The Leaders in Strategy Podcast

The 5 Hidden Enemies Killing Business Growth

Most business leaders believe they know who their competitors are. But what if the real threats to your business aren’t external at all?
In this episode, we tackle a question that came directly from a business owner struggling to apply strategy in practice: Who is the real enemy in business?
This conversation breaks down the hidden forces that quietly hinder businesses. Not obvious competitors, but the internal and external factors that limit growth, slow progress, and keep organisations stuck.
From the comfort of the status quo to disengaged customers, misaligned teams and a lack of accountability, we explore the challenges that every business leader must recognise and address if they want to move forward.
This isn’t about theory. It’s about identifying what’s really standing in your way so you can make better decisions, sharpen your strategy and avoid falling into the trap of mediocrity.
If you’re a founder, business owner or leader looking to push your business forward, this episode will challenge how you think about competition, performance and growth.
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#Leader #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurs #BusinessStrategy #GrowYourBusiness #BusinessAdvice #Business #Leaders #CEO -
 
Like, comment, and subscribe for more expert advice on business strategy, leadership, and scaling your business.
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Want to learn how to produce a winning business strategy and profitably grow your business?
I teach, coach and mentor Directors, Leaders and Managers on how to run successful companies.
To learn more, please visit my website at https://www.strategusconsulting.co.uk/.
Follow me on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/mike-harris-095b4775.
 

Meet the Business Advisor Behind Multi-Million Pound Growth

One of the fastest ways to grow your business is to learn from people who have already done it.
In this episode, I’m joined by Jeannette Linfoot, business advisor, investor and founder of Brave Bold Brilliant. With over 30 years of global experience and a track record that includes leading major organisations such as TUI, Thomas Cook and Saga, Jeannette brings a level of insight most business leaders never get access to.
This conversation is all about tackling the real challenges leaders face when trying to grow, scale and improve performance. From building high-performing teams to sharpening strategy and making better decisions, Jeannette shares the kind of practical, experience-led advice that businesses typically pay significant fees to access.
If you’re a founder, business owner or senior leader looking to overcome challenges and take your business to the next level, this episode gives you a rare opportunity to hear directly from someone who has operated at the very top and now helps others do the same.
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#Leader #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurs #BusinessStrategy #GrowYourBusiness #BusinessAdvice #Business #Leaders #CEO
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You can find out more about Jeannette Linfoot and Brave Bold Brilliant here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeannettelinfoot/.
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Like, comment, and subscribe for more expert advice on business strategy, leadership, and scaling your business.
----------
Want to learn how to produce a winning business strategy and profitably grow your business? I teach, coach and mentor Directors, Leaders and Managers on how to run successful companies.
To learn more, please visit my website at https://www.strategusconsulting.co.uk/.
Follow me on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/mike-harris-095b4775.
 

What Sun Tzu Can Teach Modern Businesses About Strategy

What can a 2,500-year-old military text teach modern business leaders?
Quite a lot.
In this episode, we explore the timeless strategic principles from Sun Tzu’s The Art of War and why they remain surprisingly relevant for businesses navigating today’s competitive environment.
From global uncertainty to rapid technological change, the challenges facing leaders in 2026 require sharper thinking, better preparation and a clear understanding of strategy. That’s why so many entrepreneurs and executives continue to reference Sun Tzu’s work when thinking about competition, leadership and long-term planning.
In this discussion, we break down several core principles from The Art of War and examine how they apply directly to modern business strategy. The conversation focuses on preparation, understanding your competition, adaptability, efficient use of resources and the role leadership plays in building strong, aligned teams.
This episode isn’t about warfare. It’s about sharpening your strategic thinking so you can navigate uncertainty, anticipate challenges and position your business more effectively.
If you’re a founder, entrepreneur or business leader looking to strengthen your strategic mindset, this episode offers practical lessons drawn from one of the most influential strategy books ever written.
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#Leader #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurs #BusinessStrategy #GrowYourBusiness #BusinessAdvice #Business #Leaders #CEO #SunTzu #ArtOfWar
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Like, comment, and subscribe for more expert advice on business strategy, leadership, and scaling your business.
----------
Want to learn how to produce a winning business strategy and profitably grow your business? I teach, coach and mentor Directors, Leaders and Managers on how to run successful companies.
To learn more, please visit my website at https://www.strategusconsulting.co.uk/.
Follow me on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/mike-harris-095b4775.
 
