Leadership that sells

Practical Leadership Academy
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Welcome to Leadership That Sells, the podcast for sales managers and leaders who want to inspire, serve, and unlock the greatness in their teams. Leading a sales team is one of the most visible and high-pressure roles out there. Your team’s results are on display for everyone to see. But leadership isn’t just about hitting numbers—it’s about selling people on their own potential and helping them thrive. Join Paul Morton, CEO of Practical Leadership Academy, as he explores how servant leadership and influence can transform the way you lead. With practical insights and real-world stories, you’ll discover how to build trust, drive results, and support your team in one of the most challenging and rewarding leadership roles. If you’re ready to lead with purpose, inspire action, and create a culture of success, this podcast is for you.

  1. 6d ago

    151. Ken Rusk - How to Turn Employee Goals Into Growth

    I don’t buy the pretence that a good hire should stay forever. I want them to do good work, build the life they want and help the business move forward. Sometimes that relationship ends with them leaving. That doesn’t wipe out what they contributed. Ken Rusk returns with a practical way to connect personal ambition to business performance: personal timed pathways. I push him on the dependable people who don’t want promotion, the danger of backing an individual at the expense of the team, and what to change in your one-to-ones when targets are being missed and there’s no extra budget. In this episode Here’s what I’d put to work: Ask what each person is working towards personally. Turn one ambition into a personal timed pathway: a clear outcome, a deadline and an action already under way. Give people authority over revenue and costs in their area, with a financial stake in the decisions. Let them solve problems you once thought only you could solve. Give the pathway board an owner. Ken’s chief cool officer keeps it active; after two weeks, check which plans are clear, written down and actually moving. Separate knowledge, desire and ability when someone isn’t delivering. Don’t let how much you like them replace a difficult performance decision. Be honest when someone wants more than the business can provide. Recognise what they’ve contributed rather than pretending every successful relationship must last forever. Episode highlights [04:11] My test for autonomy: what can your people decide without you? [07:22] A dependable nine-to-five employee can be a rock star. Promotion isn’t the test. [09:17] A holiday, a deadline and weekly savings: what a personal timed pathway actually looks like. [12:39] The first mistake: trying to make everyone’s progress your responsibility. [22:20] I’ve backed the individual and done the wrong thing for the team. [24:41] A great employee leaves. Have I failed, or has the relationship worked? [27:00] Missing target, no extra budget. What changes in next week’s one-to-ones? Links and resources kenrusk.com: The website Ken shares for more about his work and books. @kenruskofficial: Ken’s Instagram account, where he discusses culture. Rock stars and rain makers: The book behind our conversation about culture, retention and the chief cool officer. Blue collar cash: The book Ken and I discussed on his previous appearance. https://www.amazon.com/dp/006298960X?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback Thanks for listening. I’d appreciate a rating and a review; follow the show and share this episode with a founder or MD who’s trying to keep good people without standing in their way.

  2. Oct 5

    150. Julien Godbarge - How to Spot Blind Spot Leadership Early

    When the numbers are good, a blind spot can look an awful lot like determination. I want to know whether we’re genuinely leading well or just being rewarded for habits that could eventually bite us. Julien Godbarge gives me a brutally honest example: an acquisition decision that felt decisive at the time but was driven by revenge. I push him on where burnout shows up in the P&L, how to help close deals without making yourself indispensable, and why the first change might be to stop doing something rather than add another initiative. In this episode Here’s what I’d put to work: Decide which deal sizes and stages need executive involvement. Build in peer-to-peer support rather than waiting for a last-minute founder rescue. After a setback, make time to assess and recover as well as chasing the next quarter. More activity isn’t a substitute for dealing with what happened. Count the cost of losing and replacing key people, including training. Make that part of the conversation about burnout. Before taking more risk after a strong run, separate your contribution from the team’s execution and the market’s tailwinds. Book monthly or quarterly time offsite with your executive team or board to assess and plan. Don’t wait for a crisis to force the pause. Episode highlights [04:34] My alternative to the founder rescue act: build executive support into the sales process. [09:09] Am I moving the business forward, or just avoiding dealing with the setback? [11:05] I want a P&L answer: what does burnout actually cost? [14:33] Hitting the numbers can make a blind spot look like relentless execution. [19:11] The acquisition that felt like decisive leadership. Julien admits it was revenge. [22:18] An 18-month plan becomes a 90-day supply crisis. [29:09] Put reflection in the diary: a monthly or quarterly offsite, not another permanent sprint. Links and resources 10blindspots.com: Julien’s 10 blind spots framework, which I explore with him throughout the conversation. Crash, burn, and learn, Julien Godbarge: His book drawing on his own experience, with parts of the story fictionalised. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GM1HCKSW?lv=shuf&channelId=510&plpRedirect=mhFallback Thanks for listening. I’d appreciate a rating and a review. Follow the show and share this episode with a founder or MD who’s always running at full tilt.

