In these ‘SHORTS’ episodes of my podcast, I select my favourite moments from previous episodes. This one comes from episode 179, with James Collier, Co-founder of Huel and Registered Nutritionist, to explore the concept of “dietology” – the dogmatic beliefs around nutrition – and why food choices can become so polarising. Once you’ve listened to the ‘SHORT’, why not click the link below and tune in to the full episode? Enjoyed The Short? Listen to the full episode here ....
Jul 07, 2025•4 min
Have you ever found yourself so caught up in leading your team that you've forgotten to keep your boss updated on the great work you’re doing? Or perhaps your boss asks for updates you've already given, and you’re left wondering why your messages aren’t landing? In this episode of The Leaders Kitbag , I’m sharing three practical strategies to help you manage upwards more effectively. These aren’t about office politics or overcommunicating; they’re about building trust, maintaining your autonomy,...
Jul 02, 2025•7 min
In part two of our conversation, we shift gears from nutrition to the leadership journey behind Huel’s explosive growth — and the personal toll that comes with building something big. As someone who coaches leaders through the challenges of scale, I’ve long believed that mental fitness is as critical as strategy. James’ openness about his own struggles, recovery, and mindset shifts is a powerful reminder that leadership isn’t just about driving performance… it’s also about sustaining yourself . ...
Jul 01, 2025•33 min•Season 12Ep. 180
Whether your boss is brilliant or a bit of a nightmare, there will always be times when pressure from above feels unrealistic. In this episode of The Leaders Kitbag, I’m sharing three actionable tips for managing up, especially when you need to push back on unachievable demands without damaging relationships or trust. In this episode, you'll learn: Why challenging upwards early and respectfully helps maintain credibility How to clarify ambiguous requests with sharp, specific questions How to exp...
Jun 25, 2025•6 min
In the first of this two-part series, I’m joined by James Collier , Registered Nutritionist and Co-Founder of Huel, to challenge some long-held assumptions about nutrition and performance. As someone who works closely with CEOs and scale-up leaders, I’ve seen first-hand how often nutrition is overlooked — even by those obsessed with productivity hacks and peak performance. So in this episode, James and I explore what really fuels consistent leadership energy… and what drains it. Together, we cov...
Jun 24, 2025•46 min•Season 12Ep. 179
Let’s face it, not every leader we work for is brilliant. But even if your boss isn’t the best, you still have the power to lead your team well. In this episode of The Leaders Kitbag, I’m sharing three practical ways you can manage up when the person above you isn’t leading effectively. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to clarify the bigger picture to help your boss prioritise Ways to proactively seek feedback, even in a feedback vacuum Why sharing wins and team success makes your boss (and yo...
Jun 18, 2025•6 min
What’s really going on in venture capital? In these ‘SHORTS’ episodes of my podcast, I select my favourite moments from previous episodes. This one comes from episode 178, with Tessa Clarke, co-founder of OLIO, as she shares how the funding landscape is shifting – and where it still needs to go. With five successful funding rounds under her belt, Tessa shares her hard-won insights into the realities of raising capital as a female founder. She talks candidly about the progress we are seeing – fro...
Jun 16, 2025•2 min
In this episode of The Leaders Kit Bag, I explore a common but often overlooked leadership pitfall: the one-way nature of feedback in many teams. While it's often easy for leaders to give feedback, getting honest input in return can be much more difficult . But if we don’t hear what our team really thinks, we’re not leading with the whole picture. Our leadership decisions are based on assumptions and inferences, instead of real insights. Through a recent example from one of my leadership courses...
Jun 11, 2025•5 min
In this episode of The Leaders Kit Bag, we’re tackling one of the biggest challenges even the most self-aware leaders face: uncovering blind spots. Using a personal story from the development of Ben AI, I share a real-life example of how a name that seemed perfectly logical on paper almost became a serious misstep, simply because the people around me didn’t feel comfortable enough to challenge it early on. We explore the real reason why valuable insights often go unspoken: a lack of psychologica...
Jun 04, 2025•6 min
In this powerful and refreshingly candid conversation, Ben Morton welcomes back Tessa Clarke , co-founder of Olio, to reflect on the scale-up phase of building one of the UK’s leading sharing economy apps. From their $43 million Series B raise to restructuring through a turbulent 2023, Tessa takes us inside the mindset shifts, leadership lessons, and cultural priorities that have defined Olio 3.0. For leaders navigating the messy middle between startup energy and operational maturity, this episo...
