Lee explores the concept of instincts and habits. He delves into the idea of striving for perfection in human behaviour by encouraging individuals to do the right thing at the right time, every time. Lee discusses the differences between instincts and habits, highlighting that instincts are reactive and unconscious, while habits involve conscious awareness and practice. Overall, this thought-provoking episode challenges conventional thinking and offers practical insights for solving business pro...
Jan 29, 2024•14 min•Ep. 270
Lee explores the importance of effectively engaging the hearts and senses of people when leading and implementing change. He emphasises the power of words, pictures, and emotions in creating a strong connection with individuals. Lee highlights the significance of creating a vision that resonates with people and involves them in the process, as it increases their level of commitment and engagement. He shares personal experiences, such as his running journey, to illustrate the impact of words and ...
Jan 22, 2024•14 min•Ep. 269
Lee discusses the parallels between his marathon training journey and running a business. He shares his experiences and lessons learned from his training, emphasising the importance of paying attention to the small details and not sweating the unimportant stuff. Lee also talks about the value of seeking guidance and feedback from experienced individuals to understand what truly matters. KEY TAKEAWAYS The importance of sweating the small stuff: Paying attention to the small details is crucial for...
Jan 15, 2024•18 min•Ep. 268
This episode explores the importance of conversation in today's technology-driven world. Lee highlights how distractions and short-form communication have led to a loss of the art of conversation. Lee emphasises the need for engaging and meaningful conversations to solve business problems and improve personal relationships. He shares his own experience of transitioning from scripted questions to open-ended conversations in his podcast interviews. Lee believes that by prioritising conversation an...
Jan 08, 2024•14 min•Ep. 267
Join Lee as he reflects on the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on various industries over the past year. He draws a parallel between AI and artificial grass, highlighting the advantages and limitations of both. While AI offers predictability and efficiency, human intelligence possesses emotional depth and adaptability. Lee emphasises the importance of leveraging technology to enhance productivity and problem-solving, but also warns against over-reliance on it, as it can ...
Jan 01, 2024•19 min•Ep. 266
In this final episode of 2023, Lee reflects on the year and shares personal challenges, including his training for the London Marathon and an ultra marathon in 2024. He discusses the parallels between his training journey and the challenges faced in leadership. Lee emphasises the importance of having a compelling vision, making goals tangible and relatable, and creating accountability through public commitment. He also explores the four C's: connection, conversations, collaboration, and celebrat...
Dec 18, 2023•21 min•Ep. 265
Lee explores the concept of putting your body where your priorities are. He challenges the common practice of leaders simply sending emails or making phone calls about their priorities, and instead encourages leaders to physically show up and contribute to the work that aligns with their number one priority. By being present both physically and mentally, leaders can demonstrate their support and care for their teams, ultimately creating a more engaged workforce. KEY TAKEAWAYS Putting your body w...
Dec 11, 2023•13 min•Ep. 264
In this episode, Lee Horton explores the complexities of communication and the challenges that arise when messages are not received as intended. Lee emphasises the importance of consistently and clearly communicating messages multiple times to ensure they are understood by different individuals. He shares the six key factors in any communication process into six key factors and talks about how acknowledging these factors and actively checking for understanding can help set up leaders for success...
Dec 04, 2023•14 min•Ep. 263
Lee opens up in this episode, sharing a personal experience of feeling overwhelmed and struggling to manage his time effectively. He reflects on the importance of structure and prioritisation to avoid becoming overwhelmed and unproductive. Lee emphasises the need for clarity, conscious effort, and consistency in managing one's schedule and making time for important tasks. He also highlights the limited nature of time and the importance of being kind to oneself by prioritising and sticking to a s...
Nov 27, 2023•13 min•Ep. 262
Lee shares a personal story about his son's confidence and how it relates to building successful teams in business. Lee's son, Jack, plays for two football teams and has different levels of confidence and involvement with each team. Lee introduces the concept of the "Q for Confidence" formula, which includes comfort, understanding, and effort. Lee talks about the importance of creating a comfortable and supportive environment for team members to build their confidence and perform at their best. ...
