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Play Your Leadership Cards Right

Play Your Leadership Cards Right

By: Bob Bradley
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Hi, I am Bob Bradley. After leading 6 businesses, sitting on 19 boards, and hosting over 500 workshops, I learned about leadership challenges the hard way. All the conversations and debates have given me insights into how real, practical, operational business leaders think, decide, and act. In this podcast I'll be sharing these insights, giving you all of my thoughts, tips, and tools for operational business leaders.

bobonbusiness.substack.comBob Bradley Daily Economics Leadership Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • The Two Feedback Questions That Can Transform Your Business

    The Two Feedback Questions That Can Transform Your Business
    Jun 15 2026
    Most organisations understand the value of feedback.Whether it comes from customers, employees, suppliers, or partners, feedback plays an essential role in helping businesses improve. It highlights what is working, reveals what is not, and provides valuable insight into where changes may be needed.As leaders, we build feedback into many aspects of our organisations. It appears in performance management processes, customer surveys, employee reviews, and service evaluations. Some businesses use sophisticated measurement systems and formal methodologies to gather insights.Yet despite all of this, many organisations still struggle to collect feedback that is genuinely useful.The problem is not always a lack of feedback.Often, it is the way we ask for it.The questions we ask can shape the quality of the responses we receive. Ask the wrong questions and people become defensive, vague, or disengaged. Ask the right questions and you create an environment where people are more willing to share thoughtful, constructive insights.Sometimes, a small change in wording can make a significant difference.One of the most useful approaches I have come across comes from Jeff Grout, a speaker I have listened to on numerous occasions. His framework is remarkably simple, yet it has the potential to improve the quality of feedback across almost any situation.Here’s what we’ll explore* Why many organisations struggle to collect meaningful feedback* How the wording of feedback questions influences responses* The WWW / EBI framework and how it works* Why positive framing often produces better insights* How this approach supports continuous improvement* Ways to assess whether your feedback process is becoming more effectiveThe challenge with traditional feedbackMost organisations recognise the importance of listening.They encourage feedback from customers, seek input from employees, and regularly evaluate performance. However, collecting feedback and collecting useful feedback are not necessarily the same thing.One common problem is that feedback questions often focus too heavily on what went wrong.The intention is understandable. Businesses want to identify weaknesses and solve problems.However, when questions are framed negatively, they can sometimes create unintended consequences.People may become defensive.They may focus disproportionately on minor frustrations.Or they may simply provide answers that are less thoughtful and less balanced.At the other end of the spectrum, some feedback requests are so broad that they generate little practical value. Responses become vague and difficult to act upon.As leaders, we need feedback that is both honest and useful.Achieving that balance requires careful thought about how questions are designed.A simple framework: WWW / EBIJeff Grout’s approach centres around two straightforward questions.The first is WWW:What Worked Well?The second is EBI:Even Better If.At first glance, the framework appears almost too simple.Yet its effectiveness lies in the way it guides people towards constructive reflection rather than criticism.Instead of inviting respondents to focus exclusively on problems, it encourages them to identify both strengths and opportunities for improvement.This creates a more balanced conversation and often produces richer insights.Starting with what worked wellThe first question asks people to consider what is already working.What worked well?What was most valuable?What was most helpful?This question serves an important purpose.Feedback is often associated with fixing problems, but improvement is not only about identifying weaknesses. It is also about understanding strengths.If you do not know what is working, you risk changing or removing practices that are delivering value.By asking people to identify positive aspects of their experience, you gain insight into what should be preserved and reinforced.For customers, this might reveal the aspects of your service they value most.For employees, it may highlight management practices, processes, or behaviours that contribute positively to performance.For teams, it can identify strengths that deserve greater recognition and support.Importantly, beginning with a positive question also helps establish a constructive tone for the conversation that follows.The power of “Even Better If”The second question is where the framework becomes particularly effective.The natural tendency of many feedback forms is to ask what went wrong.What didn’t work?What problems did you experience?What should we stop doing?While these questions may uncover issues, they also frame the conversation negatively.Jeff Grout’s suggestion is to replace this approach with a more constructive alternative.Ask:What would have made our performance even better?Or:What could we have done even better?The wording matters.Rather than assuming something failed, the question assumes there was already value and asks how that value could be enhanced.This subtle shift ...
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    3 mins
  • The Hidden Costs in Your Supply Chain That Could Be Squeezing Your Margins