Jun 03, 2025•44 min•Season 12Ep. 178
You might have an open-door policy, but if a metaphorical grizzly bear is sitting behind it, your team still won’t walk through. In this episode of The Leaders Kit Bag , I dig into a leadership truth that’s hard to hear but vital to address: just because you’ve got an “open door policy” doesn’t mean people feel safe enough to share everything you need to know. I explore why feedback often goes unspoken and why well-meaning leaders may be making decisions based on partial truths and assumptions, ...
May 28, 2025•5 min
In these ‘SHORTS’ episodes of my podcast, I select my favourite moments from previous episodes. This one comes from episode 177, with innovation strategist Frank Mattes, where he addresses how to identify and build the kind of teams that don’t just execute, but innovate. Once you’ve listened to the ‘SHORT’, why not click the link below and tune in to the full episode? Enjoyed The Short? Listen to the full episode here ....
May 26, 2025•3 min
In today’s episode, I offer a fresh perspective on one of the concepts I’ve shared time and time again: leadership is not about having all the answers. Using the metaphor of a lighthouse versus a radar, I explore the subtle but powerful shift in mindset that enables great leaders to navigate with agility, listen deeply, and respond wisely. Where the lighthouse stands still and broadcasts in one direction, the radar constantly scans, listens, and adjusts. That’s what today’s most effective leader...
May 21, 2025•3 min
In this episode of The Leaders Kit Bag , I’m exploring one of the most common – and overlooked – growth challenges in scale-ups and fast-moving organisations: leadership bottlenecks . As Marshall Goldsmith put it, “What got you here won’t get you there.” That insight rings especially true for leaders in high-growth businesses. The truth is, the biggest barrier to scaling often isn’t sales, operations or even funding – it’s the leadership capability within the organisation. You’ll learn: Why your...
May 14, 2025•7 min
In this episode of The Leaders Kit Bag , I’m digging into a common but critical leadership flaw: becoming the bottleneck in your team’s decision-making process. When every decision must run through you, progress stalls, opportunities are lost, and teams become disengaged. Drawing on principles from military leadership and practical business tools, I’ll show you how to break that logjam and build a team of empowered, capable decision-makers. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why ego and fear are the...
May 07, 2025•7 min
Welcome to the very first episode of Leading the Scale-Up — the new podcast series from Ben Morton, leadership coach, keynote speaker, and host of The Leader’s Kitbag. This show isn’t about leadership theory. It’s about the real-world challenge of scaling a start-up or growing a business within a business — and what it takes to lead through the chaos. In this episode, I’m joined by Frank Mattes, award-winning thought leader and creator of the Lean Scaleup framework. With over 20 years of experie...
May 06, 2025•54 min•Season 12Ep. 177
In this episode of The Leaders Kit Bag , I’m tackling one of the most common – and costly – challenges leaders face: the “ Too Busy to Lead ” cycle. If you often feel there’s no time for the leadership work you should be doing – coaching your team, thinking strategically, or planning ahead – that’s a major red flag. Because when leadership gets deprioritised, performance stalls and teams disengage. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why confusing busyness with effectiveness is a leadership trap How ...
Apr 30, 2025•7 min
In this episode of The Leaders Kit Bag , I shine a light on a common leadership pitfall: the Super-Manager Trap. It’s the belief that the productivity of your team or business is directly linked to how hard you work. But the truth is, the harder you push, the more you might be holding everyone else back. I’ll walk you through why this happens, how it impacts your team’s growth, and the practical steps you can take to shift from Super-Manager to strategic leader. In this episode, you’ll learn: Wh...
Apr 23, 2025•5 min
We often hear that high performance comes at a cost—but is that really true? In this episode of The Leaders Kitbag , I challenge the outdated notion that success is only achieved by working longer, harder, and faster. Instead, I explore what it truly takes to deliver sustainable high performance—both for ourselves and the teams we lead. You’ll discover: Why working smarter—not just harder—is essential for long-term success. The leadership failures that can lead to burnout and how to avoid them. ...
Apr 16, 2025•8 min
In this episode of The Leaders Kitbag, I reveal why underperformance often isn’t about people falling short, but about systems and processes that haven’t evolved with your growing organisation. I share insights on how the approaches that once worked for a small team may fail at scale, and why it’s all too easy to falsely attribute the blame on individuals when the real culprit is a misaligned environment and culture. You’ll learn: Why outdated systems and processes can cause performance to slip....
