PODCAST
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EPISODE 58
LESSONS FROM MY LEADERSHIP JOURNEY: PART II
In this second episode (of a two-part series) of The Lonely Leader Podcast, host James Rule continues to share lessons from his leadership journey as a CEO. James prides himself on authenticity and shares lessons that were received through the lived experience, success and failure of his leadership tenures. Whether you are an existing or aspiring leader these insights will support your continued growth and development.
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EPISODE 57
LESSONS FROM MY LEADERSHIP JOURNEY: PART I
In this episode of The Lonely Leader Podcast, host James Rule shares lessons from his leadership journey as CEO. James prides himself on authenticity and shares lessons that were received through the lived experience, success and failure of his leadership tenures. Whether you are an existing or aspiring leader these insights will support your continued growth and development.
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EPISODE 56
LEADERSHIP ESSENTIALS: POSITIVITY
In this episode of The Lonely Leader Podcast, host James Rule delves into the critical role of positivity on impactful leadership. Explore real-world examples from business, sports, and the military, including insights from Satya Nadella, Richie McCaw, and Dwight D. Eisenhower. Learn actionable strategies to cultivate a positive outlook, inspire your team, and navigate challenges with resilience.
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EPISODE 54
THE POWER OF REST: UNLOCKING HIGH PERFORMANCE THROUGH RECOVERY
In this episode of The Lonely Leader, James Rule explores the overlooked key to sustained success: rest and recovery. Drawing on the seven types of rest physical, mental, emotional, social, sensory, creative, and spiritual James discusses how leaders can harness the power of recovery to enhance focus, resilience, and sustain high performance.
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EPISODE 53
LEADERSHIP ESSENTIALS: DEBUNKING COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS
In this episode of The Lonely Leader, James Rule debunks the most common leadership myths and reveals the truths behind great leadership. This content will ensure that you do not allow these myths to diminish your leadership impact and aspirations.

EPISODE 52
LEADERSHIP ESSENTIALS: THE LEGACY YOU LEAVE
In this episode of The Lonely Leader, James Rule explores Legacy as a vital leadership essential. Reflect on how the impact you leave on others your actions, inspiration, and values defines your legacy.

EPISODE 51
LEADERSHIP ESSENTIALS: THE POWER OF OPTIMISIM
In this inspiring episode of The Lonely Leader, James Rule explores Optimism as a critical leadership essential. Discover why an optimistic mindset fuels confidence, inspires teams, and drives action even in the face of adversity.
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EPISODE 50
REFLECTIONS FROM MY PODCASTING JOURNEY
In this milestone 50th episode of The Lonely Leader, James Rule reflects on the leadership lessons learned throughout the podcast’s journey. From overcoming self-doubt to accelerating progress through mentorship, James shares eight key insights that resonate far beyond podcasting and into every leader’s journey.
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EPISODE 49
LEADERSHIP ESSENTIALS: MASTERING COMPOSURE AS A LEADER
In this episode of The Lonely Leader Podcast, James Rule explores the critical leadership trait of composure. From making sound decisions under pressure to role-modelling high-performance behaviours, composure is a critical emotional thermostat for you and your team.

EPISODE 48
LEADERSHIP ESSENTIALS: PRESENCE
In this episode of The Lonely Leader, James Rule dives into the power of Presence, one of the most vital traits in leadership. Presence isn’t just about being in the room it’s about how we engage and connect with others. Drawing on examples from leaders like Steve Jobs and Oprah Winfrey, James explores how presence can elevate leadership, strengthen relationships, and improve performance.

EPISODE 47
MASTERING PRODUCTIVITY: KEY STRATEGIES TO MAKE EVERY DAY COUNT
In this episode of The Lonely Leader Podcast James Rule breaks down eight proven strategies to help you master productivity. Whether you’re seeking focus, better organisation, or sustainable ways to optimise each day, these methods can transform your approach to work and life. Drawing insights from top productivity research and the high performers he coaches James offers actionable techniques you can start implementing today.

EPISODE 46
LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM MY DAUGHTERS
In this heartfelt episode of The Lonely Leader Podcast, James Rule shares invaluable leadership lessons inspired by the simple yet powerful traits of his daughters. By observing their natural qualities—empathy, resilience, curiosity, optimism, and authenticity James uncovers essential qualities that any leader can learn from and apply daily.