    The Hidden Costs in Your Supply Chain That Could Be Squeezing Your Margins
    Jun 12 2026
    Are rising costs starting to put pressure on your business?If so, you’re certainly not alone.Many business leaders find themselves trapped in a difficult position. Customers are pushing back on price increases because they believe prices are already too high. At the same time, suppliers insist they cannot reduce their prices because their margins are already under pressure. And when you look at your own numbers, you discover that your business is not making enough margin either.It can feel like a no-win situation.Everyone in the supply chain is struggling to improve profitability, yet nobody appears to have any room to move.The obvious question is: if customers cannot pay more, suppliers cannot charge less, and your own margins are already under pressure, what can you actually do?One answer may lie in looking at the problem differently.Rather than focusing solely on your own costs, it may be worth stepping back and examining the costs of the entire supply chain.This idea is not new.In fact, it played a significant role in the transformation of the automotive industry during the 1960s and 70s, when Japanese manufacturers fundamentally changed how they approached cost reduction and supplier relationships.Their approach offers a valuable lesson for any business leader facing margin pressure today.Here’s what we’ll explore* Why traditional approaches to cost reduction often fall short* How disconnected supply chains can create unnecessary costs* What the Japanese automotive industry learned about collaboration* Why looking at the whole system can reveal opportunities hidden from view* Practical ways to work more closely with suppliers and customers* How to assess whether a collaborative approach is delivering resultsWhy cost challenges often feel impossible to solveCost pressures can create frustration because they frequently appear to have no obvious solution.Businesses naturally look inward when margins come under pressure.They examine their own operations.They search for efficiencies.They look for waste.They challenge budgets.These are sensible actions.However, they can also create a narrow perspective.One of the biggest barriers to meaningful cost reduction is that many organisations operate largely in isolation from the wider supply chain.Each business focuses on its own targets, its own profitability, and its own efficiency measures.The problem is that what appears to be a saving for one organisation can often create additional costs elsewhere.In some cases, costs are not truly being reduced at all.They are simply being shifted from one part of the supply chain to another.As a result, the overall system remains inefficient, even though individual organisations may believe they are improving performance.This is where a broader perspective becomes valuable.A lesson from the Japanese automotive industryThe Japanese automotive industry faced a remarkably similar challenge during the 1960s and 70s.Manufacturers found themselves under pressure from customers who were unwilling to pay higher prices.Suppliers were unable to reduce their prices because they were already operating with tight margins.And the manufacturers themselves were struggling to achieve the profitability they needed.Rather than continuing to negotiate prices back and forth, they began asking a different question.Instead of focusing on the costs within individual companies, they looked at the costs across the entire supply chain.What they discovered was important.Many costs existed because of the way different organisations interacted with one another.Suppliers were incurring costs because of how manufacturers operated.Manufacturers were incurring costs because of how suppliers operated.Customers were experiencing costs because of how businesses served them.The inefficiencies were not confined to individual companies.They existed in the relationships between them.That insight changed the conversation.Looking at the whole systemThe Japanese manufacturers began bringing together teams that included suppliers, manufacturers, and customers.Rather than working independently, they worked collaboratively.The objective was simple.How could they reduce the cost of the entire supply chain?The thinking behind this approach was straightforward.If the overall cost of the system could be reduced, every organisation involved would benefit.There would be more value available for everyone.Questions about how to divide the benefits could come afterwards.The first priority was to identify opportunities to eliminate unnecessary costs throughout the chain.This represented a very different way of thinking about profitability.Rather than viewing suppliers and customers as separate entities with competing interests, organisations began viewing the supply chain as a connected system.And that change in perspective created opportunities that had previously been invisible.The power of shared informationOne example from the automotive industry illustrates the ...
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    4 mins
  • The Leadership Skill That Helps You Make Better Decisions

