Most managers think they have a skills problem. What they actually have is a habit problem, and it is running underneath everything they do without them noticing. My guest this week is Doug Stoddard, a neuroscience and habit-breaking expert and the creator of Legacy360 Leadership. Doug coaches leaders from CEOs of large organisations right down to people managing a team of four or five, and his work comes from somewhere very few leadership coaches can claim. He built multiple businesses, went through a devastating bankruptcy, and then spent 9 years after that hitting the same walls over and over before he understood what was really going on. Doug explains what happens in the brain when someone becomes reactive, why unmet expectations sit behind so much of the behaviour you are seeing in your teams, and why your brain attaches your ideas to your sense of self-worth. That last part is why a straightforward disagreement at work turns personal so quickly. He also shares the story of a team member responsible for around $600,000 of revenue. Technically excellent, but the moment he felt his work was not being valued, he fired off emails that did real damage to client relationships. What changed things was not a training course. It was working out why he responded that way in the first place. I share something of my own in this one too, about what I learned when I was in hospital three years ago and my own hypervigilant thinking was getting in the way of recovering. What you will take away Why what you are not aware of becomes very expensive, in Doug's words, and what that costs a business in practice. The three things you have to identify before any behaviour actually shifts. Awareness that it is happening, the words going through your head, and the story or identity underneath it. Why the subconscious only thinks in either/or, and how to spot that language in yourself and in the people you manage. Why assessments that hand someone a permanent label are part of the problem rather than the solution. About Doug Doug Stoddard is a neuroscience and habit breaking expert and the creator of Legacy360 Leadership. He has spent more than a decade helping leaders get to the root of what is driving their behaviour rather than managing the symptoms. Website: dougstoddard.com Schedule Call Here: https://link.dougstoddard.com/widget/ booking/APh7KuyxUVLfZXGUAFy0 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougstoddard1/ About me I am Nicola Richardson, founder of The People Mentor. I have spent over 40 years working with managers, and most of what I get called in to sort out is not really a process problem. It is a people problem, usually involving a manager who was promoted without proper preparation. If you are responsible for a layer of managers and the same escalations keep landing back on your desk, The Manager's Academy is my CPD-accredited monthly membership built to give them the practical skills nobody taught them. Find out more: https://thepeoplementor.co.uk/the-managers-academy/ Book a virtual cuppa with me: https://thepeoplementor.trafft.com/services/virtual-cuppa Get in touch: hello@thepeoplementor.co.uk If this episode was useful, please leave a rating or review. It genuinely helps other managers find the show. Mentioned in this episode: BiteSize Brilliance: Managing People Most managers were never actually taught how to manage. They were brilliant at their job, got promoted, and then found themselves responsible for a team with no real preparation for what that means. This podcast is for them. Bite Size Brilliance: Managing People is hosted by Nicola Richardson, founder of The People Mentor, with over 40 years of experience in leadership development and people management. Each episode is short, practical, and designed to give you something you can actually use - whether you're dealing with a difficult conversation you've been putting off, trying to get the best out of your team, or just feeling the weight of managing people and wondering if it's supposed to feel this hard. Episodes alternate between solo episodes where Nicola shares her expertise directly, and honest conversations with guests who know what it's like to lead people in the real world. No theory for theory's sake. No corporate fluff. Just real, useful insight for real managers. Bitesize Brilliance: Managing People Most managers were never actually taught how to manage. They were brilliant at their job, got promoted, and then found themselves responsible for a team with no real preparation for what that means. This podcast is for them. Bite Size Brilliance: Managing People is hosted by Nicola Richardson, founder of The People Mentor, with over 40 years of experience in leadership development and people management. Each episode is short, practical, and designed to give you something you can actually use - whether you're dealing with a difficult conversation you've been putting off, trying to get the best out of your team, or just feeling the weight of managing people and wondering if it's supposed to feel this hard. Episodes alternate between solo episodes where Nicola shares her expertise directly, and honest conversations with guests who know what it's like to lead people in the real world. No theory for theory's sake. No corporate fluff. Just real, useful insight for real managers.