EPISODE 45
THE POWER OF WORDS IN LEADERSHIP
In this episode of The Lonely Leader, host James Rule explores the profound impact that language has on our mindset, resilience, and overall performance in leadership. By sharing personal experiences from his role as a Chief Executive, James demonstrates how simple changes in the words we use can dramatically shift how we view challenges and motivate ourselves to keep moving forward.
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EPISODE 44
CULTIVATING A GROWTH MINDSET IN YOU AND YOUR TEAM
In this episode of The Lonely Leader Podcast James Rule examines the concept of a growth mindset. He discusses what it is, its benefits, and how you can cultivate it within yourself and your team. Learn actionable strategies that promote a culture of continuous improvement and resilience.

EPISODE 43
LEADING WITH AGILITY: HOW TO ADAPT AND THRIVE AS A LEADER
In this episode of The Lonely Leader Podcast host James Rule explores the critical importance of leading with agility in today’s fast-paced world. Learn why agility is a non-negotiable skill for leaders, how it blends vulnerability and confidence, and why it’s essential to build an agile team culture. James shares practical insights on how to pivot strategies, maintain clarity amidst uncertainty, and lead your team with resilience.
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EPISODE 42
ENHANCING YOUR CREDIBILITY TO BOOST VISIBILITY
In this episode of The Lonely Leader Podcast host James offers practical steps you can take to immediately improve your credibility in the workplace, including continuous learning, networking, and delivering consistent results. Listen to discover how small, intentional actions can help you build trust, grow your influence, and unlock new opportunities.

EPISODE 41
TOXIC LEADERSHIP: HOW TO SPOT IT AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT
In this powerful episode of The Lonely Leader Podcast, James Rule dives deep into the toxic leadership behaviours that plague many workplaces today. From micromanagers to credit thieves and blame-shifters, James offers short, relatable examples of what toxic leadership looks like in action and provides actionable strategies on how to confront these behaviours in others and potentially within ourselves.

EPISODE 40
NAVIGATING LEADERSHIP TRANSITIONS: HOW TO LEAD CONFIDENTLY THROUGH CHANGE
Transitions in leadership can feel overwhelming, but they also provide an opportunity for growth and development. In this episode of The Lonely Leader Podcast James discusses navigating leadership transitions with practical strategies to help you lead confidently and effectively
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EPISODE 39
LEADERSHIP ESSENTIALS: HUMOUR
In this episode of The Lonely Leader podcast, we explore the transformative power of humour in leadership. Discover how humour can enhance team dynamics, diffuse conflict, foster creativity, improve communication and enhance culture.
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EPISODE 38
MASTERING THE ART OF COMMUNICATION
In this episode of The Lonely Leader Podcast, James explores the vital role of effective communication in leadership. Discover six essential communication techniques that every leader should master to inspire and engage their teams. Learn about the importance of active listening, clarity and conciseness, constructive feedback, adaptability, empathy, and preparation. These strategies will enhance your communication skills and your impact as a leader.

EPISODE 37
RECOVERY: THE MISSING LINK FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE
Recovery is the missing link for creating and sustaining high performance. In this episode James highlights how so many leaders fail to focus on recovery as an integral part of their working week. As a consequence, they compromise their performance and potentially physical and mental health. He shares five simple but powerful steps he believes should be a priority for all of us to enhance our recovery.
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EPISODE 36
LEADERSHIP ESSENTIALS: CONFIDENCE
When faced with making difficult decisions, and dealing with challenging situations maintaining self confidence is essential. A leader must retain the belief in his or her ability to make the right call and find the solutions the situation requires. James explores this topic and shares his number one tool for enhancing confidence.

EPISODE 35
LEADING A HYBRID TEAM
Leading a hybrid team of onsite and remote workers is a new phenomenon which poses a unique set of challenges for the modern day leader. James shares five key tips to ensure you can create and sustain high performance in a hybrid team whilst also protecting the health and wellbeing of you and your staff.

EPISODE 34
DEALING WITH NEGATIVE PEOPLE
Negativity and negative people are a fact of life. We will all encounter them in our personal lives and professional roles. James shares key steps for dealing with those people, ensuring you protect them, the organisational culture and performance and crucially your wellbeing as their leader.
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EPISODE 33
HIGH PERFORMANCE PLEDGES
The Optimists Creed was written by Christian Larson. He believed that we all have untapped potential that can be accessed if we adopt the right attitude.
He presents a series of pledges that are as relevant today as they were when the poem was written. In this episode, James explores the pledges and how they can be utilised to create and sustain high performance in all aspects of our lives.

EPISODE 32
HIGH PERFORMANCE LESSONS
James shares five high performance lessons from his Knowledge Library. This has been developed through his own leadership journey and tenures as a CEO.
In addition it has been massively enhanced from the best practice James has witnessed coaching and mentoring high performing leaders in a diverse range or roles and sectors around the world.