    The Leadership Skill That Helps You Make Better Decisions
    Jun 11 2026
    Have you ever found yourself staring at a business problem for so long that it starts to feel impossible to solve?Perhaps it’s a strategic challenge. Perhaps it’s a people issue. Perhaps it’s something related to a product, a process, or performance.Whatever the situation, most leaders recognise the feeling.You spend hours thinking about the issue. You analyse the details. You discuss it with colleagues. You revisit the same information repeatedly.And yet clarity remains frustratingly elusive.The problem is often not a lack of effort.In fact, the opposite is usually true.The problem is that we become too close to the challenge itself.When that happens, our perspective narrows. We focus intensely on one aspect of the issue while potentially overlooking other viewpoints that could help us understand it more clearly.This is where a simple but powerful technique can help.It’s a technique I think of as “zooming”.The principle is straightforward.When faced with a challenge, deliberately move in two directions: zoom in and zoom out.The key is knowing when to do each.Here’s what we’ll explore* Why leaders often become trapped by their proximity to problems* What it means to zoom in on a challenge* What it means to zoom out and broaden your perspective* How combining both approaches improves decision-making* Why balanced thinking leads to stronger leadership* How to assess whether the technique is improving outcomesWhy proximity can become a problemMost business leaders spend their days solving problems.They are constantly making decisions, addressing challenges, managing people, and thinking about the future of their organisations.As a result, they often become deeply immersed in the issues they are trying to solve.That immersion can be valuable.After all, understanding the details is often essential.However, it can also create a subtle risk.The closer we get to a problem, the harder it can become to see it objectively.We become focused on one interpretation.One possible solution.One particular perspective.Without realising it, our thinking can become constrained.This is especially true when pressure is high or when the issue has been occupying our attention for a long time.In my experience as a business leader, the ability to shift perspective has been critical to making good decisions.It is a skill I have learned over time, often through experience, and it is something that many experienced leaders and consultants seem to have in common.The best decisions are often made by people who know how to adjust their viewpoint when necessary.Zooming in: Understanding the detailThe first direction is zooming in.This means moving closer to the problem and examining it in greater detail.Rather than looking at the challenge as one large issue, you focus on the most significant part of it.You ask yourself questions such as:What is the most important element of this problem?What is the specific issue that requires attention?What can I focus on that will help me understand the situation more clearly?The purpose is to gain precision.By narrowing your attention, you can often uncover information that would otherwise remain hidden.For example, if sales are declining, it may be tempting to view that as a single broad problem.However, zooming in allows you to investigate more closely.You might examine a particular product, a specific campaign, or a particular customer group.Doing so can help identify exactly where the issue exists and what may be causing it.This approach helps leaders move beyond symptoms and get closer to root causes.It allows them to understand what is really happening rather than relying on assumptions.In that sense, zooming in is a valuable thinking tool because it encourages focus, precision, and careful analysis.Zooming out: Seeing the bigger pictureThe second direction is zooming out.This is the mirror image of zooming in.Instead of narrowing your focus, you deliberately step back.You widen your perspective and consider the broader context surrounding the challenge.This is particularly important because many problems do not exist in isolation.What appears to be a specific issue may actually be part of a wider pattern.For example, imagine you are dealing with a problem involving one product.A natural response might be to focus exclusively on fixing that product.However, zooming out prompts a different question.Is this actually a problem affecting the entire product range?Could there be a broader market issue influencing performance?Is there a manufacturing challenge that extends beyond this individual product?By stepping back and looking more broadly, leaders often discover connections that would otherwise remain invisible.The same principle applies to strategic challenges, people issues, and operational concerns.Zooming out helps you understand how a particular problem fits into the wider system.It encourages you to consider factors that may not be immediately obvious when you are focused ...
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    2 mins
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