 

5 Leadership Lessons Most Business Owners Learn Too Late

What separates businesses that grow from those that stall? In this episode of the Leaders in Strategy podcast, I share five more leadership lessons that regularly come up when advising business owners and leadership teams on strategy and growth.
This is the kind of guidance organisations usually pay thousands for, but I’m sharing it openly to help you think differently about how you lead, scale and future-proof your business.
Part two builds on the foundations from the first episode and explores the leadership behaviours that help businesses stay competitive in an environment where change is constant.
We discuss why attracting and retaining the right people matters more than ever, how leaders must stay adaptable as markets evolve, and why technology should be embedded into everyday operations rather than treated as an afterthought.
We also look at the importance of open communication inside a business, why risk management doesn’t mean avoiding risk altogether, and how the most effective leaders continue to seek guidance and perspective as their organisations grow.
If you’re a founder, director or senior leader looking to strengthen your leadership approach and build a more resilient business, this episode will give you plenty to reflect on.
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#Leader #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurs #BusinessStrategy #GrowYourBusiness #BusinessAdvice #Business #Leaders #CEO
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Like, comment, and subscribe for more expert advice on business strategy, leadership, and scaling your business.
----------
Want to learn how to produce a winning business strategy and profitably grow your business? I teach, coach and mentor Directors, Leaders and Managers on how to run successful companies.
To learn more, please visit my website at https://www.strategusconsulting.co.uk/.
Follow me on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/mike-harris-095b4775.
 

Strategies for Balancing Business Growth and Family Life

Juggling family and scaling a company is one of the biggest challenges for business leaders & entrepreneurs.
In this episode I’m joined by Sian Brennan-Todd, award winning, business woman & confidence coach. Together we discuss strategy, leadership, and balancing work and family.
If you’re a founder, business owner or leader looking to learn how to scale your business, then this strategic advice is a must!
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#Leader #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurs #BusinessStrategy #GrowYourBusiness #BusinessAdvice #Business #Leaders #Entrepreneurs
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You can find out more about Sian and her incredible work, be sure to connect with her on LinkedIn here – https://www.linkedin.com/in/sian-brennan-todd/.
You can also find out more about her work by visiting – https://www.sianbrennantodd.com/.
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Like, comment, and subscribe for more expert advice on business strategy, leadership, and scaling your business.
----------
Want to learn how to produce a winning business strategy and profitably grow your business? I teach, coach and mentor Directors, Leaders and Managers on how to run successful companies.
To learn more, please visit my website at https://www.strategusconsulting.co.uk/.
Follow me on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/mike-harris-095b4775.
 

Rant: Why CEOs Don't Own The Company Culture

Company culture is one of the most talked-about topics in leadership. It’s also one of the most misunderstood.
In this episode, I challenge the idea that the CEO owns the culture. Too often, culture becomes something that’s dictated from the top or shaped around a single personality. When that happens, it creates fragility, dependency, and long-term problems for the business.
This episode is a candid rant about the relationship between culture, leadership, and strategy. We explore why culture shouldn’t bend to the CEO, why changing leaders doesn’t automatically fix cultural issues, and how top-down thinking quietly undermines performance.
We also unpack a powerful perspective from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and what it really means to be a curator of culture rather than a controller of it.
If you’re a CEO, founder, or senior leader wrestling with culture, engagement, or alignment, this conversation will help you rethink where culture truly comes from and how it should evolve alongside strategy.
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#Culture #CompanyCulture #Leader #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurs #BusinessStrategy #GrowYourBusiness #BusinessAdvice #Business #Leaders #CEO
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Like, comment, and subscribe for more expert advice on business strategy, leadership, and scaling your business.
----------
Want to learn how to produce a winning business strategy and profitably grow your business? I teach, coach and mentor Directors, Leaders and Managers on how to run successful companies.
To learn more, please visit my website at https://www.strategusconsulting.co.uk/.
Follow me on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/mike-harris-095b4775.
 

Website Secrets That Actually Drive Business Growth

Your website is one of the most powerful growth tools in your business. Yet for many leaders, it becomes a digital brochure rather than a commercial engine.
In this episode, I’m joined by Jess Williams, co-founder of Design in the Shires, an award-winning website design and digital marketing agency based in Malvern, Worcestershire.
Together, we unpack what actually makes a website work for a business. Not just how it looks, but how it connects, converts and supports long-term growth.
We explore the role of personal experience in web design, why SEO still matters more than most business owners realise, and how website performance, graphic design and digital marketing all need to work together rather than in silos.
You’ll also hear practical insight into the differences between marketing for local businesses versus national brands, plus clear takeaways business leaders can apply straight away.
If you’re a founder, business owner or leader wondering whether your website is helping or quietly holding you back, this conversation will help you see it differently.
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#Leader #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurs #BusinessStrategy #GrowYourBusiness #BusinessAdvice #Business #Leaders #CEO
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You can find out more about Jess and Design in the Shires here: https://www.designintheshires.co.uk/
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Like, comment, and subscribe for more expert advice on business strategy, leadership, and scaling your business.
----------
Want to learn how to produce a winning business strategy and profitably grow your business? I teach, coach and mentor Directors, Leaders and Managers on how to run successful companies.
To learn more, please visit my website at https://www.strategusconsulting.co.uk/. Follow me on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/mike-harris-095b4775.