EPISODE 31
CREATING AN EMPOWERED MINDSET
Everybody wants an empowered mindset but not everybody knows how to facilitate it. It is the foundation for creating high performance for you as an individual and for your wider team.
In this episode James shares six tips that will help you create and sustain an empowered mindset.

EPISODE 30
PREVENTING LONELINESS IN LEADERSHIP
An appropriate topic for James to discuss having branded this podcast The Lonely Leader. In this episode he shares eight steps that every leader can utilise to prevent succumbing to the loneliness and isolation of leadership.

EPISODE 29
TEN TRAITS OF COURAGEOUS LEADERS
James explores The Ten Traits of Courageous Leaders. He has curated them having observed them been practiced consistently by the high performing leaders he has worked with.
Whilst acknowledging it takes courage to embrace them, every leader will be rewarded for doing so with a higher performing and more fulfilled team. This in turn will enhance culture making it easier to attract and retain the highest quality staff.

EPISODE 28
THE DESTROYERS OF CULTURE
James explores The Ten Destroyers of Culture. It is imperative for every leader to ensure that these destroyers are not present in their organisation.
Failure to do so will lead to poor performance and high staff turnover. By removing them you create an environment that attracts high performers and allows them to thrive.

EPISODE 27
HOW GOOGLE ASSESS THEIR LEADERS
Google is renowned for sourcing employee feedback to drive innovation and growth. In this episode we explore thirteen questions they pose to staff
to assess the performance of management.

EPISODE 26
TEN WAYS TO TACKLE WORRY
Worry can be a persistent companion, whispering doubts and fears in our minds. This will compromise our performance and left unaddressed can impact our mental health.
It does not need to be that way. In this episode I share ten tried and tested strategies that will help you reduce worry and reclaim your piece of mind.

EPISODE 25
LEADERSHIP PITFALLS TO AVOID
James shares the Leadership Pitfalls that are the most common causes for leaders compromising their leadership impact.
By addressing these pitfalls leaders will massively enhance their performance and as a consequence that of their team.

EPISODE 24
WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO BREAKTHROUGH TO CREATE YOUR BREAK THROUGH?
The same barriers are articulated repeatedly by the clients of The Lonely Leader when they explain what is preventing them from making a critical breakthrough in the pursuit of their professional and personal goals.
In this episode James highlights the ten most common barriers. Awareness is the first step to ensuring you do not get trapped in fear, overwhelm and procrastination
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EPISODE 23
LESSONS LEARNT FROM BURNOUT
Collapsing with Pneumonia was a physical manifestation of burnout. The recovery process provided James with time to reflect on what brought him to that point and what needed to change as a consequence.
In this episode James explores the lessons learned from this experience, that he continues to draw upon in his work as a coach, trainer and mentor.

EPISODE 22
CREATING PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY IN A TEAM
James defines Psychological Safety as a shared belief held by members of a team that they will not be punished, ridiculed or embarrassed for speaking up and sharing their opinion.
When a leader is able to facilitate Psychological Safety it provides an X factor for creating and sustaining high performance in their team.

EPISODE 21
VALUE YOUR PEOPLE
Leaders must make their people feel valued. Doing this effectively creates high performing teams with enhanced levels of fulfilment. In this episode James shares ten tips that every leader can adopt to ensure their team feel valued.

EPISODE 20
TACKLING IMPOSTER SYNDROME
Practically every client of The Lonely Leader has wrestled with Imposter Syndrome at some point on their leadership journey. In this episode James provides tried and tested tips to help you combat the syndrome.
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EPISODE 19
LEADERSHP ESSENTIAL: COURAGE
James has compiled a list of Leadership Essentials. They are drawn from his experiences and insights as a chief executive, coach, mentor and from decades of research.
These essentials should form an integral part of every leadership style. The series continues with a focus on courage and the impact it can have on creating high performing individuals and organisations.
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EPISODE 18
RECLAIM CONTROL OVER DIGITAL DISTRACTION
“I struggle to be present” and “I do not have time” are the two frustrations most frequently expressed by clients to James during his coaching and mentoring. He believes that digital distraction is a major cause. In this episode he discusses a range of steps to help you reclaim control over your digital distraction.
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EPISODE 17
FIVE KEY STEPS TO LEAD THROUGH ADVERSITY
Every leader will face periods of adversity. Rather than fear those moments James shares five key steps to help you lead yourself and your organisation through them.
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EPISODE 16
REMOVE THIS BARRIER TO CREATE A HIGH PERFORMING TEAM
Many leaders are reluctant to give young and inexperienced staff a chance in senior positions. James explores why this flawed mindset is a barrier that must be removed to build high performing teams. He shares an example of how giving a young inexperienced member of his team an opportunity was transformational for the individual and business performance.
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EPISODE 15
THE POWER OF UTILISING A JOURNAL
Having begun the practice of journaling during his tenure as a CEO James has become a passionate advocate of the process. He articulates eleven core benefits of utilising a journal which will positively impact your mindset and help optimise performance in your professional and personal roles.