  3. Sep 28

    149. Csaba Toth - How to Build Teams That Decide Better

    I can see what the top biller brings in. What I can’t see so easily is what the rest of the team stops contributing because of their behaviour. That’s the calculation I want before deciding we can’t afford to lose them. I push Csaba Toth on whether psychological safety tells us anything useful about commercial performance, and why his framework is more than another personality label. We get into the trap of mistaking agreement for commitment, why another workshop may change nothing, and my own mistake of hiring people from different backgrounds who largely thought like me. In this episode Here’s what I’d put to work: Measure psychological safety and motivation before and after leadership development. A well-liked workshop isn’t evidence of better performance. Assess the top performer’s impact on colleagues, not just the revenue beside their name. Speak last. Give quieter colleagues room, then check whether they feel safe enough to challenge you and motivated enough to bother. Look for different ways of thinking when hiring. Different backgrounds don’t automatically give you that. Ask what motivates each person. Stop assuming everybody wants what you want. Episode highlights [02:24] A joint venture that worked on paper, until the CEOs had to work together. [07:12] My objection to stalled execution: why is the answer always to add something? [16:32] Before I worry about losing the top biller, what are they already costing the team? [21:42] I’ll tick the boxes. Why should a personality label change anything? [27:54] My hiring blind spot: different backgrounds, much the same thinking. [31:55] I suggest inviting the quiet person in. Csaba explains why that isn’t enough. [36:47] Am I seeing clearly, or am I just looking down a tunnel? Links and resources https://gamechangersbyicq.com/  Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/csabatothinterculturaldisc/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/icq.global/  Thanks for listening. I’d appreciate a rating and a review. Follow the show and share this episode with a founder or MD who’s trying to get more from the team they already have.

  4. Sep 21

    148. Steve Harmon - How to Build Growth Through Industrial Infrastructure

    More revenue doesn’t automatically mean you’ve built a more valuable business. I want to know what you’re keeping, whether it runs without you and whether you’ve done anything more than make yourself a job. Steve Harmon returned to his family’s business and found hundreds of thousands in liabilities missing from the books, plus cheques they couldn’t afford to send. I get into why he bought the warehouses the business operated, why doubling headcount isn’t scaling, and why an accountant says you can’t run a business by the numbers. We finish with the questions experienced leaders should be asking, and what it means to lead by serving and teaching. In this episode Here’s what I’d put to work: Build a repeatable process and a team that can deliver without you. Review the rent and other recurring costs leaving the business. Ask where owning the underlying asset could make sense. Before calling it a sales problem, check the asset, the location and the service customers actually receive. Stop treating headcount as proof of scale. Hire for quality, set a clear goal and clear the crap out of people’s way. Prepare the next generation by teaching and asking better questions, rather than staying at the centre of every decision. Episode highlights [05:52] Have you built a valuable business, or just made yourself a job? [06:52] I follow the rent: how paying a landlord became paying down an asset. [10:50] My objection to headcount as proof of scale: “no, mate, you just hired people.” [13:28] You can’t sell last month’s empty space. Why Steve’s warehouse business works like a hotel. [18:24] An accountant reminds me that my team doesn’t care how much money I make. They want to know their work matters. [25:56] My value has shifted from what I can do to the questions I know how to ask. [28:34] Lead like Jesus: our conversation comes back to putting others first and teaching them to teach. Links and resources spartanlogistics.com : the website Steve shares for contacting him, his team and the wider group of businesses. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-harmon-04a7864/  on X: @spartanprez  Thanks for listening. I’d appreciate a rating and a review; follow the show and share this episode with a founder or MD who’s working flat out but wondering what they’re actually building.