Nov 20, 2023•13 min•Ep. 261
Join Lee as he discusses the importance of the four C's: Connect, Converse, Collaborate, and Celebrate. He challenges listeners to reflect on how effectively they are applying these principles within their teams. He also encourages listeners to have clarity in their understanding, be conscious in their actions, and remain consistent in their messaging and activities. By doing so, the four C's become a living and breathing system rather than a one-off activity. KEY TAKEAWAYS The four C's are Conn...
Nov 13, 2023•12 min•Ep. 260
Lee discusses the concept of failure and how it is perceived differently in the gym versus in the workplace. Drawing parallels between failing to achieve fitness goals and failing to meet business targets, Lee challenges the negative connotation associated with failure and encourages listeners to reframe it as a stepping stone towards success. He emphasises the importance of intrinsic motivation, creating a safe environment for failure, and providing support and encouragement as leaders. KEY TAK...
Nov 06, 2023•12 min•Ep. 259
Join Lee as he explores the importance of trust in leading change. He introduces the concept of the trust equation, which includes reliability, credibility, intimacy, and self-orientation. Lee discusses three key aspects where trust is crucial: trust in the change facilitator, trust in the business, and trust in the solution. By building trust, leaders can successfully navigate organisations and achieve their desired outcomes. KEY TAKEAWAYS Trust is a crucial factor in leading change and solving...
Oct 30, 2023•12 min•Ep. 258
In this episode of Business Problems Solved, Lee Horton discusses the three non-negotiables for a high-performing leadership team. Drawing inspiration from a leadership team he has been working with, Lee emphasizes the importance of alignment, clear expectations, and role-modelling accountability. He explains that a high-performing team does not necessarily require all high-performing individuals, but rather a shared understanding and direction. Lee encourages leaders to align their definitions ...
Oct 22, 2023•14 min•Ep. 257
Join Lee as he explores the concept of "Measure Mountain" and the importance of recognising and enabling effective teams within an organisation. Lee talks about the need to not only focus on the team delivering the 'valuable' work but also on other teams such as the leadership team. He encourages leaders to consider the horizontal lines of communication and collaboration, in addition to the vertical hierarchy. Lee challenges listeners to think about how many teams they really need and how they c...
Oct 16, 2023•15 min•Ep. 256
In this episode of the podcast, host Lee is joined by guest Sam Morgan to discuss the challenges and mindset shifts involved in starting your own business and helping others as a change leader. Sam shares his personal journey from being introduced to Lean principles to realizing his passion for empowering people and helping them unlock their potential. They delve into the importance of building trust and confidence, taking small steps towards goals, and overcoming self-doubt. They also explore t...
Oct 08, 2023•51 min•Ep. 255
Lee shares a personal experience that has made him reflect on the importance of making challenges and changes feel real for people. He discusses his decision to participate in two charity events, the London Marathon and a 100-kilometre ultra event, and how it only became real for him when he started sharing it with others and receiving donations. Lee explores the significance of emotional attachment and involvement in driving motivation and commitment, emphasising the importance of communication...
Oct 01, 2023•15 min•Ep. 254
Lee discusses the importance of silence in both the external and internal world. He emphasises the need to create spaces for silence in meetings to allow people time to think and truly engage in the conversation. Lee challenges listeners to consider their comfort level with silence and how it affects their ability to listen and ask better questions. He suggests avoiding padding or justifying questions, and instead giving people the space and time to think before exploring their understanding. Le...
Sep 24, 2023•12 min•Ep. 253
Lee explores the difference between getting by and getting better in business. He emphasises the importance of asking the right questions to promote continuous improvement and challenges leaders to reflect on the questions they ask their teams. Lee discusses the three key factors to consider when asking questions: the type of question, the environment in which it is asked, and the person being asked. He provides examples of questions that promote getting by versus getting better and encourages l...
Sep 18, 2023•18 min•Ep. 252
In this episode, I delve into the intriguing concept of "empty happiness" and "empty improvement." It's fascinating how we often confuse fleeting moments of joy with genuine, lasting happiness that we experience when we look back on our life's journey. This parallels the world of business, where I've witnessed countless instances of efforts aimed at improvement that ultimately lead to no substantial change.My exploration will illuminate the path toward transformation in both personal and profess...