EPISODE 14
LEADERSHIP ESSENTIALS: HUMILITY
James has compiled a list of Leadership Essentials. They are drawn from his experiences and insights as a chief executive, coach, mentor and from decades of research.
These essentials should form an integral part of every leadership style. The series continues with a focus on humility and the impact it can have on creating high performing organisations.
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EPISODE 13
THREE POWERFUL WAYS TO ENHANCE YOUR MINDSET
We cannot optimise our mindset and subsequent professional and personal performance if we do not curate the daily inputs into our mind with care.
James presents three areas of input to consider and three challenges that when addressed can powerfully enhance your mindset.
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EPISODE 12
EIGHT STEPS TO CREATE A QUALITY CULTURE
Whilst all leaders recognise the value of a good culture James frequently finds that they face real challenges in creating it.
Drawing from his tenures as a CEO and also through examining the best practice of the high performing leaders he coaches, James has gathered some key areas of focus every leader should consider when striving to create a quality culture.
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EPISODE 11
LEADERSHIP ESSENTIALS: DELEGATION
Delegation is something that so many leaders struggle with. They have a mindset that they can do a task better than their colleagues so they retain it. Invariably they recognise they should train staff to enhance their skills and subsequent ability to execute the task, but do not feel they have the time.
James shares six steps to help every leader master this critical leadership essential

EPISODE 10
LEADERSHIP ESSENTIALS: AUTHENTICITY
James has compiled a list of Leadership Essentials. They are drawn from his experiences and insights as a chief executive, coach, mentor and from decades of research.
These essentials should form an integral part of every leadership style. The series begins with a focus on authenticity.

EPISODE 9
WARNING SIGNS OF BURNOUT AND HOW TO PREVENT IT
James shares his own experience of burnout, collapsing with pneumonia after working fifteen hour days during his tenure as a CEO. He explores the warning signs of the slow creep of burn out that he ignored and the seven tips proven to help prevent the manifestation of burnout.

EPISODE 8
DEALING WITH CRITICISM
Fear of criticism is one of the most debilitating barriers to creating and sustaining high performance. James draws upon his unique career experiences and shares tools that can help anyone suppress that fear and ensure that they are better placed to optimise their performance.
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EPISODE 7
MAXIMISING FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Science suggests we have mere seconds to make a first impression. As a former CEO James has witnessed people excel and truly struggle when creating their first impression. He shares five simple yet critical steps to optimise your professional first impression.

EPISODE 6
COMBATING SUNDAY AFTERNOON WORK ANXIETY
James explores the global phenomenon of Sunday Dread. The slow creep of anxiety as the start of the working week approaches. He has found leaders all around the world struggle with this and shares his tips to overcome it.

EPISODE 5
THE TWO BIGGEST FRUSTRATIONS LEADERS ARE FACING TODAY
James discusses the two biggest frustrations leaders are facing today: He highlights how he navigated these challenges during his tenure as a Chief Executive and transformative steps he shares with clients to find new levels of presence, productivity and fulfilment.

EPISODE 4
HIGH PERFORMERS DO THIS EVERY DAY TO EMPOWER THEIR MINDSET
James discusses one of the key learnings from collapsing with pneumonia as a consequence of working at an unsustainable intensity with no focus on recovery. He shares a simple but impactful tool to ensure you start the day proactively with an empowered mindset

EPISODE 3
LEADERSHIP BOOKS EVERY LEADER SHOULD READ
One of the most frequently asked questions that James is asked is “What leadership books do you recommend?” In this episode he profiles his current top five books and the key lessons he has taken from each one.

EPISODE 2
WHY LEADERS MUST ADOPT A HOLISTIC VIEW TO CREATE AND SUSTAIN HIGH PERFORMANCE
James talks about collapsing with Pneumonia as a wake up call that prompted a total rethink about how to create and crucially sustain high performance without compromising physical or mental health.
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EPISODE 1
WHY WE ARE CALLED THE LONELY LEADER
Leadership can be a lonely and isolating experience. In this episode James outlines challenges of leadership and the three core reasons behind the creation of The Lonely Leader brand.