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How to Lead with Kate Waterfall Hill

How to Lead with Kate Waterfall Hill

By: Kate Waterfall Hill
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About this listen

 How to Lead is the go-to podcast for CEOs, founders, business owners, and leaders who want to strike the perfect balance between authority and empathy. I’m Kate Waterfall Hill - leadership coach, author, and creator of Linda, the bad manager, my alter ego who shows us how not to lead. With over 30 years’ experience working with and coaching CEOs and founders (and being one myself), I’ve helped hundreds of leaders elevate their skills and confidence. In each episode, I’ll share simple, actionable tips and habits to take the stress out of people management. Every episode starts with Linda’s “what not to do” moment, followed by practical insights on how to handle leadership challenges with finesse. You’ll find How to Lead on all major podcast platforms, plus video episodes on YouTube. My best-selling book, How to Lead, is also a great companion to the show. Subscribe or follow so you don’t miss an episode, and if you enjoy it, please rate, review, and share with fellow leaders. For coaching programmes or my self-paced Digital Academy, visit www.waterfallhill.co.uk. Got a topic suggestion? Email me at hello@waterfallhill.co.uk. Follow me on all major social platforms - just search Kate Waterfall Hill or Linda, the bad manager, and join a community of over 300,000 leaders.Copyright 2026 Kate Waterfall Hill Economics Leadership Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Moving from the Engine Room to the Strategy Room

    Moving from the Engine Room to the Strategy Room
    Mar 26 2026

    In this episode of How to Lead, leadership coach Kate Waterfall Hill discusses the vital shift for leaders from focusing on details (the 'engine room') to adopting a more strategic perspective (the 'strategy room'). She highlights the common reasons leaders get stuck in the engine room, and offers practical advice to make this transition, including redesigning ownership, protecting thinking time, and changing daily behaviours.

    Episode Highlights:

    00:00 Introduction to Strategic Leadership

    01:01 Linda's Leadership Example

    01:50 The Shift from Engine Room to Strategy Room

    03:21 Recognizing Engine Room Leadership

    04:16 Reasons Leaders Get Stuck in the Engine Room

    05:35 Signals It's Time to Move to the Strategy Room

    06:22 Concrete Changes for Strategic Leadership

    09:12 Practical Steps to Shift to Strategic Leadership

    10:16 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

    Useful links:

    The Digital Academy Online Course

    Free Resources and more information on Kate's coaching programmes

    Buy the "How to Lead" book

    Connect with Kate on LinkedIn

    Follow Kate on TikTok

    Contact Kate
    Show More Show Less
    13 mins
  • Why everything feels urgent (even when it isn’t)

    Why everything feels urgent (even when it isn’t)
    Mar 12 2026

    In this episode of 'How to Lead,' discover how when everything feels urgent in organisations it can affect team performance and morale. Kate explains how urgency is often a result of poor prioritisation and offers practical strategies to distinguish real urgency from noise. Learn about the DISC profiling tool to understand how different personality types handle urgency, and get concrete tips to reset pace without sacrificing momentum.

    Episode Highlights:

    00:00 Introduction: Why Everything Feels Urgent

    00:20 Meet Your Host: Kate Waterfall Hill

    00:48 Today's Topic: The Illusion of Urgency

    00:56 Linda's Team Meeting: A Case Study

    01:29 Understanding the Real Problem

    01:50 The Impact of Urgency on Teams

    02:06 The Role of Leadership in Creating Urgency

    04:48 How Different Personalities Handle Urgency

    06:10 The Risks of a Permanent Urgent Culture

    06:57 Distinguishing Real Urgency from Noise

    07:59 A Practical Model for Prioritization

    09:50 Rebalancing Fast Pace with Quality

    10:30 Practical Checklist for Leaders

    11:27 Final Thoughts and Next Steps

    12:02 Conclusion: Lead with Clarity, Care, and Curiosity

    Useful links:

    The Digital Academy Online Course

    Free Resources and more information on Kate's coaching programmes

    Buy the "How to Lead" book

    Connect with Kate on LinkedIn

    Follow Kate on TikTok

    Contact Kate
    Show More Show Less
    13 mins
  • How to build trust in a team as their new leader

    How to build trust in a team as their new leader
    Feb 26 2026

    In this episode of the 'How to Lead' podcast, Kate provides practical tools and strategies for building trust as a new leader in a team. She emphasises the importance of vulnerability, consistency, clear communication, and understanding team dynamics. Key tips include observing before acting, being explicit about work expectations, maintaining reliability, and fostering a collaborative environment.

    Episode Highlights

    00:00 Introduction to Building Trust as a New Leader

    01:13 Common Misconceptions About Leadership

    02:10 Practical Steps to Build Trust

    05:34 Five Key Actions to Build Trust

    07:19 Engaging with Your Team

    09:11 Common Mistakes New Leaders Make

    09:53 Leadership Development and Support

    11:05 Addressing Team Dynamics

    12:02 Final Thoughts on Building Trust

    12:30 Conclusion and Call to Action

    Useful links:

    The Digital Academy Online Course

    Free Resources and more information on Kate's coaching programmes

    Buy the "How to Lead" book

    Connect with Kate on LinkedIn

    Follow Kate on TikTok

    Contact Kate
    Show More Show Less
    13 mins
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Most relevant
if you perhaps need seen, to guage your own biases, and even improve others around you, then Kate delivers. In many instances she'll have you laughing, dropping everything to focus on her insight, and often revisiting very considerate strategy. A must have podcast for that daily commute or volunteer role.

Relatable, Empathetic and Hugely Reassuring

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