Lead, Actually with Jess Pressland
Lead, Actually with Jess Pressland is a leadership podcast hosted by Jess Pressland, a leadership expert. The show offers honest stories, practical insights, and a candid look at corporate leadership, cutting through jargon to provide actionable strategies. Each episode covers common pitfalls leaders make and shares proven management frameworks from Pressland's proprietary JP Learning Loop. The podcast aims to help managers at all levels improve their leadership skills and drive business performance.
Episodes
Coaching: Stop Solving Everyone’s Problems
In this episode, Jess explores the critical distinction between telling employees what to do and coaching them toward self-driven solutions.She addresses the common misconceptions surrounding coaching, including the myth that managers don't have enough time for it and breaks down how true coaching builds trust, confidence, and long-term autonomy.Using the GROW model, Jess illustrates a practic
Managing Performance – The Everyday Job of a Manager
In this episode, Jess challenges the widespread myth that performance management is merely a dreaded annual appraisal or a process reserved exclusively for underperforming employees.She breaks down managing performance into an active, everyday framework designed to extract the best from every team member from steady workers to high flyers.By focusing on three core stages: setting clear direction,
Why Delegation Fails (And How Leaders Can Get It Right)
In this episode of Lead Actually, Jess breaks down one of the most misunderstood concepts in leadership: delegation. True delegation isn't merely allocating tasks or offloading unwanted grunt work, it’s passing on a portion of your actual responsibility while retaining accountability. Jess shares a cautionary story about a manager who claimed "delegation doesn't work" after skippin
Why Motivation Is Never One-Size-Fits-All (And How Leaders Get It Wrong)
In this episode, Jess breaks down one of the most common pitfalls in team leadership: assuming every employee is motivated by the same drivers.She shares lessons from her 20+ years of developing managers, including a personal story about a former boss whose projection-based leadership style inspired her to build her own company.You’ll learn why fair compensation is just the baseline, how individua
Preventing Burnout And Developing Mental Toughness
Did you know that only 30% of your career success comes from your technical skills and intelligence? The other 70% is driven entirely by mental toughness.In this episode, Jess Pressland dives deep into the true definition of mental toughness and why it is the ultimate tool for preventing burnout. She clears up the common misconception that being mentally tough means "pushing harder" throug
Management Communication: Everyone Is Watching
When the pressure mounts and conversations get difficult, how do you communicate?In this episode, Jess Pressland emphasizes a foundational truth of leadership: your team is always watching you. It’s easy to communicate well during the good times, but your true leadership brand is forged in high-stakes situations; under pressure, during crises, or when dealing with rude clients and subcontractors.
Managing Different Generations: Are We Focusing On The Wrong Thing?
Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z… are the generational gaps in your workplace truly as wide as the internet makes them seem?In this episode, Jess Pressland challenges the modern corporate trend of partitioning employees by generation and argues that while it's easy to blame "generational friction" for communication breakdowns or workplace tension, managers are often focusing on
Why Purpose Matters More Than Ever
In a world facing serious talent shortages and retention challenges, how do you keep your team truly motivated and engaged? In this episode, Jess Pressland breaks down why true workplace purpose isn’t just a slogan written on an office wall, it is a deeply felt connection to the business’s future. Sharing a brilliant real-world example from a five-star London hotel, Jess illustrates how redefining
Developing Others Is Your Real Job
Many managers see themselves as the ultimate problem solvers of their team, but true leadership isn't about doing everything yourself or just dictating tasks.In this episode, Jess Pressland challenges the traditional top-down leadership style and explores why developing the people around you is an absolute necessity. Using a modern coaching approach, Jess breaks down the realistic ways people
Recognition : The Underestimated Leadership Tool
Telling your team members they are doing a great job costs absolutely nothing, yet intentional recognition remains one of the most underutilized strategies in modern business.In this episode, Jess Pressland breaks down why a generic "good job, team" does more harm than good and reveals the exact three-part formula leaders must use to make their employees feel genuinely seen, valued, and mo
The Art Of Difficult Conversations
We’ve all avoided them: the awkward conversations we put off because we want to maintain peace, remain friends, or simply hope the problem will miraculously vanish.In this episode, Jess Pressland reveals why sweeping issues under the rug backfires drastically, affecting your entire team dynamic. Using a powerful real-world logistics example, Jess shares a practical blueprint to strip the fear out
Kind Leadership Is Not Weak Leadership
Is being a "kind" leader making you a soft target, or is it actually the toughest path to success?In this episode, Jess Pressland busts the widespread myth that kind leadership is "soft" or weak.Through a surprisingly common and awkward real-world workplace scenario, Jess illustrates how avoiding difficult conversations is actually the unkind route.She breaks down the "3 Fs"
Why Emotional Intelligence Is Every Leader's Greatest Advantage
Many leaders focus on their intentions, but true leadership is defined by your impact.In this episode, Jess Pressland breaks down why emotional intelligence (EQ) is a leader's ultimate competitive advantage. Through a hilarious and eye-opening real-world training story, Jess reveals the common pitfalls of "box-ticking" relationship building and outlines the four core pillars of EQ need
Becoming A Leader, Why Leadership Is More Than A Job Title
What is the actual difference between management and leadership?In this debut episode, Jess Pressland breaks down the core definition of leadership: it isn’t a title or a position of authority; it’s about having people choose to follow you.Jess shares real-world stories and insights on what it takes to step up as a true leader, focusing on the fundamental behaviors required to build trust, navigat
Welcome to Lead, Actually
Get ready for Lead, Actually, the leadership podcast with Jess Pressland, CEO of The JP Group.
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