The Thoughtful Leader Podcast

Ben Brearley is a leadership coach based in Australia who runs mostly solo episodes, usually between 12 and 16 minutes long. The Thoughtful Leader Podcast targets what Brearley calls reflective, people-focused leaders -- managers who want to lead with confidence without pretending to be someone they are not. With 315 episodes releasing weekly and a 4.8-star rating, the show covers limiting beliefs, performance management, feedback delivery, and team support in a refreshingly jargon-free way. Recent episodes tackle modern workplace issues like ghostworking (the new presenteeism), whether you can change your personal values for leadership, and how long to wait before enforcing consequences on underperformers. Brearley keeps things tight and practical. There is no filler, no extended intros, no guest plugging their latest book for twenty minutes. He picks one idea, explains it clearly, and gives you something to think about or try. The shorter format works well because each episode feels like a focused coaching session rather than an extended interview. His Australian directness cuts through the corporate speak that plagues many leadership shows. For introverted or thoughtful new managers who feel like most leadership advice is designed for extroverts, this show feels like it was made specifically for you.