  5. Aug 3

    147. Saul Cohen - How to Build a Business Buyers Trust

    One of the biggest mistakes founders make is believing their business will be valued for what it means to them. It won't. Buyers pay for predictable cash flow and reduced risk, not emotional attachment. That's why this conversation with Saul Cohen matters. We unpacked what really drives business value before an acquisition, why so many founders accidentally damage their exit, and the commercial disciplines that genuinely increase enterprise value. If you're building with an eventual exit in mind, this episode is well worth your time. In this episode If you want to build a business that's worth more tomorrow than it is today, start here. Build systems that reduce dependency on you. Turn founder-led selling into a repeatable commercial engine. Treat culture as a business asset, not a soft skill. Understand how buyers think long before you decide to sell. Focus on reducing risk as aggressively as increasing revenue. Episode highlights 01:36 The most expensive leadership blind spot before an exit is usually the founder's own ego. 11:03 Business value is driven by cash generation multiplied by perceived risk. 13:20 Saul introduces the SCORE framework for increasing enterprise value. 15:50 Founder-led sales eventually become a valuation problem. 19:24 Why most founders are unconsciously competent and why that makes scaling harder. 24:49 The emotional mistake that destroys value during an exit. 30:20 Saul explains his people-first approach to acquisitions and private equity. Links and resources Saul Cohen Linkedin : https://www.linkedin.com/in/cohensaul/ Website : https://theexperteye.co.uk/ Free business valuation call  https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/booking/2vJaGhCvAJxnEB4OntBb Thanks for listening to Leadership That Sells. If you found this episode useful, please follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with another founder, MD or senior commercial leader who is building a business for long-term value. Your support helps more of the right people discover the show.

  6. Jul 20

    146. Doug Levy - How to scale margins without scaling chaos

    Everyone talks about scaling. Far fewer people actually do it. In this conversation with Doug Levy, we unpack what real operational scale looks like. Not adding people because revenue is growing, but building a business where productivity outpaces payroll. We also get into why founders become the bottleneck, why poor hiring quietly destroys EBITDA long before anyone notices, and why disciplined systems create freedom instead of bureaucracy. In this episode Here's what I'd take away from this conversation. Stop delegating tasks and start delegating problems. Build systems that allow good people to operate without your constant intervention. Scale revenue through operational discipline before adding headcount. Hire with discipline because poor hiring quietly destroys profit long before it shows up in the numbers. Reward the behaviours you actually want repeated across the business. Episode highlights 01:30 The biggest operational lie founders tell themselves. 03:18 Why delegating problems beats delegating tasks. 07:45 What real scaling actually looks like and why hiring more people isn't the answer. 10:48 The leadership challenge of turning generalists into specialists. 15:10 Why poor hiring quietly destroys EBITDA years before leaders notice. 20:20 The hardest leadership lesson is usually found in the mirror. 24:08 The leadership principle every organisation eventually reflects. Links and resources Doug Levy Doug Services Doug's workshops and webinars  If you enjoyed this episode, I'd really appreciate it if you followed the show, left a rating and shared it with another founder, MD or senior commercial leader who is trying to build a business that scales without unnecessary complexity. Thanks for listening, and I'll see you in the next episode