5 Leadership Lessons Business Owners Usually Pay Thousands For

Most business leaders don’t fail because they lack ambition. They fail because they focus on the wrong things.
This episode breaks down five core principles that consistently show up in successful businesses. Not trends. Not theory. Practical leadership advice that helps you build long-term value for your clients, your team and the business itself.
We explore what it really means to define a clear vision, why value creation should sit at the heart of every decision, and how strong networks, continuous learning and financial discipline shape resilient leadership. These are the foundations that help businesses scale without losing direction.
If you’re a business owner, entrepreneur or senior leader looking to grow sustainably, make better decisions and lead with more clarity, this episode will give you plenty to reflect on.
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#Leader #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurs #BusinessStrategy #GrowYourBusiness #BusinessAdvice #Business #Leaders #CEO
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Like, comment, and subscribe for more expert advice on business strategy, leadership, and scaling your business.
----------
Want to learn how to produce a winning business strategy and profitably grow your business? I teach, coach and mentor Directors, Leaders and Managers on how to run successful companies.
To learn more, please visit my website at https://www.strategusconsulting.co.uk/.
Follow me on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/mike-harris-095b4775.
 

How To Make Money On LinkedIn

Most businesses and professionals are active on LinkedIn. But very few are making money from it.
In this episode of the Leaders in Strategy podcast, we get practical about what LinkedIn is really for and how to turn activity into revenue. Brand awareness alone doesn’t pay the bills, and posting consistently isn’t the same as building a pipeline.
I’m joined by Gus Bhandal, Founder of The M Guru and one of the UK’s leading LinkedIn trainers. With nearly 30 years of marketing experience, Gus has helped business owners use LinkedIn as a genuine commercial tool rather than a vanity platform.
We unpack what actually works on LinkedIn today, where most businesses go wrong, and how to think about the platform through a revenue lens rather than a content one. This is a grounded conversation about positioning, behaviour, and intent, not hacks or gimmicks.
If LinkedIn feels busy but unprofitable, this episode will help you rethink how you’re using it and what needs to change to see real return.
In this episode, we cover:
- The biggest mistakes businesses make on LinkedIn
- The do’s and don’ts that still matter in 2026
- How to shift from visibility to commercial outcomes
- A clearer way to think about strategy, content and conversion
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#LinkedIn #LinkedInMarketing #LinkedInTips #ThoughtLeadership #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurs #BusinessStrategy #GrowYourBusiness #BusinessAdvice #Business #Leaders #CEO
 
To find out more about today’s guest, Gus Bhandal, give him a follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mguruuk/.
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Like, comment, and subscribe for more expert advice on business strategy, leadership, and scaling your business.
----------
Want to learn how to produce a winning business strategy and profitably grow your business? I teach, coach and mentor Directors, Leaders and Managers on how to run successful companies.
To learn more, please visit my website at https://www.strategusconsulting.co.uk/.
Follow me on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/mike-harris-095b4775.
 

AI Business Challenges

What will really challenge business leaders in 2026? We asked AI to analyse the landscape ahead and identify the biggest pressures facing entrepreneurs and leadership teams over the next year. In this episode, we break down the six challenges that consistently rise to the top and, more importantly, how you should respond to them.
We cover:
- Economic uncertainty and its impact on decision-making
- Skilled employee shortages and talent retention
- Resistance to AI and digital transformation
- Cybersecurity and data privacy risks
- Leadership burnout and wellbeing pressures
- Sustainability and net zero expectations
This isn’t theory. It’s a practical conversation about where businesses are most vulnerable, where opportunities are being overlooked, and how leaders can make more informed decisions heading into 2026.
If you’re a founder, business owner, or senior leader planning for the year ahead, this episode will help you think more clearly about priorities, risk, and where to focus your time and energy.
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#AI #ArtificialIntellience #BusinessPlan #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurs #BusinessStrategy #GrowYourBusiness #BusinessAdvice #Business #Leaders #CEO
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Like, comment, and subscribe for more expert advice on business strategy, leadership, and scaling your business.
----------
Want to learn how to produce a winning business strategy and profitably grow your business? I teach, coach and mentor Directors, Leaders and Managers on how to run successful companies.
To learn more, please visit my website https://www.strategusconsulting.co.uk/.
Follow me on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/mike-harris-095b4775.