Apr 09, 2025•4 min
When a team member falls short of expectations, it’s easy to point the finger of blame at them. But the best leaders ask themselves a different question: What was my role in this? In this episode of The Leaders Kit Bag, I explore the concept of radical accountability—taking full ownership of your team’s performance. Instead of blaming individuals, we must identify and address the leadership gaps that may be causing underperformance. Here are four key leadership gaps that could be holding your te...
Apr 02, 2025•6 min
Have you ever been disappointed with a team member’s performance, only to later realise you never actually communicated your expectations clearly? You’re not alone. Unclear expectations are one of the biggest performance killers, and as leaders, we’re often guilty of setting an invisible standard without articulating it. In this episode of The Leaders Kit Bag, I share three simple but powerful tips to ensure your team understands exactly what is expected of them: Make the Invisible Visible – Cle...
Mar 26, 2025•6 min
Leading colleagues who are older or more experienced than you can feel intimidating. You may wonder how to earn their respect, gain their trust, and lead effectively without micromanaging or feeling out of your depth. In this episode of The Leaders Kit Bag, I explore how David Rock’s SCARF model can help you successfully lead more experienced team members. Key takeaways from this episode: Autonomy matters – Experienced colleagues value independence. Give them freedom, choice, and control in thei...
Mar 19, 2025•6 min
Leading other leaders is a unique challenge—one that can feel daunting, especially if some of them have as much (or more) experience than you, strong opinions, and perhaps even wanted the job you now have. In this episode of The Leaders Kit Bag, I explore how David Rock’s SCARF model can help you establish credibility and take your fellow leaders with you on the journey. Key takeaways from this episode: Reflect on your own experiences – What did past leaders do well? What turned you off? Learn f...
Mar 12, 2025•6 min
Stepping up to lead a team of former peers can be one of the trickiest transitions in leadership. It inevitably changes relationships, and the biggest mistake new leaders make is failing to acknowledge that shift. In this episode of The Leaders Kit Bag, I share the single most important step you must take to set yourself and your team up for success—having an open and honest conversation from the outset. Avoiding it may feel easier in the short term, but it only leads to ongoing awkwardness, unc...
Mar 05, 2025•5 min
Stepping into a new leadership role can be daunting—especially when leading former peers, senior colleagues, or other leaders. In this episode of The Leaders Kit Bag, I introduce David Rock’s SCARF model—a neuroscience-backed framework designed to help leaders navigate these transitions with confidence. The SCARF model identifies five key factors that influence behaviour and team dynamics: Status – A sense of importance and recognition in the workplace. Certainty – The human need for predictabil...
Feb 26, 2025•6 min
In this episode of The Leaders Kit Bag , we focus on the art of tailoring communication to your audience. Miscommunication often occurs because people think and process information differently. Understanding and addressing these differences is essential for leaders seeking to connect effectively. Key Takeaways: Recognise diverse thinking styles: Some people prefer big-picture overviews, while others need detailed plans to fully engage. Adapt to your audience: Adjust your communication style base...
Feb 19, 2025•6 min
In this episode of The Leaders Kit Bag , we tackle a common leadership challenge: how to ensure alignment and clarity in meetings and presentations. Many leaders leave a room believing everyone is on the same page, only to find confusion and misalignment later. This episode introduces a simple yet transformative tactic to prevent that from happening. Key Takeaways: Ask to confirm understanding: Instead of asking, “Any questions?”, ask specific questions to test understanding, e.g., “What time ar...
Feb 12, 2025•6 min
In this episode of The Leaders Kit Bag , we dive into the often-overlooked cornerstone of effective communication—listening. While many leaders focus on what they say, the true art of communication lies in genuinely understanding others. Key Takeaways: Awareness is the first step: Recognise that much of what passes for listening in conversations is people waiting for their turn to speak. Model the way: As leaders, we must demonstrate the behaviours we want to see, including attentive and intenti...
Feb 05, 2025•6 min
In this episode of The Leaders Kit Bag, we delve into the critical skill of communicating with clarity as a leader. Miscommunication can lead to frustration, wasted effort, and unfulfilled expectations. As leaders, the responsibility often lies with us to ensure our messages are clear and actionable. Albert Einstein famously said, “True genius is making the complex simple, not making the simple complicated.” This insight underpins today’s discussion. Key Takeaways: Reflect on your role in commun...
Jan 29, 2025•6 min