  7. Jun 29

    145. Crispin Thompson - How To Turn Strategy Into Results

    Most strategies don't fail because the idea was wrong. They fail because nobody properly translated the idea into execution. In this conversation with Crispin Thompson, we got into the uncomfortable gap between strategy and results. We talked about why leaders keep looking for technology to solve process problems, why shiny new initiatives kill momentum, and why some of the best turnarounds come from discipline rather than transformation. If you're responsible for growth, change, or commercial performance, there's a lot in here worth paying attention to. In this episode The question I kept coming back to was simple: how do you turn a good idea into a result? Define what success actually looks like before you launch anything Bring the people closest to the work into the conversation earlier than feels comfortable Fix broken processes before you automate them Measure progress relentlessly so you can defend investment and maintain focus Resist the temptation to abandon good work for the next shiny initiative Episode highlights 06:58 Why asking "what can we do consistently?" unlocked a turnaround that others thought was impossible 09:09 The uncomfortable truth: the turnaround succeeded through rigour, not technology 10:55 Why AI doesn't fix bad processes. It scales them 15:07 The simplest strategy question most leadership teams never answer properly: what does good look like? 22:19 Every dip in performance gets blamed on change unless you're ahead of the story 26:06 The leadership behaviour that quietly destroys execution: turning "we" into "I" 30:51 Crispin's billboard message: you almost never get what you don't ask for Links and resources The Human Advantage: Emotional Intelligence in the Age of AI by Crispin Thompson Crispin Thompson https://www.linkedin.com/in/crispinthompson/ Crispin's leadership advisory business http://www.leadership-studio.com/ If you found this conversation useful, follow the show, leave a review, and share it with another founder, MD, or senior commercial leader who is trying to turn strategy into results. It helps more people find the podcast, and it helps us keep having conversations that go beyond the usual leadership clichés.

  8. Jun 22

    144. Dr Debra Clary - How to Avoid Leadership Certainty Traps

    The more senior you become, the more dangerous certainty gets. That's the idea at the heart of this conversation with Dr Debra Clary. Most leaders are rewarded for having answers. The problem is that eventually the answers become the thing that limits the business. What struck me most was the distinction between confidence and certainty. Confidence helps leaders make decisions. Certainty shuts down debate, curiosity, innovation, and often performance. We talked about why employee engagement is collapsing, how leaders accidentally train curiosity out of organisations, and why the businesses that keep asking better questions outperform those that think they've already found the answers. In this episode A reminder that your job isn't to have all the answers. Bring the people closest to the problem into the conversation before making decisions Delegate problems, not tasks Create confidence without pretending to have certainty Build a culture where new ideas are welcomed instead of defended against Ask better questions because answers are increasingly becoming a commodity Episode highlights 03:20 Why the best executives listen differently when the pressure is highest 05:35 The alarming message disengaged employees are sending leadership teams 08:20 How organisations systematically train curiosity out of people 11:10 Why AI makes questions more valuable than answers 12:40 The leadership trap of looking confident by sounding certain 18:55 The founder who discovered he was the reason innovation had stalled 23:05 What AI might be doing to our ability to think for ourselves Links and resources https://www.debraclary.com/ https://www.debraclary.com/the-curiosity-curve   Curiosity sounds soft until you realise how many business problems start when people stop asking questions. If you enjoyed this conversation, follow the show, leave a review, and share it with another founder, MD, or senior leader who might benefit from hearing it.

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About

Welcome to Leadership That Sells, the podcast for sales managers and leaders who want to inspire, serve, and unlock the greatness in their teams. Leading a sales team is one of the most visible and high-pressure roles out there. Your team’s results are on display for everyone to see. But leadership isn’t just about hitting numbers—it’s about selling people on their own potential and helping them thrive. Join Paul Morton, CEO of Practical Leadership Academy, as he explores how servant leadership and influence can transform the way you lead. With practical insights and real-world stories, you’ll discover how to build trust, drive results, and support your team in one of the most challenging and rewarding leadership roles. If you’re ready to lead with purpose, inspire action, and create a culture of success, this podcast is for you.

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  • Creator
    Practical Leadership Academy
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    130
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2023 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Leadership that sells