Sep 10, 2023•15 min•Ep. 251
In this special episode, host Lee takes a reflective journey by engaging in conversations with his two children, Jack and India. Jack, aged 10, shares his insights on what makes a good manager, drawing from his love of football and admiration for figures like Elon Musk. Meanwhile, 8-year-old India expresses her aspirations to become a teacher or business worker, emphasising the importance of helping others and always doing one's best. Through these conversations, Lee realises the need to have mo...
Sep 03, 2023•29 min•Ep. 250
Lee discusses the challenge that many organisations face when it comes to deploying their strategies effectively. He emphasises the importance of engaging employees and creating a more meaningful and collaborative approach to strategy deployment. Lee introduces a framework of three key questions: Why are we doing this, what do our people need to be, and what elements do we need in place to achieve our goals? By answering these questions and involving the team in the process, leaders can create a...
Aug 27, 2023•17 min•Ep. 249
Lee explores the concept of opportunities and how they are perceived and acted upon. He shares a simple anecdote about a coin glued to the floor to illustrate how some people may not see opportunities while others may misinterpret them. Lee emphasizes the importance of mindset, work ethic, and consistent questioning in recognizing and seizing opportunities for improvement. KEY TAKEAWAYS Opportunities are all around us, but not everyone sees them or takes advantage of them. It is important for le...
Aug 20, 2023•14 min•Ep. 248
Rather than being a black-or-white question, the gap between safe and strong tends to be a sliding scale as only caution can build safety and only risk can result in strength. Lee looks at this balancing conundrum in the context of creating change. KEY TAKEAWAYS Initially, you may want your people to be safe so they can confidently try repeatedly and possibly fail more comfortably. Do you provide answers, templates, and constant guidance for your people, or are you allowing them to fail and lear...
Aug 14, 2023•15 min•Ep. 247
In this episode of Business Problems Solved, host Lee Horton draws an unexpected analogy between change management and sun cream. He reflects on his recent family holiday and compares the role of change management in protecting individuals from the harmful effects of change to the function of sun cream in shielding people from the sun. Lee emphasises the importance of recognising that change affects individuals differently and that different levels of support and communication may be necessary. ...
Aug 06, 2023•13 min•Ep. 246
When applying change in various organisations Lee has found resistance a common problem. In this episode, he identifies the key reasons why it is so often encountered and how you can circumvent them. KEY TAKEAWAYS We need to share what we are thinking clearly with everyone when we explain the reasons for change. If people do not understand the rationale behind the decisions it is easy for them to discard or ignore them. Change brings uncertainty. People worry about what change will mean to them ...
Jul 30, 2023•14 min•Ep. 245
How do you create an ongoing strategy to facilitate change in the long term rather than just being reactive to current problems? Lee notes some key points to bear in mind when forming a plan for others to follow to create change well into the future as well as right now. KEY TAKEAWAYS Use technology to help to achieve your goals. Systemically find problems to solve by engaging your people, metrics and identifying targets. Create a new system, or adapt one that already exists. Know your organisat...
Jul 23, 2023•16 min•Ep. 244
Lee reflects on the past five years since his friend Chris’ passing as well as Chris’ three lessons that have been so intrinsic in leading change in that time, and his dive into those lessons that he has experienced since his loss. KEY TAKEAWAYS When you allow people to be themselves, we are all so vastly different. It’s our differences that make progress possible. Always be your authentic self. Make good friends. Time is limited. BEST MOMENTS‘All the way through school I was the kid who would g...
Jul 16, 2023•16 min•Ep. 243
Lee discusses how amongst change leaders when challenging people’s thinking to move closer to the goal, your credibility can be much more important than your ability to influence. KEY TAKEAWAYS A challenge can be uncomfortable, but the important thing is your subject’s view of you and your credibility in their opinion. It can often be easier to gain credibility as an external change person. Build trust and credibility with the leaders that you are supporting. BEST MOMENTS‘Imagine you are a lean ...
Jul 09, 2023•11 min•Ep. 242
The ‘Say, Do Gap’ is the delay between when people say they are going to do something and when they actually do it or the difference in quality between what they say they are going to achieve and what they actually produce. Lee talks about an extra stage in this process, the ‘Think Feel’ stage. KEY TAKEAWAYS If we can influence the thoughts and feelings of our people then we have a chance of influencing the culture of our organisation. If someone feels that an environment is not safe to freely e...
Jul 02, 2023•12 min•Ep. 241
