - https://www.getatherio.com

Connect with The host - Ben Stocken :https://www.linkedin.com/in/benstocken

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I sit down with Paul, founder of Ookkee, to talk about how modern service businesses are evolving, the role of AI in day-to-day operations, and what it really means to build an efficient, future-proof company.

We dive into how Ookkee operates as a bookkeeping business, how AI is being integrated into their workflow, and why the real opportunity isn’t replacing people, but enabling better decisions, faster delivery, and more value for clients. We also explore how the industry is changing and what founders need to understand to stay competitive.

If you’re building a business or trying to figure out how AI actually fits into your operations, this one’s right up your street.

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction

01:20 – The Story Behind the Business

04:30 – What the Business Actually Does

08:30 – Where AI Fits Into the Business

13:00 – How AI Is Used Day-to-Day

18:30 – Efficiency vs Replacing Jobs

24:00 – Delivering More Value with AI

30:00 – How the Industry Is Changing

36:00 – The Reality of AI in Business

41:30 – Final Thoughts & Takeaways

Connect with Paul - https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulclarke-ookkee

Check out ookkee - https://www.ookkee.co.uk

Powered By Atherio, Real-time leadership wisdom for every manager - https://www.getatherio.com

Connect with The host - Ben Stocken :https://www.linkedin.com/in/benstocken

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this weeks round up I discuss the critical issues facing leadership today, including high stress levels among managers, the importance of talent density, and the challenges of AI integration in organisations. He emphasizes the need for real-time engagement, effective change management, and empathetic leadership to navigate these complexities.

00:00 Introduction to The Weekly Loop

00:28 The Leadership Stress Crisis

01:07 Why Middle Management Matters More Than Ever

02:17 Talent Density and Protecting Business Margins

03:12 Real-Time Employee Engagement

03:39 The Long-Term Stress Leaders Have Faced Since 2020

04:11 How Leaders Should Handle Constant Change

05:04 Why CEOs Believe Their Jobs Depend on AI

05:41 Why 95% of AI Pilots Fail

06:29 The Change Management Mistake Companies Make

07:26 The Change Equation: Why People Resist Change

08:18 Closing the Knowing–Doing Gap

09:04 The Risk of Losing Your Best Leaders

10:02 Why Talent Density Will Define Winning Companies

Powered By Atherio, Real-time leadership wisdom for every manager - https://www.atheriohq.com

Connect with The host - Ben Stocken :https://www.linkedin.com/in/benstocken

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I sit down with Ezra, entrepreneur and multi-business founder to talk about leadership, failure, systems, and the real impact AI is about to have on modern businesses.

After being forced to shut down 65–70% of his group in 2019, Ezra rebuilt with a sharper focus on structure, accountability, and long-term competitive advantage. We explore why most founders are thinking about AI wrong, what actually creates a moat in today’s landscape and why systems matter more than chaos when scaling,

If you're building a company or trying to stay competitive in an AI-driven world, this one's right up your street!

Chapters

00:00 Systems Thinking Starts at Home

02:00 Leadership Lessons from Childhood

05:45 Chaos vs Systems in Early-Stage Founders

08:35 Why Founders Secretly Love the Mess

09:23 The Collapse: Shutting Down 65–70% of the Group

11:10 Accountability at Your Lowest Point

12:00 Why Failure Makes Better Entrepreneurs

26:01 The AI Question Most Businesses Aren’t Asking

27:42 The Real Moat: Data, Relationships & Expertise

30:40 Brand, Memory & The Human Advantage

43:19 Optimising Humans, Not Replacing Them

44:48 Turning AI Into Competitive Leverage

46:00 From Recruiter to Talent Solutions Architect

Connect with Ezra - https://ezrachapman.com

Powered By Atherio, Real-time leadership wisdom for every manager - https://www.getatherio.com

Connect with The host - Ben Stocken :https://www.linkedin.com/in/benstocken

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’m Ben, founder of Atherio and my mission is simple: enable the performance and wellbeing of 10 million managers in the next three years.

In this episode, I share why managers have one of the toughest jobs in business, why most don’t get the support they need, and how we’re bridging the gap between knowing what good leadership looks like and actually doing it.

From elite sport with England national rugby union team to working with global organisations, I’ve seen what makes teams flourish and what causes them to fail.

If you care about building high-performing teams without burning people out, this one’s for you.

Powered By Atherio, Real-time leadership wisdom for every manager - https://www.getatherio.com

Connect with The host - Ben Stocken :https://www.linkedin.com/in/benstocken

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week’s episode of the Human in the Loop podcast, I sit down with Nikki, Managing Director of Ferox Partners, to explore what AI really means for recruitment, leadership, and the future of work.

We unpack how AI can drive speed and efficiency in hiring without losing the human relationships that build trust, culture, and performance. From cultural fit versus skill set, to offshoring, early-career development, and burnout in lean teams.

We then delve into the need for businesses to adapt to continuous change and the critical role of resilience and adaptability in maintaining high performance without leading to burnout.

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction & Lunch at Lashings

02:30 – Ferox Partners & Running Lean with AI

06:00 – AI in Recruitment: Efficiency vs Human Judgment

10:30 – Cultural Fit vs Skillset: What Really Matters?

14:45 – Will AI Replace Human Roles?

19:30 – Trust, Emotion & The “Bad Sandwich” Analogy

23:30 – On-Site Client Work & The Value of Human Insight

29:00 – Offshoring vs AI: The Future of Recruitment Models

36:00 – Entry-Level Jobs & The Impact of AI on Early Careers

41:30 – Education, MBAs & Preparing Graduates for AI-First Workplaces

47:00 – Parental Responsibility & Work Ethic in the Next Generation

52:00 – Burnout, Lean Teams & Manager Capability

57:00 – Risk, Development & The Future of Leadership

Connect with Nikki - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikki-foster-21014223/

Powered By Atherio, Real-time leadership wisdom for every manager - https://www.getatherio.com

Connect with The host - Ben Stocken :https://www.linkedin.com/in/benstocken

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.